O Verão que Passou

Anyone who was around in 1971 remembers the sensation that "Summer of '42" caused back then. In a more proper time, the story of a young war bride and an innocent teenager was a smash hit with audiences. So...an inevitable sequel with most of the original cast was released in 1973.

"Class of '44" should have been titled "Hermie and Oscy Go to College" since that's about all the sequel is about. Hermie (Gary Grimes), Oscy (Jerry Hauser), and Benjie (Oliver Conant) graduate from high school, after which Hermie and Oscy attend college while Benjie joins the service. Hermie becomes involved with rich Julie (Deborah Winters) and Oscy is thrown out of school, leading to the nondescript end of the movie in a train station with Julie and Hermie confirming their love.

"Class of '44" isn't a bad movie, it just can't possibly compete with "Summer of '42" on any level. There's no real momentum to this film, we don't care much about the characters, and the basic plot simply meanders all over the place. Christopher Norris and Jennifer O'Neill are sadly missing from this movie, and their absence really makes a difference. John Candy has a brief role after the high school graduation sequence but it's not much.

Grimes disappeared from movies after a couple of years, Winters had a very short acting career, and Houser and O'Neill went on to establish themselves as solid actors in movies and on television. "Class of '44" isn't nearly as profound or entertaining as the original film, but it's certainly acceptable for an undemanding evening if you can locate the DVD.

Took 45 years for me to see this movie, and I wish I had waited longer. There is no main story, no flow, just lots of short scenes unconnected. Summer of 42 grabbed you and held your attention. Class of 44 wasted your time, I'm still waiting for something to finish the story.

I liked the prequel Summer of 42 a lot more. I did not find this sequel to leave me with any bright spots to remember this movie for any significant value. It almost looked as if they took some excess film from the Summer of 42 and tried to piece together this sequel by adding a few new characters and a new location.

I just found that I was waiting for something (anything) to occur but the movie went no where. Oh sure there was young love, a few fight scenes, boy turns in to man and goes off to serve in the military, but these scenes did not have any flow to them. As I said I thought maybe they just edited from some scenes that were cut from the original Summer of 42.

Look out for a young John Candy who has a single scene in which he has a few lines while climbing the stairwell in a home filled with students after high school graduation ceremonies about 15 minutes in to the movie.

This sequel to the "Summer of '42" carries on the themes set out in the original film and delves deeper into the minds of the characters. While fans of the first film may wish to see more of Jennifer O'Neill's character, unfortunately she does not appear in this film and there is no mention of her character at all. That aside, however, this film allows you to learn more about Hermie and Oscy and the paths their lives take. Deborah Winters role as Hermie's college love interest works well and the characters have chemistry on screen. If you liked the "Summer Of '42" you should enjoy the "Class Of '44". You just may be disappointed not to see any more of Hermie and Dorothy's relationship or the impact of the summer of '44.

The kids from that summer in Nantucket in 1942 have now graduated high school in 1944. Gary Grimes and Jerry Houser go off to college while Oliver Conant enlists in the Marines.

From a good dramatic coming of age story with Michel Legrand's great Oscar winning score for the Summer of 31, Class Of 44 is a raher pedestrian story that doesn't seem to have a point. The two college kids feel guilty about their third musketeer off to war as well as otherfamily members. Houser who's no kind of student quits and enlists in the army. Grimes is left alone and gets involved with rich and spoiled Deborah Winters.

The ending is minor and low keyed and one is left with wondering what is it I just saw?

Good actors just plain defeated by a pointless story.