Peyton Place

Released Dec 11, 1957

2 hr. 37 min.

Drama

List

65%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

In this adaptation of Grace Metalious' popular novel, steamy goings-on abound in the small, prim New England community of Peyton Place. Newcomer Michael Rossi (Lee Philips) arrives in town on the eve of World War II and is soon involved with gorgeous but prudish shop owner Constance MacKenzie (Lana Turner), who keeps some secrets from her daughter, Allison. Amidst engagements and school graduations, Michael discovers seething, dark undercurrents that include rape, suicide -- and murder.

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john l

At the time, Peyton Place was risqué. The novel was a bestseller, not because it was particularly good, but, like Valley Of The Dolls, it was naughty about naughty people. Fast forward to today, it is quaint. Probably get a PG rating but a mild one at that. But for an old chestnut of a film, it's a hoot. The acting is serviceable in wonderful technicolor. The actors were the popular thespians of the time. No nudity. Lots of suggestion. Great for killing some time harking back to a time more innocent than today. Ripping the facade off of the denizens of Peyton Place you find more was going on than meets the eye, but by today's standards it's more amusing than shocking.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/21/23

Full Review

Liam D

A far too long sometimes rather dull melodrama saved by good performances

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the great melodramas of the 50s with a glorious Franz Waxman score. Beautifully photographed in Camden ME.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It hasn't really aged well. Some of the messages are so shoved down your throat and/or corny. Nowadays no one seems to care that much about reputation/or things like if a woman is a virgin or not. However, some of the acting like by whoever played Allison was well done and some themes persist today (small town mindset, poor and rich, sexual abuse, etc...). I also liked following along with multiple characters in this little town over the years and the cinematography of that town. I also enjoyed the soap opera drama, the voice over acting, and watching some of the romances on screen. The one scene with Nellie I remember thinking that poor woman needs help/an ear and Constance isn't listening, rite before she offs herself. On the brink of something really good, probably better as a tv show. Would've been better had we had seen how Mr. Rossi and Constance romance evolved, stupid 50s censors lol.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Hold up really well as a tribute to the culture of the 50's. Good cast. I was a kid when the scandalous book came out. Today, it seems like a fairy tale. Excellent film!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/16/21

Full Review

steve d

It is over the top but the actors hold it together.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Mark Robson

Director

Lana Turner

Constance MacKenzie

Hope Lange

Selena Cross

Arthur Kennedy

Lucas Cross

Lloyd Nolan

Dr. Swain

Lee Philips

Michael Rossi

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Variety Staff

Variety

Under Mark Robson's direction, every one of the performers delivers a topnotch portrayal.

Jul 6, 2010

Full Review

Time Out

It comes with its full quota of sex, conspiracy and violence, but the story is told in such circumspect fashion that next to nobody was offended.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

Effective melodrama with some satisfying emotional confrontations, particularly from Lana Turner.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 6, 2005

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Slick and satisfying.

Rated: 3.5/4

Apr 10, 2022

Full Review

André Bazin

L'Obs (France)

The greatness of American cinema resides not so much in its realism as in its aptitude for integrating that realism into the most varied styles or genres, setting them artistically free in the process. That is what's missing from Peyton Place.

Dec 8, 2021

Full Review

Janet Graves

Photoplay

Dealing with some rough material and several interlaced plots, this closeup of small-town life still has taste, dramatic urgency and emotional warmth.

Rated: 4/4

Nov 17, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

In this adaptation of Grace Metalious' popular novel, steamy goings-on abound in the small, prim New England community of Peyton Place. Newcomer Michael Rossi (Lee Philips) arrives in town on the eve of World War II and is soon involved with gorgeous but prudish shop owner Constance MacKenzie (Lana Turner), who keeps some secrets from her daughter, Allison. Amidst engagements and school graduations, Michael discovers seething, dark undercurrents that include rape, suicide -- and murder.

Director: Mark Robson
Screenwriter: John Michael Hayes
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 11, 1957, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2011

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