Search - Peyton Place on DVD

Content Advisory: Questionable for Children Movie Release: 1957 DVD Release: 03/02/2004 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French, Spanish Subtitles: English, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 36 mins Studio: 20th Century Fox Members Wishing: 6 Genres: Drama, Romance, Teen Movie, Coming-of-Age, Ensemble Film

Grace Metalious' once-notorious bestseller Peyton Place is given a lavish -- and necessarily toned-down -- film treatment in this deluxe 20th Century-Fox production. Set during WWII, the film concentrates on several denizens of the outwardly respectable New England community of Peyton Place. Top-billed Lana Turner plays shopkeeper Constance McKenzie, who tries to make up for a past indiscretion -- which resulted in her illegitimate daughter Allison (Diane Varsi) -- by adopting a chaste, prudish attitude towards all things sexual. In spite of herself, Constance can't help but be attracted to handsome new teacher Michael Rossi (Lee Philips). Meanwhile, the restless Allison, who'd like to be as footloose and fancy-free as the town's "fast girl" Betty Anderson (Terry Moore), falls sincerely in love with mixed-up mama's boy Norman Page (Russ Tamblyn). And while all this is going on, "white trash" Selena Cross (Hope Lange) is raped by her stepfather, drunken school caretaker Lucas Cross (Arthur Kennedy). Other characters essential to the action are wealthy Rodney Harrington (Barry Coe), who must pay the price for his dalliance with Betty Anderson; Nellie Cross (Betty Field), Selena's long-suffering mother; and the town's Voice of Reason, Dr. Swain (Lloyd Nolan). This 166-minute soap opera (whittled down to 157 minutes before release) culminates in a spectacular murder trial which lays bare the deep, dark secrets of Peyton Place. Filmed on location in Camden, Maine, Peyton Place was a huge moneymaker (even those who felt that the film was but a heavily laundered shadow of the Metalious original were pleased with the professionalism of it all); it not only spawned a 1961 theatrical sequel, but also a long-running prime time TV serial. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lana Turner - Constance MacKenzie
Hope Lange - Selena Cross
Lee Philips - Michael Rossi
Lloyd Nolan - Dr. Matthew Swain
Arthur Kennedy - Lucas Cross
Diane Varsi - Allison MacKenzie

This screen adaptation of Grace Metalious' once notorious novel about the scandalous underside of a sleepy New England town has been given a polished presentation for its DVD release. Peyton Place has been transferred to disc in letterboxed format at the widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1, which has been enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16 x 9 monitors. The original English--language soundtrack appears in Dolby Digital Stereo, while dubbed French and Spanish soundtracks appear in Dolby Digital Mono; optional subtitles appear in English and Spanish. Bonus materials include a commentary track featuring cast members Russ Tamblyn and Terry Moore, a documentary on the making of the film from the American Movie Classics series Backstory, and vintage newsreel coverage of the film's world premiere. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide