That dirty little town is back, and it's a return, not a comeback, although the movie of the week is unrelated to the brief daytime version of a few years before. A good percentage of the cast is back, but there are newcomers and a replacement and a flashback. The film surrounds the pending return of Allison and Rodney, unfortunately not making it, killed in a truck accident as they make their way into town. Mama Dorothy Malone (looking gorgeous) flashes back to daughter Allison (Mia Farrow) as she waits for news and not having seen her daughter in over a decade is mortified.
Betty Anderson chooses this moment also to return which creates more strain. Hospital chief of staff Ed Nelson is in love with administrator Marj Dusay, a single mother with as many secrets as Constance, and along with Kimberly Beck, their presence is a precursor to their all working together on the Washington DC based daytime soap opera "Capitol". The plot thickens when Allison's body disappears, replaced with another one, giving the sophisticated Dusay an opportunity to pull out her best Joan Crawford in frustration.
David Hedison has stepped in for James Douglas as Steven Cord, here involved with future "Dallas" star Linda Gray. A few minor or short term characters from the series as well, and it seems that the script surrounded whatever actors were available. Still, even if you are unaware of the series history, it's pretty easy to follow as soon as you get to know who is who and how they are tied in with anybody else. The problem is that there are far too many characters and the tangled web the writer weaves would kill even the most powerful fly buzzing through New England.
Stella Stevens, as Stella Chernak, is one of those short-term characters back in town, apparently for revenge, and the head of a very powerful conglomerate which has slowly taken over every business in town. When she declares, "I'm going to destroy Peyton Place", you expect her to laugh maniacally. She is even campier here than she was in "The Poseidon Adventure", and it is fun to watch her destroy herself. The script jumps from situation to situation and often, characters (particularly the dark haired females) look quite a bit alike in long shots. There would be one more attempt to revive this as a series, and the vampire that is Allison MacKenzie would rise from her grave one more time.
Betty Anderson chooses this moment also to return which creates more strain. Hospital chief of staff Ed Nelson is in love with administrator Marj Dusay, a single mother with as many secrets as Constance, and along with Kimberly Beck, their presence is a precursor to their all working together on the Washington DC based daytime soap opera "Capitol". The plot thickens when Allison's body disappears, replaced with another one, giving the sophisticated Dusay an opportunity to pull out her best Joan Crawford in frustration.
David Hedison has stepped in for James Douglas as Steven Cord, here involved with future "Dallas" star Linda Gray. A few minor or short term characters from the series as well, and it seems that the script surrounded whatever actors were available. Still, even if you are unaware of the series history, it's pretty easy to follow as soon as you get to know who is who and how they are tied in with anybody else. The problem is that there are far too many characters and the tangled web the writer weaves would kill even the most powerful fly buzzing through New England.
Stella Stevens, as Stella Chernak, is one of those short-term characters back in town, apparently for revenge, and the head of a very powerful conglomerate which has slowly taken over every business in town. When she declares, "I'm going to destroy Peyton Place", you expect her to laugh maniacally. She is even campier here than she was in "The Poseidon Adventure", and it is fun to watch her destroy herself. The script jumps from situation to situation and often, characters (particularly the dark haired females) look quite a bit alike in long shots. There would be one more attempt to revive this as a series, and the vampire that is Allison MacKenzie would rise from her grave one more time.