Expert: Jim Kason - 6/11/2009

Question
I know there is a prim and proper piano teacher (beatuiful young lady). She lives with her father(?) and mother(?), who at some point in the movie steals a hat with feathers on it-she can be completely out of her mind at times. They live next door to a doctor who has a son her age. The son has always been kind of a "bad boy." She used to spy on him from her window. He went to school and became a doctor. The town throws a parade when he gets back, driving a convertible-gasp! He flirts with Ms Prim and Proper, (and every other woman-especially the daughter of a casino owner). He even flirts with one of Prim's piano students, at least Prim thinks he is. He takes Prim to the Casino. Once, without telling her where they were going, he takes Prim to a cock fight and some blood gets on her, and she passes out. At some point he throws a huge party in his father's house and there are dozens of people lying around everywhere in the morning, and there's some to-do about him marrying the casino owner's daughter. He is able to throw the party becasue his father is in a small town nearby because there has been an outbreak os some disease. Prim's parent(?) gets word to his father, who comes back, and there is a gun involved. I know the casinos were a big topic in town-lots of people didn't want them. I know this is a hectic description, but it's the best I could do, sorry.

Answer
Hi Laine,

I have the title of the film you're looking for,....however, it seems it's not a musical, but rather, it's a drama based on one of Tennessee Williams' famous plays.  It's Paramount Studio's 1961 production of "SUMMER AND SMOKE", starring Laurence Harvey, Geraldine Page and RitaMoreno.

It may have seemed like a musical because of the vivid technicolor photography and many
colorful sets and scenes.  ( I always thought it would have been better in black and white.)

You can read the complete plot at:      http://www.tcm.com:80/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=4250

And used VHS copies are available for about $19 at:   www.amazon.com.   ..Or go to :

http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Smoke-VHS-LaurenceHarvey/dp/6302023777/ref=sr_1_2?i...

Sincerely,
Jim Kason