In 1957, it was made into a movie with lana turner, and later it became a. I can see why society at that time was not ready for this book. Grace metalious was way ahead of her time when she wrote peyton place. Buy peyton place vmc by grace metalious, india knight isbn. Sure, it caused a lot of controversy, but like all controversies and all popular phenomena, it pretty much petered out. A small new england town is rocked by the scandal of everyday life in one of the most forgotten popular books of the twentieth century. The novel spawned a franchise that would run through four decades. Another great lana turner film about redemption and love. A landmark in twentiethcentury american popular culture, peyton place spawned a successful feature film and a. This week, thomas mallon and anna holmes discuss what its like reading peyton place. Peyton place was the only movie based on grace metalious that not it spawned a sequel,but also a longrunning mid1960s television series,two movie for tv movies and not to even mention a short. Peyton place, in contrast to many of the books well be. A year after its publication, lana turner and hope.
Grace metalious scandalous bestseller about the sordid life of a small new england town is given the highgloss hollywood treatment in peyton place 1957, a hugely successful melodrama produced by jerry wald and directed by mark robson, with john michael hayes providing the screenplay. This 1950s book scandalized and captivated americaand. Peyton place is a small town in new england, whose leading adult citizens rule the town with their high moral standards, which they try to pass on to their offspring. The bookwhich went on to become one of the most famous television shows in.
First edition first printing january, 1960 dell f91 with a. Return to peyton placethe sensational new novel that picks up where peyton place left off. The author lives with her husband and three kids in a little new england town. When grace metaliouss debut novel about the dark underside of a small, respectable new england town was published in 1956, it quickly soared to the top of the bestseller lists. Peyton place was historically very interesting cause it was virtually the first miniseries in movie theaters. Abortions, enemas and the secret sex lives of new englanders. Third impression from june 1957 book first published in 1957. Most of the works sensationalistic elementsnotably sadomasochism, incest, and abortionwere toned down or eliminated from the film version. Impressed with the success of britains monster hit coronation. Twentieth centuryfox adapted it as a major motion picture in 1957, and metalious wrote a followup novel that was published in 1959, called return to peyton. It was the book s sexual passages, rather than its handling of taboo subjects, that concerned the censors.
However, six months later, on 6 december 1957, the original dell edition of peyton place was placed on the banned list, remaining there until 11 february 1971. Click to read more about peyton place by grace metalious. Book is in very good condition, age toning, po name on inside back cover. Oncesleepy camden, maine, is celebrating the 1957 movie that turned the. Peyton place was americas first truly successful primetime serial. At the time, however, it seemed as if peyton place was the only thing worth talking about. People read it in secret, and it was banned from many schools. Movie typography from peyton place 1957, directed by mark robson, starring lana turner, lee philips, lloyd nolan, arthur kennedy, betty field. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. After viewing it,you ve got the strange feeling of having been told ten stories or to have seen ten or twelve episodes of a miniseries. Peyton place the movie covers the book in a glaze of hollywood glamour. Grace metalious september 8, 1924 february 25, 1964 was an american author known for her controversial novel peyton place, one of the bestselling works in publishing history. The story of meek allison mckenzie, growing up in the late thirties in a hypocritical mill town in new england in the household of a demanding mother, fascinated many. But in gilmanton, peyton place was treated as if it had burned a letter a into the towns very soul.
In 2005, novelist barbara delinsky used grace metalious and peyton place as a springboard for looking for peyton place, her novel about the impact of metalious book on a small new hampshire town, middle river, where residents believe peyton place is about people in their community. Frederick muller, 1957 black cloth titled in gilt on spine, tinted top edges. I was sent to the principal and then sent home with the understanding that i wouldnt get back into school till my parents talked to the principal. Thanks to the books anniversary and to a planned movie starring sandra bullock as metalious, a. First edition of this landmark in twentiethcentury american popular culture, which spawned a successful feature film and a longrunning television seriesthe first primetime soap opera. The film adaptation of peyton place, released in 1957, was a. Author grace metalious, a young housewife who based the novel on.
