That Certain Summer **** (1972, Hal Holbrook, Martin Sheen, Scott Jacoby, Hope Lange, Joe Don Baker) – Classic Movie Review 10,301

Director Lamont Johnson’s 1972 American made-for-TV drama film That Certain Summer, written by Richard Levinson and William Link, is a pioneer as the first to deal sympathetically with homosexuality. As well as being a historic game changer, it is very moving and impressive as drama.

It stars Hal Holbrook as Doug Salter, Martin Sheen as Gary McClain, Scott Jacoby as Nick Salter, Hope Lange as Janet Salter and Joe Don Baker as Phil Bonner.

It was produced by Universal Television and broadcast as an ABC Movie of the Week on 1 November 1972, and achieved several TV awards and nominations. It won the Golden Globe for Best Movie Made for TV.  Scott Jacoby won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama. It won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television.

Holbrook stars as divorced San Francisco contractor Doug Salter anticipating a summer visit from his 14-year-old son Nick (Jacoby), living in LA with his mother Janet (Lange). The teen does not know that his father is gay with a life partner, Gary McClain (Sheen).

Burton Wohl’s novelization of the film was published by Bantam Books.

That Certain Summer runs 73 minutes, is made by Universal Television, is released by ABC ,is written by Richard Levinson and William Link, shot by Vilis Lapenieks, produced by Richard Levinson and William Link, and scored by Gil Melle, with Art Direction by William D DeCinces.

Sheen recalled: ‘I thought it was wonderful. It was about two people who adored each other, and they weren’t allowed to have a relationship that involved their sexuality. I’d robbed banks, kidnapped children, raped women and murdered people in any number of shows. Now I was going to play a gay guy and that was considered a career ender. Oh, for Christ’s sake! What kind of culture do we live in?’

The film remains important to Holbrook because it meant so much to so many people. ‘That’s a good reason for being an actor,’ he says, ‘when you can do something decent that touches people’s hearts and their minds, so you feel like you actually accomplished something.’

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,301

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