Eté et fumées

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.

I wanted to see this film after reading reviews of "Splendor in the Grass", which claimed that the basic idea for that movie was borrowed by William Inge from Tennessee Williams' "Summer and Smoke". I love "Splendor," and wanted to see if the 'Bard of the Midwest' could possibly have copied from his friend's homework.

I think nearly all the films made from Tennessee Williams' plays reveal their stage origins, but none more so than "Summer and Smoke". Sometimes that theatricality works in a film's favour as it does in "A Streetcar Named Desire", but here, it put me off at first. Nonetheless, there are many things I do like about the film.

Set in a small town in Mississippi in the early 1900's, the story centres around Alma Winemiller (Geraldine Page), the daughter of a minister. She is in love with the boy next door, John Buchanan (Laurence Harvey), the son of the local doctor. Repressed emotionally, she believes that personal dignity is the most important thing of all; he on the other hand is adventurous and wild. While she stays at home nursing her mentally ill mother, he goes out into the world experiencing life to the full.

John returns and has affairs with other women, including Rita Marino's Rosa Zacharias in a couple of over-the-top sequences. Alma is crushed, but although both eventually come around to the other's way of thinking, in the end they are just as apart as they were in the beginning.

Although Inge probably saw "Summer and Smoke" when it opened on Broadway in the late 40's, any influence was slight to say the least. As far as the two movies are concerned, "Splendor" is the more accessible work while "Smoke" struggles to overcome its stage roots.

"Summer and Smoke" does picks up the pace along the way, and the two leads are good together. Geraldine Page is an unusually arresting actress, and repeats her role from the stage. She has some tough speeches to deliver, but the vulnerability of her character is painful to watch.

I've always found Laurence Harvey a terrific screen presence, but a number of his peers from British cinema and theatre would disagree - some even thought him a bad actor. Maybe they got his roles on-screen mixed up with his life off-screen. However, there could also have been sour grapes involved; he was very good-looking, had a great voice and the camera loved him; he gives a confident performance in this film.

I knew Elmer Bernstein's score long before I saw the movie. It is a beautiful and nostalgic work with a heart-wrenching main theme. The music gives a haunting sense of loss to the film, offsetting the static sets and overlit photography. It shows the power of music to enhance a film.

"Summer and Smoke" presents some challenging ideas. It's not the best translation of Tennessee Williams to the screen, but more than one scene stays in the memory.

"Summer and Smoke" is another Tennessee Williams southern drama that, after debuting as a play, was made into a film and later an opera. Set earlier in the 20th Century, it's the story of repressed passion, unrequited love and desperation. Geraldine Page stars as Alma Winemiller, the uptight daughter of a minister. She teaches voice, sings a little, and lives with her father and an insane mother (Una Merkel). Alma, since childhood, has been in love with the young doctor next door, John Buchanan (Laurence Harvey), the son of a doctor and a playboy. Buchanan has recently returned to town and is still a reckless playboy. Now he's involved with Rosa Zacharias (Rita Moreno), a girl from the wrong class and the wrong side of town. On the evening that something could have happened between Alma and John, she runs from him. One night, while a wild party is going on at the Buchanan house, Alma goes next door and learns that Rosa and John are going to be married. Upset, she calls John's father (John MacIntyre) at the hospital and urges him to return home. The result is tragedy.

This is a very powerful and poignant story of two people, one interested in earthly pleasures and one focused on the soul and spirit. Neither one is entirely right or wrong, but it creates a chasm between them. When each realizes what the other has been saying, it's too late for them.

Geraldine Page, who played this role to great acclaim on stage, brings her magnificent portrayal to the screen. The role was based on Williams' sister, who eventually went insane. If physically Page is a little less delicate looking than one imagines Tennessee Williams' female characters, her portrayal contains all of the fragility of the role. The final scene between Alma and a salesman, played by Earl Holliman shows the shocking contrast between Alma in the beginning and at the end of the film. Geraldine Page gave us all too few gems on films, as she concentrated on the stage. We have to savor what we have.

Laurence Harvey is very handsome and desirable, but probably a little too refined for the role of John. The role needs someone whose sexuality is less ethereal and more earthbound. Una Merkel is excellent as Alma's mother, a truly disturbed and frightening woman.

Very good film based on a Williams play, worth seeing for the wonderful Geraldine Page and its thought-provoking story.