Summer of '42

Our great Australian friend and fellow movie buff Ronnie at Screen Gems posted about one of his favorite films, 1971's SUMMER OF '42 this week.

I hadn't thought about the film for years, but took the the chance to revisit it with fresh eyes.

I can see why Ronnie's such a huge fan. The film's narration, music and pace reminded me of how moved I always am re-watching "The Prince of Tides", one of my all-time faves.

A huge hit for Warner Bros, SUMMER OF '42 grossed $34 million on a $1 million budget and became part of early seventies culture in a huge way.

Writer Herman Raucher based the story on his own life experiences, summer vacationing in the early 1940's with his parents on Nantucket Island. Hermie, played in a winning, quiet performance by Gary Grimes, is the on screen version of Herman.

Raucher writes a film that's as interested in capturing an era as it is telling its story. With leisurely introductions and episodic adventures for Hermie and his best friends, you feel immersed in the WW2 small town timeline. The attention to detail is impressive in every house and shop on main street. It reminded me of George Lucas's 'American Graffiti" in the way it captures a specific moment in time.

Jerry Houser (Slap Shot) stars as Oscy, the unfiltered horndog of the bunch with one thing on his mind. He's horny, loud and relentless. Oliver Conant stars as Benjie, the most innocent of the trio who runs for the hills anytime a real girl gets close. Benjie's foul mouth is his guard against any real female contact.

Hermie is, by far, the most reserved of the young trio. He's exasperated with his Mom (voiced by an off-screen Maureen Stapleton) but enjoying every bit of a summer that will prove to be life changing.

Hermie falls in love from afar with Dorothy, a young woman who lives in a beachside house with her husband, whose just been called away to WWII. Hermie watches the way the two interact, fascinated with Dorothy.

Who could blame him? Jennifer O'Neill (Rio Lobo, Scanners) is stunning and endearing as Dorothy. When Hermie sees her drop her groceries, he runs over to help and accompanies her home, carrying all the bags himself. This leads to an innocent, quiet relationship with Dorothy, helping her with chores around the house while she remains oblivious to the teenager madly in love with her every breath.

There wasn't a teenager alive in the 70's who didn't feel the same way about O'Neill. LOL

Director Robert Mulligan (To Kill A Mockingbird, The Other) crafts a beautiful film, built mainly on quiet observations and moments of comedy, including Hermie's trip to the local drug store to buy condoms. That scene is a modern classic, with character actor Lou Frizzell (Capricorn One, The Other) delivering big laughs as the pharmacist behind the counter.

When tragedy strikes, Dorothy and Hermie find themselves in each other's arms. It's a beautiful scene, almost dialogue free and set to the legendary love theme by Michel Legrand. He won an Oscar for his music for the film, much deserved.

It was also nominated for editing, its superb photography by Robert Surtees (Ben Hur, The Sting, A Star is Born) and screenplay by Raucher.

They don't make them like this anymore. Modern audiences would have no idea what to do with the pace of the film and relationships depicted. They'd probably send Chris Hansen into Dorothy's kitchen to catch a predator.

Famously, this was one of Stanley Kubrick's favorite films. You can even see a glimpse of it playing in the background of "The Shining" in tribute.

Romantic, funny and in the end, haunting, SUMMER OF '42 gets an A-.

Followed two years later by a lesser sequel, "Class of '44" detailing Hermie, Oscy and Benjie graduating high school and off to college and the military.