WHERE WAS NORMAN?

In the novel "Return To Peyton Place", Norman, Betty Anderson, Leslie Harrington and Doc Swain (called Matt), along with Selena's younger brother Joey, are all part of the continuing story, but for whatever reason their characters were omitted from the film adaptation. And, as is inevitable, there was a lot of backstories and plot points that are not included in the film.

***SPOILERS***

Ted's wife in the book was named Jennifer Burbank, daughter of a Boston lawyer and considered a "blue blood". I have a feeling that Luciana Paluzzi was cast in the film because she was Brett Hasley's wife at the time. In the book, Roberta Carter was not widowed, in fact, she would drug her husband's coffee so she could eavesdrop on Ted and Jennifer. Jennifer is depicted as a nymphomaniac, yet does not seem to get much pleasure from sex. However, she does seem to like the feeling of power that it gives her and tossing men aside. Roberta learns that Jennifer would provoke Ted into physical violence to initiate love-making, but then he would hate himself after the fact and beg her forgiveness. Jennifer came from a repressive family who told her that girls who enjoy sex are whores. Not only does Jennifer have several affairs (and some while she was honeymooning with Ted), but she also had a lesbian relationship while at finishing school. Roberta's hatred of her daughter-in-law and possessiveness of her son is one of the things that was carried over into the film. And this leads to a tragic conclusion with Roberta dying, but not in the way she does in the deleted end scene of the film. Roberta foolishly wrote in a notebook about her daily activities and her plot to murder her daughter-in-law. Jennifer found the notebook and turned the tables on her mother-in-law. She pushed the older woman down the stairs and staged it to look like an accident. The townspeople were completely fooled by the front Roberta and Jennifer presented in public and believe it to be a tragic accident. Metalious makes it clear, however, that Ted will always have suspicions and doubts about his wife's role in his mother's death. It is also made clear in the book that Ted is still in love with Selena and she with him (although the film totally disregards this and presents them as only having been good friends rather than childhood sweethearts), but he had to have a match that would help him with his law career. Selena of course is hurt by this but masks her anger with alcohol and defensiveness.

Selena becomes involved with a summer stock actor named Tim Randlett (the basis for the ski instructor Nils Larson in the film), who clearly gets off on the tragic and sordid details of Selena's rape by her stepfather and her killing him in self-defense. Selena falls in love with Tim, but he turns out to be another exploitative person. She does flashback to the night Lucas was killed an attacks Tim, who soon after disappears from town. Doc Swain and Joey both express concern for Selena throughout the Tim debacle and after. After turning down the handsome young lawyer Peter Drake who loves Selena and remains a loyal friend, who defended her in the murder trial, Selena finally realizes that she loves him, letting her open up to the possibility of a future with Peter.

Norman doesn't have a large part in the story but he and Alison do interact and reminisce about old times before Alison returns to New York after a visit home early in the novel.

Betty Anderson is naturally pregnant by the deceased Rodney, and she leaves Peyton Place with child and gives birth to Rodney Jr, called Roddy. Leslie Harrington of course wants his grandson but Betty won't give in until Leslie agrees to let her come back with Roddy to Peyton Place, but on Betty's terms. Things don't go Leslie's way as Betty fights him at nearly every turn, but you know he won't give up.

Alison has several relationships with men in New York, including her agent, and she does become involved with Lewis Jackman, although he is killed in a car wreck as they were driving towards Peyton Place. Alison was also in the car but survives. All the stuff about Alison's book not being well-received by many of the townspeople figures in the book too, but not as prominently as in the film. Alison and her roommate from New York, a model named Stephanie (who goes by the nickname "Steve") is also an interesting character in the novel. After Jackman's death, Alison is understandably devastated and feels that she can't be a writer anymore. Another friend from New York, Rita Moore, visits Alison in PP while she is recuperating and encourages her not to give up. The book ends with Ted and Jennifer going back to Boston (Jennifer is pregnant, as Raffaela is in the film), Selena and Peter engaged, Alison saying goodbye to Rita and vowing to keep her promise to never stop writing, and Connie and Mike celebrating the New Year.

***END OF SPOILERS***

It would have been interesting if more aspects of the book could have been worked into the film, or even if the deleted scenes (shown in the trailer for RTPP) could have been included on the DVD features. It may have provided insight into some of the inconsistencies in the final film. Having said that, despite it being inferior to both the novel on which it was based and the original film, I do enjoy "Return To Peyton Place", but I think, as ironic as it sounds, that it is best viewed as a standalone piece, even though it is a sequel. Grace Metalious apparently had no intentions of ever writing a sequel but was persuaded to by Jerry Wald and Fox so the could make this film, but of course, a lot of things didn't go as planned with the original cast either being unwilling or unable to reprise their roles and dealing with a writer's strike which may have accounted for the plot holes and inconsistencies.

That was my recollection about Norman, also. And in the book, I think his mother nursed him until he was four, or something, but I haven't read it in ages.

Yes, Norman had the overbearing mother in both books and the first film. For some reason, not only was Ted Carter given a controlling mother in the movie sequel, but he suddenly became wealthy out of the blue. Remember he had to save for law school in the original?