My favorite part of this movie is the beautiful house by the ocean that is given to the family by the husband's boss. I will sit through this movie over and over to see the house. The living room furnishings, Asian Modern, are popular again....great inspiration for decorating today. The movie may be corny, but the house with the early 60s decor is outstanding.
shareI know exactly what you mean! I watch many films for the same reason. The style and glamour of those room settings is incredible.
shareThe story may be dated, but those were the feelings in those times. The house, though, is a classic. Perfect home in a perfect setting, reminiscent of the house in Julie, which was also in Monterey/Carmel. I will watch again also, just for the sets and locations.
shareIt reminds me alot of the setting of a summer place.
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I agree - the house is a gas! (on TCM today - 1/4/09) It is why I revisit a movie like "The Sandpiper" - to see the Big Sur location photography.
I can see the "A Summer Place" association; the tune is even used in an early scene, and they both have the lovely Dorothy McGuire. It isn't that the concept of teen pregnancy is dated, but the idea that the family would go away and come back with the pregnant daughter's mom being the supposed mother of the new baby - that's a deception that I really doubt any families would bother with anymore. It is of its time, and that house is to die for!
Only social climbers and assorted loons would try it back then. :)
shareThe story concept isn't that outlandish--singer Bobby Darin grew up believing his mother delivered him later in her life--and when he was told that his sister was his mother and his mother was his grandmother, he had a breakdown.
shareAlso Jack Nicholson grew up thinking his mother was his sister. I think it contributed to his mysoginy.
shareThe setting for Dorothy McGuire and Richard Egan's house in A Summer Place was a real Frank Lloyd house also in the Carmel Monterrey area.
shareDoes anyone know if it was a real home or a movie set.
shareThe home is a real one for sure! You can still see it on the 17 Mile Drive in Carmel. It is a Frank Lloyd Wright home, as well as the home in "A Summer Place". When we were teenagers and this movie came out, we visited relatives in Carmel and they showed us all the locations, including the horse stables.
shareThanks, I appreciate the info.
shareIt was indeed a beautiful house and is a Frank Lloyd Wright design. Wright's trademark was to integrate the interior of a home with it's outside environment, so artificial barriers of walls didn't separate the home from it's outdoor surroundings.
From my perspective, beautiful location shots are as much of a reason to watch a movie as the acting and the script.
I really enjoy American movies made in the late 50's and early 60's era because directors became less reliant on sound stages and did location shooting that have become historical documents of American culture in during those years. "Susan Slade" is a documentary window to the beauty of Monterey, Big Sur and Carmel area as it was in the early Sixties. The Frank Lloyd Wright home is on Pebble Beach and is still standing and looks none the worse for the wear, some 50 years later. There's also a "Susan Slade" scene filmed at the old train station in Monterey.
Alfred Hitchcock pioneered this sort of picture postcard location shooting. "Vertigo" provides us with a unique tour of San Francisco in 1950 and "The Birds" captures the charm and beauty of Bodega Bay in 1963. Hitchcock's idea was to make his chosen shooting location as much of a character in his movies as his cast members.
Those sliding doors cracked me up. There was no glass in the panes. And these doors led outside. What about bugs, humidity and cold weather?
GMAB. Not to mention NO privacy. What was up with that?
RE: the no glass in the door: I guess it was merely a device for filming. Glass would reflect the camera and lights. It was not meant to be literal. You were supposed to not notice the lack of glass. It was supposed to be there.
shareThose sliding doors cracked me up. There was no glass in the panes. And these doors led outside. What about bugs, humidity and cold weather?
I wonder -- this was a Japanese style house, 🏯 🎎 🇯🇵 🗼 so that is why there is no glass.
Sad they won't let us use the old emoticons. These are for kids. I tried typing in the old ones, but no go.
[fight7] [giveup] [fight9]
🐴🐏🐆🎎💟✴ 🌉💒🏰
The mailbox. I'm obsessed with it. Obsessed.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-K_uXO22f4so/TblxhQsj4VI/AAAAAAAAJB0/MRnQ15MtHi0/s1600/SS05.JPG
I wish we could post photos directly on here. It's like we're still in the silent film era.