Summer and Smoke

source: Summer and Smoke

Trailer—Summer and Smoke

Summer and Smoke

I saw this movie at a theater in Springfield, Ohio, at the time of its original theatrical release. I don't know if memory makes things seem better than they really were but I rate this as the most memorable movies I have ever seen. I thought it was fantastic. I've not seen the video and I'm not sure that I would want to since this VHS edition is not letter-boxed. It would have a 1.33 aspect ratio instead of the wide, 2.35 aspect ratio of the original Panavision film. I think that would destroy much of the film's visual appeal. If this movie ever comes out on DVD, in the original Panavision aspect ratio, I'll be certain to buy it!

Tennessee Williams is at his best here in this great play made into a startling motion picture. The phenomenal Geraldine Page is absolutely brilliant here as a repressed spinster who finds love with the doctor next door only to throw it away. Williams continues his never ending attack on religion, rebelliousness, drug addiction and dysfunctional love. Una Merkel, who received a supporting Oscar nomination for her role as Alma's (Page's) mother, is excellent here. She is weird, a manipulator and pulls out every stop in a very good performance. Too bad that her role was concentrated solely at the beginning of the film. Laurence Harvey has what it takes as the wild doctor brought down to reality when his lifestyle causes the tragic demise of his father. Miss Page exhibits every nuance in playing the part that made her such a great actress- a neurotic woman, in conflict with society, or is she a victim of it?

Hardly the best of Tennessee Williams and this film version does nothing to improve on it. The director was Peter Glenville who may have been highly proficient on stage but who had no real idea of what made good cinema and this is turgid at best. Geraldine Page may have been ideally suited to the role of the repressed spinster Alma but her tremulous, hesitant and, of course, highly mannered performance is just annoying and you know something is askew when the usually wooden Laurence Harvey more than manages to hold his own against her. He's the good-for-nothing young doctor who seduces her and whose body just drives her wild with desire as a certain Miss Bowles might say. As the local tramp Rita Moreno barely gets a look in though Una Merkel makes a brave stab at playing Page's dotty mother, (she and Page were both Oscar-nominated). Williams later revised the piece under the title "Eccentricities of a Nightingale" which was filmed for television with Blythe Danner and Frank Langella.

This is based on one of Tennessee Williams lesser known plays. Apparently, the film is a pretty close adaptation of the play. Based on the film, I can see why this is lesser known than works like A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a huge fan of those plays, but they are miles above Summer and Smoke. First of all, I couldn't help but feel that the two main characters were absolutely as stupid and annoying as the leads in any film I've ever seen. The character development is bad-the sudden changes in their attitudes are wholly unbelievable. Everything about the film is extremely obvious-about as subtle as a kick in the face. The whole thing reeks of senseless cynicism. Worst of all, there is enough melodrama in this one film to fill a whole day's worth of programming on the Lifetime Channel. Given what they had to work with, the performances in the film aren't that bad, I guess.

This is one of the most underrated Films from a T. Williams source. Its star , sadly is Laurence Harvey and even more underrated actor. Many folks had such huge hopes for a long career for Mr Harvey when it was cut so short we often ponder " what would have been" This film gives us some wonderful insight as to the heights that could have been. Harvey plays Dr. Buchannon on a multitude of levels of emotional detachment..and is superb. Fitzgerald delivers in her role as the tortured Alma and stalwarts, John MCintyre and Rita Moreno supply the sparks. Lost in all of this is a fine performance by the large version of Thomas Gomez..who proves again his versatility. I love the irony of the ending with the appearance of Earl Holliman as ' Archie" Good Drama is never dated and Peter Glenville (dir) makes it all happen..also ..one wouldn't be surprised to note that Hal Wallis is the producer..one of the all time best that Hollywood has ever had. C Pope