Verano y humo

Set in a small, insular town in the deep South, this is a gripping drama of miscommunication and repressed passion. Geraldine Page's powerful performance becomes progressively more harrowing as her character, the spinsterish Miss Alma, struggles to forge a connection with the man she has always loved--the handsome, dissolute son of the town's respected doctor (Laurence Harvey, perfectly cast). In the process, lives are forever changed--in ways none of those involved could have predicted. Page is simply incredible in this movie, delivering a climactic soliloquy that will leave you emotionally shell-shocked.

I saw this movie at a theater in Springfield, Ohio, at the time of its original theatrical release. I don't know if memory makes things seem better than they really were but I rate this as the most memorable movies I have ever seen. I thought it was fantastic. I've not seen the video and I'm not sure that I would want to since this VHS edition is not letter-boxed. It would have a 1.33 aspect ratio instead of the wide, 2.35 aspect ratio of the original Panavision film. I think that would destroy much of the film's visual appeal. If this movie ever comes out on DVD, in the original Panavision aspect ratio, I'll be certain to buy it!

Unfortunately, unlike gems like "Streetcar Named Desire," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "Suddenly Last Summer," and "Sweet Bird of Youth," "Summer and Smoke" doesn't have their intensity of character and situational conflicts.

I love the actors, but Laurence Harvey, so great in movies like "The Manchurian Candidate," lacks the cocky heat, swagger, and desperation of Paul Newman. On the other hand, Una Merkel all too briefly steals the show as the mentally troubled mother--her performance is sly from within and totally believable.

Geraldine Page is always a treasure, but here she's slogged down a bit by an all-too-literal and preachy script and sluggish direction. Yes, it's Williams' play, but the script could have been better altered for a screenplay, and all the scenes, even the most intense, lacked a spark and sense of danger. Rita Moreno was simply gorgeous and effective in a pretty thankless role; her talent was more than evident.

The ending is very effective, and while I won't give it away, I'll just say that it made me wonder if Alma Winemiller was on her way to becoming another incarnation of Blanche DuBois. But I'll leave that for others to ponder.

Seven stars for being, well, Tennessee Williams and Geraldine Page and Una Merkel and another tale of family dysfunction, mores, and hypocrisy. But I had to shave off some due to its unfortunate sluggishness, unnecessary length, and over-talky, over-preachy and explanatory script.

Tennessee Williams brilliant and expertly told tale of a woman and man whose moral standards or lack of standards never meet as they they both journey to opposite extremes.

The story is set in 1916. The lead role of a meticulous yet nervously self conscious reverend's daughter is skillfully portrayed by Geraldine Page. Her name is Alma, as she indicates early on, is Spanish for soul. Too highly moral minded to act on or even think of the physical acts of pleasure she exists in a fantasized world of the romanticized connection of souls. The realities of her life justify her mental escape. Her mother(Una Merkel) had a nervous breakdown some years back and is childishly stubborn. Alma to the outside observer purposely projects a maturity beyond her age as she has taken over many duties usually the responsibilities of a preacher wife. She also bears the duty of disciplinarian to her bratty, shoplifting, and childlike mother. She lives up to the responsibilities thrust upon her. Also she provides public vocal performances at special events and gives voice training lessons. In her fantasy she loves the young doctor next door with whom she grew up.

Her handsome neighbor John(Lawrence Harvey)is the son of the town doctor. He has recently finished his medical internship. He is morally the extreme opposite of Alma. He is a drinker, womanizer, gambler, and lacks any sense of responsibility. He has just returned to town and shows Alma a bit of interest but is is distracted by newest town slut Rosa Zacharius whose father owns a nearby casino featuring drinking, gambling, and what else one can only imagine. He is bewitched by Rosa(Rita Moreno). He still shows a mild interest in Alma.

He takes Alma to the Casino one night and she is horrified by the activities there. She is with John watching a cock fight and is sickened. Suddenly a spot of blood from the fighting roosters splashes on her blouse. She screams. Brilliant T.W. symbolism! The pure spinster being marked with the symbol of original sin. John and Alma walk outside to a secluded spot. They become rather excited by one another. Alma is about to give in to her physical desire but her pure and high morals overtake the moment and she runs off.

John and Rosa become engaged. One wonders why he thought he had to marry her since her character was one of the easiest conquests ever depicted.

John's father is in another part of the state treating victims of a deadly outbreak of illness as a volunteer, Alma alerts him about a wild party at his house. He returns home to find drunk people all over his property. He sees Rosa's father and starts beating the passed out man with his cane. He wakes up and shoots John's father. His father linger a few days and dies stating he does not forgive his son. Alma tells John she alerted his father to return home. John verbally assaults her with insulting dialog and blames her for his father's death.

Alma descends into deep and dark depression. Meanwhile John is shocked into the reality of the situation and takes up his father's volunteer work at the clinic. He returns a hero to take over his fathers practice as town physician.

Alma at this point has taken a dark journey. Her father asks her why she never dresses during the day and where she has been disappearing to at 2:00am. She reminds him of all the chores she does everyday and says,"what more do you want of me?" He says, "what will I tell people that ask about you?" Her startling reply is, "You can tell them I have changed. You don't yet know, how or why... but you may wish that I hadn't. The most important key scenes follow filled with amazing emotion and dialogue. Miss Page is at the top of her game in these scenes. Believe me Alma's father would have wished she hadn't changed. The final scene is lurid. Don't miss this underrated Tennessee Williams masterpiece.

As compared to other Tennessee Williams works like The Glass Menagerie and Streetcar Named Desire, Summer And Smoke is distinctly second rate. But second rate Tennessee Williams is better than a lot of first rate work from most and a really good cast puts this one over.

A cast dominated by Geraldine Page who plays a woman who is carrying a Statue of Liberty torch since childhood for the kid next door who grew up to be Lawrence Harvey. At first glance these two seemed ideally suited for each other, her the daughter of minister Malcolm Atterbury, him the son of town doctor John McIntire. But both have some issues, her's the kind that Tennessee Williams is known for being frank about in his work, him an inability to settle down. As the film opens Harvey has returned to their southern town after medical school a newly minted doctor. But he's got enough seeds for a field of wild oats and he just wants to have a good old time. Page won't give him that.

But when you've got a raging libido like Harvey has, the only kind of girl you want to quench it is Rita Moreno. 1961 was Rita's year to be naughty, she won her Oscar playing gang girl Anita in West Side Story. Had that film not been out, more attention might have been paid to what she did in Summer And Smoke.

As Page is frigid and won't give up a little to land Harvey she resorts to a bit of trickery to break up Harvey and Moreno which ends in tragedy for one of the cast. Ironically both Harvey and Page modify their behaviors, but there's too much that now makes them incompatible. In fact Page at the end is showing hints of becoming a lot like Tennessee Williams's other great character Blanche Dubois.

Four Oscar nominations went out to Paramount for Summer And Smoke, Best Actress for Geraldine Page, Best Supporting Actress for Una Merkel, Best Art&Set Decoration and Best Musical Score. Sadly it did not bring home a statue and poor Una Merkel her portrayal of Page's kleptomaniac mother lost to Rita Moreno for West Side Story.

Summer And Smoke is a base hit for Tennessee Williams, but not a home run. Still devotees of the man and others should enjoy this film.