*By submitting your contribution, you agree to TCM's Terms of Use. TCM will use your personal information consistent with our Privacy Policy

• Acting makes all forgiven

  • Tommy Drew
  • 5/10/13

  This was a racy movie for the times. It would still be today. It's not illegal but kind of frowned upon that step siblings marry. Still ilaughed through most of the movie. What I enjoyed most was the acting. I know all of those people. No one went over the top. It gave credibility to a campy screenplay. Kudos to the casting director

• Music Score

  • Julianne Elandt
  • 3/28/13

  I believe the music score is the same for a movie from 1946 "A Stolen Life" with Bette Davis that they used for "Summer Place". It is Max Steiner I believe, why did they use the same musical score for both movies? I may be the only person who noticed, but "Summer Place" happens to be my favorite movie. When I saw the 1946 movie today on TCM, it hit me right away when I heard it. I cannot say more than GREAT when I speak of "Summer Place". I could watch that movie over and over again. Arthur Kennedy and Richard Egan made this movie, Arthur Kennedy with his humor and Richard Egan with his wonderfully romantic lead.

• A Summer Place (1959)

  • Mr. Blandings
  • 10/17/12

  Delmer Daves, the same boring director who brought you the world's longest cigarette ad (see "Parrish"), now brings you the world's longest music video ... ever!! Seriously. The first time I heard the familar theme I was like "Hey, this is a famous song." A constant 130 minutes of it later I was nauseated hearing it. This film is plodding and waaay to long, which overshadows any "raciness" it may have had. In the hands of a better director, a better actor than Troy Donahue, and brisk running time of, say, 80-90 minutes, this movie might have actually been good.

• A Summer Place

  • Dashiell Barnes
  • 6/17/12

  A terrifically made teen melodrama. Fine ensemble from McGuire, Egan & Kennedy, but it's Dee & Donahue who shine most of all. The story is good, but not great & the score by Hugo Winterhalter is another character in the film. A fine film showcasing two idolized young stars. I give it a 3.5/5.

• Ooh That Theme Music!

  • Bruce Reber
  • 6/15/12

  I could have sworn the great theme music to "A Summer Place" (and the score by Max Steiner) received an Oscar nomination. I look at the ASP overview and see it got none. Too Bad. I've never seen ASP, but I really like the theme. Percy Faith and his Orchestra took it to number one on the pop charts in 1960. A bit of trivia on the ASP theme-Charlton Heston put an 8-track (remember those?) in his car tape player, and the ASP theme was playing as he cruised around post-apoocalypse Los Angeles hunting down vampires in the 1971 Sci-Fi film "The Omega Man". It wasn't the Percy Faith version though. Steiner's great music should have gotten nominated.

• A Summer Place

  • LaVanita
  • 6/14/12

  I love this story of LOVE. The cast was excellent.

• A SUMMER PLACE

  • M. H. Faris
  • 6/11/12

  I remember sneaking into the theatre to see A SUMMER PLACE in the spring of 1960 when I was all of 11 years old. I had seen GIDGET the previous summer and I was in love with Sandra Dee --- and here she was in what I was certain was an ADULT movie ! I was tasting forbidden fruit and it's a thrill that I've never forgotten. I loved the film then because I could boast of having seen it to my less fortunate friends who also drooled over Miss Dee. I love the film now because it's a glossy melodramatic style of motion picture that has gone the way of the dinosaur .... and, for me, that's sad.

• Smash Hit Delmer Daves Troy Donahue movie

  • David Atkins
  • 8/14/11

  A Summer Place with its soaring theme by Percy Faith was the first of 4 grand Troy Doanhue movies at Warner Bros that fit the mood of the late 50's and early 60's: A Summer Place, Parrish, Susan Slade, and Rome Adventure are swell movies to watch and I wish TCM would schedule a day of the Daves-Donahue movies. A Summer Place filmed with all the technical professional of a great studio Warner Bros featured Troy Donahue with Sandra Dee and became a worldwide smash hit. Ms. Dee would go on to a career at Universal in a series of films produced by Ross Hunter that elevated her to be a ranking star of the top 10 box office stars of her era.

• A Summer Place

  • Betty
  • 6/18/11

  Great story line. Would love to see it again. Excellent cast!

• Sexy!

  • Christine
  • 6/14/11

  This movie is so sexy, and quite daring for it's time. No nudity, no extreme love scenes, but this movie lets your imagination carry you away. And of course the story line leaves no doubt as to what is going on. I love the two female leads in this film. Dorothy McGuire and Constance Ford, both excellent actresses playing very different type mothers. Great movie, beautiful scenery, and wonderfully sexy. I give it an A.

• A Summer Place

  • GeorgieM
  • 12/20/10

  I love this movie! It took me back to my young years when I was so in love. I have seen this movie so many times and I can't wait until the next showing. Thank you TCM for all the great movies of the past. I am your biggest fan!

• Filme classico

  • Sonia
  • 11/1/10

  Summer place é um filme classico mostrando todas as mudanças comportamentais dos jovens dos anos 50. A Sandra dee está ótima. A trilha sonora do filme é linda. Um filme sublime

• A SUMMER PLACE

  • ANITA
  • 8/15/10

  TERRIFIC MOVIE. THIS MOVIE ALWAYS PLAYED AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR, AROUND THE SAME TIME THEY WOULD PLAY PEYTON PLACE. THEY EVENTUALLY STOP RUNNING A SUMMER PLACE. AND I OFTEN WONDER WHY???????????????????

