The Long Hot Summer   Starring: Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Anthony Franciosa and Orson Welles Optimum Home Entertainment RRP: £15.99 OPTD2049 Certificate: PG Available 31 January 2011

Run out of town, accused of the heinous crime of ‘Barn Burning’, Ben Quick moves to another town. Cocky and confident, he finds that the town is owned by Will Varner. When Vaner returns from the hospital he sees, in Ben, a kindred spirit, someone who will, potentially, protect his fortune and sire him heirs. The two soon find themselves in the horse business, but this soon turns into the manipulation of Vaner’s family, with nearly fatal consequences...

The Long Hot Summer (1958 - 1 hr, 51 min, 56 sec) is a drama directed by Martin Ritt, adapted from a series of original short stories by William Faulkner (The Hamlet). The film won a single award at Cannes and was nominated for a further three.

It’s a hot long summer in the Mississippi town of Frenchman's Bend and everyone’s mind seems to have turned to sex. This is first signposted when Ben is picked up whilst hitchhiking; the conversation is charged with sexual tension between Ben (Paul Newman), Eula Varner (Lee Remick) and Clara Varner (Joanne Woodward) and becomes the main theme of what follows.

Here we are back in the deep south of A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and A Streetcar named Desire (1951), although similar in its themes, Summer lacks the sheer creative power of a Tennessee Williams's play.

Orson Welles (Will Varner) plays a slightly softer version of the Southern patriarchal tyrant, who will manipulate his own daughters to ensure grandchildren and pushing his wastrel son, Jody (Anthony Franciosa) away when he is deemed not manly enough. The film conveys the stifling heat and the often bawdy language and character interactions are sexually charged.

The print, with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 is pretty good though there are occasional minor spots, but nothing that is really noticeable. The DD2.0 audio soundtrack serves the film well. The disc only extra is the Trailer (2 min, 36 sec).

It is a sophisticated film, well-acted and well shot, probably if Cat on a Hot Tin Roof hadn’t been made this might have been considered a classic. As it is, it remains a minor classic. Well worth a look.

8

Charles Packer