First Love

1977's "First Love" was a frank update of the kind of women's picture that began decades before (Harold Brodsky's original story was actually written in the 50s), but ultimately unsatisfying. William Katt follows his breakout hit "Carrie" by playing virginal college youth Elgin Smith, who instantly, and perhaps foolishly, falls in love at first sight with elegant upper class co-ed Caroline Hedges (Susan Dey), despite the presence of the older gentleman she's with (Robert Loggia), who turns out to be the lawyer business partner of her late father, a tragic suicide. A chance encounter the next day finds Elgin making an impression in clumsy fashion, and soon enough the pair are seeing each other regularly, until Loggia's reappearance with his wife (Virginia Leith) drives a tearful Caroline into Elgin's bed, for better or worse. One could describe the story as bittersweet, but surely that must be the fate of many such relationships, yet there is an underlying falseness driving Susan Dey's character that keeps us from liking her. This was Dey's starring feature debut, though a constant TV presence since THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY, achieving dramatic praise as an abusive mother later that same year in "Mary Jane Harper Cried Last Night." In only her second feature film, sexy Beverly D'Angelo truly shines in the better role, as fun loving Shelley, girlfriend of Elgin's humorous neighbor David (John Heard), who's also going out with a deadly serious girl (June Barrett) who nearly catches him in bed with Shelley. Beverly (and Susan too) gets naked in Elgin's bed on her third attempt to score with him, but he subconsciously blurts out Caroline's name, spoiling the mood. Shelley confesses that she believes that she's in love with unserious David, so it's a genuine surprise when the two actually get together to make a go of marriage. It's almost too bad that their story is secondary, but William Katt shows that he could carry a film, especially one lacking a strong trustful ending. A rare appearance for Cleveland-born Virginia Leith, the same actress who achieved cult status in her previous movie "The Brain That Wouldn't Die," but would retire for good by 1980.

This time the guy is looking for perfect love. The guy is the romantic. The guy is the partner easily hurt. Based on a short story "Sentimental Education," "First Love" is seen through the tender eyes of a sensitive man. William Katt is that dewy-eyed guy who spots his first love (Susan Dey) in the college cafeteria. She gives him an initial rejection, acts busy, knowing all the while she would be thrilled to date him. Her sad family history and her pointless side affair will strain their romance. The couple's liaison is richly, humorously written. For such a commercial venture, "First Love" has an soul-stirring density not always present in maudlin love stories.

I just caught this late night on TCM. I'd probably seen it 30-40 years earlier, but forgot it. My first thought -- this is like an after-school special for the over-18 set. I could tell it would be soft, and corny and talky, and a type of young romance that mostly appealed only to youth of that era. Then I "remembered" I was in college in that era. So I turned on the 70s Wayback Time Machine and tried to remember how I would watch this if I were 20. That's when I realized that this "fit" for a middle-class college kid of those days, who was still trying to figure out romance in a sexual context. I don't remember, but I bet this was hailed as soft-core porn by Playboy, since -- OMG -- Susan Dey's breasts were displayed, and not too briefly, and not in a non-sexual way. The same Susan Dey we all knew from the Partridge Family. Yowza. But old me looking at young Susan Dey? The thrill is long gone. I'm thinking "why were all of us boys so crazy about her?"

Writing-wise, I bet this was inspired by the wildly successful Love Story, another collegiate troubled romance in soft focus and long teary camera shots. It was only six or seven years earlier, and it was still being talked about in the popular culture when this movie released. This was, after all, the age of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the Joy of Sex, Looking For Mr. Goodbar, and all those other now-quaint social commentaries and racy cultural takes.

This movie's ok. It's not bad. It's tame-lame by modern standards, but hell -- it's over 40 years old. Like me.

I give this movie such a high score only for the nostalgic feelings it evokes for me. I saw it with my "first". I felt a kinship with Billy Katt as he stumbled through the the physical aspects of making and being in love the first time. It was a total hoot to hear him ask. "Did I make you come?" after the first time. Who the @#$! asks that?? The movie is beautifully photographed. Susan Dey was a gorgeous, if slightly untalented actress. William Katt did a decent job. I forgot that John Heard was in the movie. He is brilliant as always. So, this is not so much a review as a chance for me to remember my "first", who, by the way, I did not marry! I would recommend this movie for those of us who were in college in 1977.

I was attracted to some fresh, honest scenes with some frank, honest conversation but it alternated with some inane scenes with some inane conversation. William Katt's acting was sometimes appropriate sometimes not and sometimes obviously limited. Susan Dey's performance was consistently strong and professional. The ending was unsurprising except for the quick, undeveloped writing. The directing of some scenes was strangely bad. So it's a strange and unsatisfying mixture. Dey's beautiful nude body was used naturally and was a pleasant bonus.