• A Summer Place

  • Ellen Iddins
  • 4/25/10

  This is the best movie that I have ever seen! I love this movie. I have it in my collection and I watch it often.

• Would love to see this movie on TCM.

  • Carol
  • 10/21/09

  The actors are wonderful. I have always loved this movie since the early 1970's.

• Racy for the time

  • Monica
  • 7/11/09

  I first saw this movie when I was about 20 yrs old (about 1985). I worked with women who remembered seeing it at the theater. I said that was a really daring film for the time. About parental affairs and divorce and teenagers going "all the way" when "good girls where virgins when they got married". If they did and got PG (pregnant) were sent off "to live with distant relatives" and to give the child up for adoption. And whispered about. The movie is great I'd love to see it offered in the summer on TMC. It is a wonderful love story!

• A Summer Place

  • suzette holmes
  • 11/5/08

  Does anyone know when this movie will be on tv/cable? If so, please let me know, or let me know how I can request that it be shown. Great, great movie.

• Filmed in Pebble Beach, CA

  • Pamela Miller
  • 8/9/08

  I had photo,s of the film shoot. It was a magical time and place. The beauty of the local, was equal to that of its star. I was not yet a teenager, but could so quickly identify? It broke my heart to read Dodd Darin's Dream Lover. It was a wonderful gut wrenching book. I ask, why this movie is NEVER on TCM? While others are on often? I have not seen this movie since it orginally in theatres....

• Gorgeous movie!

  • Pat
  • 1/5/08

  I wanted to be Sandra Dee and wanted Troy for a boyfriend! How I loved this movie! No telling how many times I saw it. It was beautiful and the Theme from a Summer Place was the ultimate instrumental. I wore out my 45 but still have it.

• Sweet Sandra Dee

  • tracey c. smith
  • 12/18/07

  12 18 2007 The theme from "A Summer Place" is fine.

• Wonderful and Inspiring

  • Sarah
  • 9/28/07

  I have seen this movie a few times now and love it to death. You fall in love with Molly and Johnny! Even though everyone has heard the theme song before, it is like you are listening to it for the first time when you watch this movie. I love how even though this movie was relased in 1959 it addressed some very deep and risky subjects for the time...escpecally involving teenagers.

• Coming of age movie

  • Ann
  • 8/12/07

  This was the first movie I saw as a teen that dealt with out of wedlock romance. I still love it to this day and all of the actors in it.Also to be noted I loved the Frank Lloyd Wright house, I wanted a house just like that. A true love story.

• Beautiful movie

  • Pat Harris
  • 7/7/07

  This was my favorite movie as a teenager. I first saw it when I was about 14 and saw it about 6 times at the movies after that. I totally fell in love with Troy. And wanted to look like Sandra Dee. The scenery was so beautiful. How could it have been any better? I don't see it on TV very often but would sure like to.

• A SUMMER PLACE

  • MARGIE
  • 8/27/06

  ONE OF THE BEST ROMANTIC MOVIES WITH TROY DONAHUE AND SANDRA DEE AT THEIR HEIGHT OF FAME. A GREAT TEARJERKER. SHOULD BE SHOWN MORE OFTEN. ABOUT ONCE A YEAR NOW. ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES. WAS ONE OF MY AUNTS FAVORITE MOVIES WHICH SHE PASSED QUITE A FEW YEARS BACK. SHE INTRODUCED ME TO ALL THE GOOD ROMANTIC MOVIES A SUMMER PLACE, GONE WITH THE WIND, AND PAINT YOUR WAGON. THESE MOVIES BRING BACK SOME OF MY FONDEST CHILDHOOD MEMORIES. WISH I COULD GET IT ON DVD BUT HAVEN'T HAD ANY SUCESS. '

• A WONDERFUL CLASSIC FILM

  • P.C.
  • 6/5/06

  A SUMMER PLACE IS A CLASSIC LOVE STORY BETWEEN TWO COUPLES THAT WON'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN LOVE IN THE BEST SENSE. A WONDERFUL CLASSIC LOVE STORY WITHIN THE TIME PERIOD IT WAS MADE. PLEASE RELEASE THIS CLASSIC FOR ALL WOMEN TO EXPERIENCE. ALSO, I DO BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE HOMES USED IN THIS MOVIE WAS BUILT BY ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ARCHITECTS OF OUR TIME. GUESS WHO?

• A summer classic

  • Joan
  • 5/25/06

  I was shocked to see that this fantastic love story, spanning the generations, has not been produced on DVD!! Pls don't disappoint millions of baby boomers out there who crave these classics. Thank you.

• Please release A Summer Place on dvd

  • p parsons
  • 5/21/06

  I saw this movie when I was very young and fell in love with it. I know that there must be a lot of people like me who really want a copy of it. Please consider releasing it.

• Totally Addicted To A Summer Place....

  • Mrs.M.Sonia Pope.
  • 3/24/06

  I was 15 when I first saw this film, I was totally addicted to this film and the music, I still have my 45 single record of A Summer Place, by the Percy Faith Orchestra,, I did not have a record player at the time and I had to play it at my friends, I have TCM, and I have watched many an old movie, but never A Summer Place, please can you show it, if only we could buy the FILM, no chance, has it been weitten off or something, Thanking=you for letting me air my views, forever hopeful....Sonia....

• More Reviews