The Long Hot Summer (1958) is a Classic Drama starring Paul Newman as Ben Quick. Ben Quick is accused of being a barn burner and a con man. He hitches a ride with two fancy ladies into a small town in Mississipi and finds out that the two fancy ladies are the daughters of the richest man in town, Mr. Varner. The film is quite long, but it is interesting. Paul Newman is excellent in this film, as usual, and his character is likable. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys Old Dramas as this film contains all of the elements that are common in dramas from the 50s. It was a bit longer than I personally feel that it should have been, but there were some funny moments and sweet romantic moments that made this feature worthwhile.

In 1956 actor Paul Newman established himself as someone with star potential when he was featured in SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME. Two years later he found himself involved in this film, based on several William Faulkner stories. In addition to that Newman found himself involved with his co-star, Joanne Woodward, who he went on to marry and remain married to until his death in 2008.Newman stars as Ben Quick, a young man accused of barn burning and forced to leave his home. His reputation stems from the fact this was a favorite preoccupation his father had when angered at someone. Moving on Ben arrives in Frenchman's Bend, Mississippi, a town controlled and nearly all owned by wealthy Will Varner (Orson Welles).Varner is a hard man, disappointed in his children who seem to be following their own paths rather than what he'd like them to. Son Jody (Anthony Franciosa) would rather spend his days doing little and fooling around with his wife Eula (Lee Remick). Nothing he does pleases his father and any attempts he makes to do so seem to fail consistently.Then there is daughter Clara (Woodward). Uninterested in any of the businesses Will owns, she pursues her own dreams as a bookish style schoolteacher, unmarried and approaching spinsterhood at the ripe old age of 23. Clara has been dating Alan Stewart (Richard Anderson) for some time now, hoping he might make the decision to ask for her hand. As the film progresses we find out he has a reason not to, one subtly hinted at but controversial for the year 1958.Into this mix waltzes Ben. Self-assured, cocky and willing to do whatever it takes to move himself forward, he takes on a piece of property Will has that needs work. But in Ben Will sees a bit of himself, a man who takes action and wants to move up the ladder. Will may be a self-made man and wealthy but he will never be a part of the Southern aristocracy that comes from old money. In Ben he sees someone that could be a potential husband for Clara as well as someone to carry on his legacy. Of course this doesn't sit well with his real son Jody.Not only that, Clara has no interest in Ben either. At least outwardly. But he courts her, woos her and tries to get her to break down her defensive wall. It is this interplay between the two characters mixed with the forceful presence of Will and the maneuvering manipulations of Jody that brings out a dramatic tale that is enjoyable from start to finish.Directed by Martin Ritt (who would go on to direct Newman again in HUD and HOMBRE), you can feel the muggy warmth of the south oozing from the screen here. It just makes you sweat watching it. Newman offers an incredibly smooth performance here and Woodward shows that she his equal with her portrayal of Clara. Franciosa is a bit outmatched by these two and Remick is pretty much window dressing in the role of the town flirt. Welles comes off well in a role that calls for him to be pompous, forceful and caring at the same time.The movie is enjoyable to watch, one that somewhere along the line I've missed but was glad to finally get around to. Twilight Time has done their usual amazing job of offering this in a beautiful presentation in 1080p hi def. Extras include an isolated music track, Hollywood BACKSTORIES: THE LONG HOT SUMMER featurette on the making of the film, a Fox Movietone newsreel and the original theatrical trailer. As with all of their titles this one is limited to just 3,000 copies so if interested order one today.

Good looking street smart drifter of tainted provenance attaches himself to rich family. Read some of the other reviews on how the script cut mangled and Hollywoodized Faulkner--they are interesting won't repeat them. Books made into movies are often a disappointment--they have to be massively condensed or the script won't fit into 2 hours--rarely do a good job.This movie actually aged fairly well for 50s star stuff. The themes are dark enough to avoid the terminal corniness that is so often present and downright painful to watch in movies from that era.A few observations...Why is Orson Well's make-up so heavy dark and unconvincing? Why are the Southern accents so fake sounding in a high end movie like this? Was it hard to find speech tutors back then? Little is more authentic Americana than an authentic deep South accent-- -unconvincing ones are distracting and irritating and give an amateurish feel. I got sort of bored about an hour into the thing...but overall it holds your interest surprisingly well....RECOMMEND

An excellent movie. Considered very racy at the time of its release, today it is the excellent performances that stand out. Welles, Newman and Woodward are superb. There's one scene where Welles breaks a table (not in the script), and it's fantastic. All the other actors are very good. Plus Lee Remick is a wet dream come true for heterosexual young men. And how can you go wrong with William Faulkner providing the source material?Well written; stylish; and clever, simmering dialog. This film deserves its classic status.