A tale of pent up lust like no other. Geraldine Page is a spinster whose idea of moral decay is holding hands with a man (while NOT wearing her gloves). She's hopelessly in love with local doctor/bad boy Laurence Harvey. Through an outrageous series of events she drives him away while saving his soul! This Tennessee Williams play has a fiery script by James Poe & Meade Roberts and a brilliant performance by Page. Harvey is as stiff as he is in nearly all of his films. There's little chemistry between the two stars and while that's a detriment, it doesn't derail the film. Peter Glenville, an expert director who only made seven films, recreates 1916 Americana nicely. Elmer Bernstein wrote the score. The supporting cast, including Pamela Tiffin, Rita Moreno, John McIntire (as Harvey's saintly father) and Thomas Gomez is excellent. Lee Patrick has a great cameo as the town hussy and Una Merkel is a standout as Page's demented mother.
Review of Summer and Smoke