The series was the brainchild of veteran producer paul monash. The book was banned in many cities and towns, and by the dominion of canada. Sex, lies and scandal at peyton place author laura dave remembers the book that taught her about unabashed sin. One newsstand owner challenged the ordinance and it was ruled unconsitutional. How the novel peyton place changed america the star. Producer jerry walds 1957 movie of peyton place 1957, starring. Peyton place by grace metalious, first edition abebooks. Later, when word comes that rodney was killed in combat, harrington reconciles with betty and welcomes her to the family. The plot of peyton place is quite controversial among modern first editions, and the history of its publication is just as scandalous.
With the bombing of pearl harbor, the boys of peyton place go off to war, and rodney asks his father to take care of betty. Fifty years ago, the novel peyton place shocked america with its tale of secrets. Im sorry, but none of this has the oomph of rape and a murder and a trial, in fact, it has no oomph at all. In revealing the hidden secrets behind the straightlaced facade of a quaint new england town, the book rocked the regions stuffy reputation. Peyton place did indeed sell a million copies several millions by now and inspired a movie, a sequel, and a longrunning television soap opera. Despite or perhaps because of its popularity, the book was banned in some states and countries south africa until 1978. Grace metalious 1956 novel peyton place was dubbed trash by some critics. Peyton place kindle edition by metalious, grace, ardis cameron. Peyton place hardscrabble books fiction of new england by grace.
Some of the places and characters so closely resembled their real life counterparts that author grace metalious was actually sued for libel. I remember reading the book as a kid, but the movie, a typical fox jerry wald production is just kinda dull most of the time good production values though and the cast is ok, with lana emoting and lloyd nolan as the decent doctor. William loeb, of the union leader, saw peyton place as no less than the beginning of the end of civilization. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Peyton place kindle edition by metalious, grace, ardis. Grace metalious, author of peyton place,is shown in this april 30, 1957, ap file photo the legacy of peyton place. Barry marks when peyton place was first published i was in high school yep, im an old guy and i always had the book i was currently reading in my hip pocket. The novel describes how three women are forced to come to terms with their identity, both as women and as sexual beings, in a small, conservative, gossipy new england town, with recurring themes of hypocrisy, social inequities and class privilege in a tale that includes incest, abortion, adultery, lust and murder. Peyton place movies i watched the 1957 peyton place movie the other day, after not seeing it for decades. The book was banned in indiana, and all of gilmanton boycotted it or so they said but hollywood knew a good address when it saw one. This movie hammers at the validity of american values in the 1950s and its a glimpse into a world that is a bit like leave it to beaver on steroids.
Books were still being banned in the 1950s, and she tapped into a more mainstream vein than did other authors that found fame in scandal, like henry miller. This piece describes the lasting legacy of peyton place. That had never been a problem till a teacher saw me with this book. Grace metalious, author of peyton place literaryladiesguide. The peyton place of metalious novel is a small, seemingly respectable new england.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading peyton place. No longer able to tolerate life in peyton place, allison boards a bus bound for new york. Cover of peyton place, 1957 paperback edition published by dell. Each week in bookends, two writers take on questions about the world of books. Reviewers had mostly panned peyton place and grace as a smut writer. When all else failed, and her criticsa vast bevy of book banners and burners made sure peyton place was banned in many libraries, some states and several countries.
The book was first published by julian messner, inc in 1956, and it was an. An episode of backstory where they explore the groundbreaking novel and eventually feature film, peyton place. Religious groups were condemning her work and civic authorities were banning the book from public libraries. For a thorough look at grace mataliouss fraught life and career, see this 20 profile in new hampshire magazine, 50 shades of grace. Topics dramatisation of peyton place, bestseller, 1956, grace matalious, basis for hit 1960s television series. Peyton place generated controversy about its sexual themes, controversy that one would have expected in the staid 1950s. Marie grace derepentigny was born into poverty and a broken home in the mill town of manchester, new hampshire. It was the books sexual passages, rather than its handling of taboo subjects, that concerned the censors. Peyton place was largely based off of the small town scandals that were known to plague several new england towns. A peaceful new england town hides secrets and scandals. A number of new england communities banned the novel after its. Peyton place author grace metalious in gilmanton, new hampshire, in 1956. Ireland banned until the introduction of the censorship of publications bill in 1967. The plot of peyton place is quite controversial among modern first editions, and.