Summer of '42

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Summer of '42

PG,

1971,

1h 42m,

Romance

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Watchlist

74%

19 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

19 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Teenage Herman Raucher (Gary Grimes), summering on Nantucket Island with his sex-obsessed pals Oscy (Jerry Houser) and Benjie (Oliver Conant) during World War II, meets Dorothy (Jennifer O'Neill), a newlywed in her 20s whose husband is off at war. As his friends awkwardly attempt to woo girls their own age, Herman slowly befriends the older woman and finds himself becoming increasingly in love with her, until a sudden tragedy changes their lives forever.

Derek Malcolm

Guardian

Jun 2, 2020

Summer of '42 is one of those rare films yon can't help liking simply for its aspirations which are so honest and open-minded.

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Margaret Hinxman

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Jun 2, 2020

Thanks to director Robert Mulligan and a largely unfamiliar cast it turns cut to be a delightful film.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

Summer of '42 has a large amount of charm and tenderness; it also has little dramatic economy and much eye-exhausting photography which translates to forced and artificial emphasis on a strungout story.

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Michael E. Grost

Classic Film and Television

Jan 4, 2011

Visually lyrical film romance also has problems with dubious views on teen sexuality.

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Aug 27, 2005

5/5

"Summer Of '42" is an unforgettable meditation on sexual awakening and loss during WWII.

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Hagrid L

Apr 21, 2019

Summer of '42 captures the way it was in 1942. It's sad that some modern "critics" do not understand or believe this. I found only two discrepancies between the movie and the way boys talked in 1942. One is that "h*m*" was an unknown word or reference in the 40s, 50s, and early 60s, and was not used to tease a friend. The scene in the drugstore is painfully realistic -- all of us have gone through similar experiences. This film is a factual reminiscence that rings true for the time period. It captured the attention of the nation in 1971 and the musical score is excellent.

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George L

Feb 25, 2017

Not very realistic, not inspiring. Reminds me of the story style of Roth or Heller. Awkward, strange, where are the parents?? And the fiance of the older girl uses her emotionally shattered condition to seduce the teenager? Get real, this is a poor excuse for a movie.

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Robert Mulligan

Director

Gary Grimes

Hermie

Jennifer O'Neill

Dorothy

Jerry Houser

Oscy

Oliver Conant

Benjie

Katherine Allentuck

Aggie

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Synopsis

Teenage Herman Raucher (Gary Grimes), summering on Nantucket Island with his sex-obsessed pals Oscy (Jerry Houser) and Benjie (Oliver Conant) during World War II, meets Dorothy (Jennifer O'Neill), a newlywed in her 20s whose husband is off at war. As his friends awkwardly attempt to woo girls their own age, Herman slowly befriends the older woman and finds himself becoming increasingly in love with her, until a sudden tragedy changes their lives forever.

Director: Robert Mulligan
Producer: Richard A. Roth
Screenwriter: Herman Raucher
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 9, 1971, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2016
Runtime: 1h 42m

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