rbrankley This film deserves a prize for hypocrisy. Despite it's trumpeting of high minded values, a salacious sexual undercurrent is only too apparent. This is particularly apparent in the performance of Lee Philips as Michael Rossi, who arrives in the hick town for which the film is named and becomes school principal. His sexual obsession soon becomes apparent in his pursuit of Lana Turner, who plays a sedate, dress shop owning widow. He tells her that he plans to introduce a sex education program at the school (remember, this is set in 1940!) and, after inviting her to be a chaperon at the school graduation dance, envelopes her in a passionate embrace which she quite properly resists. Boring and morally unsavory tripe.

jc-osms Later adapted by TV as a long-running soap opera-type drama, you can see why in this lengthy film, adapted from a best-selling novel with enough characters and plot strands for a whole TV series. Made around 1957 but ostensibly set in idyllic New Engand just before America's entry into the Second World War, it seemed obvious to me that the production was almost indistinguishable between the two years, at least until the War Draft occurs late in the film, which besides broadening popular appeal, enables director Robson to thus obliquely critique contemporary society and its mores on attitudes to sex, snobbery and that most popular social subject of the 50's, the so-called "generation gap". Beautifully shot in luminous colour and with a handsome cast, the film would would have worked better if it had a bit less happening - one poor family experiences alcoholism, incest, domestic violence, suicide and murder over the course of a couple of years. It's all a bit unreal and unbelievable but perversely remains gripping viewing even as I realised I shouldn't have been at all. The narrative framing device is one of the goody-goody young characters Alison MacKenzie's reminiscences of her childhood there before the War started and changed all the young folk forever. It does seem a bit Waltons-ish and sentiment does make not entirely unexpected if infrequent appearances along the way. However the last half hour settles down to a terse courtroom scene, the culmination of the incest/suicide/murder elements, with "Bonanza's" Lorne Green impressing as the prosecution counsel, well- written right up until the local doctor takes it on himself to deliver an improbable sermon attacking the town's hypocrisy which of course carries the day. It's a fairly ugly "big message" to the movie viewers as they leave the cinema but also helps to tie up other loose plot ends so that the main characters still standing all get a form of redemption for the future. The acting is good throughout if not exactly deeply felt. Lana Turner gets to look pained throughout as the frigid matriarch Constance McKenzie with her own dark secret but does so with aplomb, Arthur Kennedy tears into his part as the reprobate villain of the piece and Diane Varsi is good as Alison, the town's awakening conscience. I feel guilty for getting so hooked on such an obviously contrived and melodramatic confection, but guilty pleasures are pleasures all the same.

jackbenimble I have to say I didn't make it all the way through this crap. I got to the scene where the head teacher and the widowed mother were arguing over whether the man's affections were really love or just lust and I couldn't go any further. I like stories of human intrigue and the conflicts of interest and desire, after all, that's what drama is all about. But this? I haven't read the book and don't know how true to that it is so I don't know who's at fault but what we have here is clearly the outpouring of an infantile female mind. The sort of mind that knows nothing of the real world and therefore the real complexity of people and relationships. So instead of real people with real, believable desires and conflicts we get cartoon characters. Plastic Technicolour people. Plastic dolls, arranged together with their life furniture like in some giant Wendy house. That's what Peyton Place is. A giant Wendy house with all the pieces neatly arranged with neatly predictable conflicts with predictable resolutions. I really can't believe the 40's or 50's were in fact this dumb and stupid. But there it is. If you like Wendy Houses and have O.C.D. and you're confused by 'child-like' and 'childish', think the conflict between lust and conventional morality is important and presses your buttons you'll love it. Otherwise stay away.

ClassicMovieGuy.com (Todd Morgan) I have seen thousands of movies and I would rate this movie very high on a short list. The movie does an excellent job of character development and has many twists and turns. The ending is gripping and the reconciliation of a daughter to her mother.This movie is an excellent example of the consequences of being judgmental. The plot is fantastic. Teenagers exploring their youth and parents misunderstanding their intentions. A community ignoring the outrageous behavior of the town drunk who terrorizes his family. A principal who exposes the double standard of supposed moral behavior of adults who made the same mistakes as their children.Nominated for 9 Oscars. This is a must see! Well worth a 2 1/2 hours. I would certainly rate this in the top 50 movies I have ever seen.