Return to Peyton Place *** (1961, Carol Lynley, Jeff Chandler, Eleanor Parker, Mary Astor) – Classic Movie Review 8929

Director José Ferrer’s attractively campy 1961 romantic drama follow-up Return to Peyton Place begins where Peyton Place left off.

Eleanor Parker (as Connie Rossi) and Mary Astor (as a selfish mother, Mrs Roberta Carter) enliven this satisfyingly gossipy, kitsch sequel to 1957’s Peyton Place.

Carol Lynley takes over from Diane Varsi as writer Allison MacKenzie (Mia Farrow in the TV series), who scandalises the Place with her supposedly shocking exposé book and falls in love with Manhattan publisher Lewis Jackman (Jeff Chandler).

Carol Lynley and Jeff Chandler star in Return to Peyton Place (1961).

Return to Peyton Place is a shade down from the original, mostly because some of the actors are less interesting this time, and maybe overall the ensemble is less exciting. But it is still an entertaining, appealing movie with a glossy production, and Ferrer directs smoothly and confidently. Ferrer has a vocal cameo as the voice of Mark Steele the interviewer. Ronald Alexander writes the screenplay, based on Grace Metalious’s novel.

Also in the cast are Robert Sterling, Luciana Paluzzi, Brett Halsey, Tuesday Weld, Gunnar Hellstrom, Bob Crane, Max Showalter, Joan Banks, Helen Bennett, Bill Bradley, Jack Carr, Alex Dunand, Tim Durant, Bess Flowers, Wilton Graff, Pitt Herbert, Jennifer Howard, Collette Lyons, Kenneth MacDonald, Max Mellinger, Tony Miller, Warren Parker, Arthur Peterson, Hari Rhodes, Charles Seel, Leonard Stone, Reedy Talton, Emerson Treacy and Carol Veazie.

RIP Carol Lynley, star of Blue Denim, Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965), The Poseidon Adventure, and The Cat and the Canary (1978), who died at 77 on 3 September 2019. She was Golden Globe nominee as Most Promising Newcomer – Female twice – for her film debut in The Light in the Forest (1958) and Blue Denim (1959).

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8929

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