Search - Parrish on DVD

Classic filmmaking from director Delmer Daves

gobirds2 | New England | 02/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"PARRISH is the second film that teamed director Delmer Daves and teen idol Troy Donahue. Despite its notoriously poor reviews, this is a very good film in the context of the soap opera genre and extends beyond many inherent bounds of that genre for its sheer entertainment. This is good filmmaking. Delmer Daves was the consummate professional, being a meticulous craftsman. His films were beautifully photographed; many times employing difficult crane shots to incorporate the characters into their environment from which he contrasted their own conflicts. This film is no exception as it deals with the struggle for control over Connecticut's tobacco farming industry. The main antagonist is the all-powerful Judd Raike (Karl Malden) who intends to buy out the entire valley. His main nemesis is the noble Sala Post (Dean Jagger) who stands for uncompromising integrity. Parrish MacLean (Troy Donahue) and his mother, Ellen (Claudette Colbert) arrive in tobacco country from Boston and become involved in the conflict. Along the way Donahue finds three love interests: Connie Stevens, Diane McBain and Sharon Hugueny. Critics at the time criticized Malden's maniacal performance, but in light of today's cutthroat business tactics it seems right on target. However, I always best admired Jagger's mild but dignified performance. Much of the location photography was filmed in Connecticut (the Sala Post house in Middlefield, the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship at Mystic Seaport, the Connecticut River ferryboat photographed from Gillette's Castle, the Congregational Church in Essex for wedding scenes, the Tara Mare Resort Hotel and Marina at Saybrook Point, the United States Navy submarine base at Groton and Tobacco Fields and Sheds in Hartford County were all featured). Having lived in Connecticut all my life, I can really appreciate the authenticity and craftsmanship that was put into this film. It is a beautiful film very much enhanced by Max Steiner's evocative young-at-heart score. Steiner's score is very distinctive and musically iconic for the Troy Donahue films directed by Daves. They don't make them like this anymore. This film was based on the novel by Connecticut's own Mildred Savage. I highly recommend this motion picture. This Warner's DVD print is very good and much overdue."