I can't believe I'm seeing "Susan Slade" again after all these years on Turner Classic Movies. Warner Bros cranked out these formula films with the same contract players for years. From "A Summer Place" to "Parrish," the exquisite music of Max Steiner and deft directing of Delmar Daves against a picturesque backdrop combined to create a certain screen magic for a naive early 60s generation. Troy Donohue was the handsome, brooding good guy, played with all the charisma of a turnip. Connie Stevens, not exactly Academy Award material her own self, was the naughty nubile. A supporting cast of fine older actors (Lloyd Nolan, Dorothy McGuire) helped with credibility, but couldn't overcome this sappy script. The names of the young characters rivaled the Elvis movies for creative crud (Con White, Hoyt Becker). Still, I watched and remembered. And it was 1961 all over again.
Review of Susan Slade
