Splendor in the Grass (1961)

Today in History !!!

Kansas became a state today way back in 1861.

Wikipedia.org Article for Kansas:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas 

Celebrate this day by seeing a film that came out 100 years after that fact with Elia Kazan's, cinematic mid-western treat, Splendor in the Grass (1961) ...... 

Run Time:  124 mins
Genre:  Drama, Romance
Format:  Widescreen Format, Color
Director:   Elia Kazan
Starring:  Natalie Wood, Warren Beatty, Pat Hingle, Audrey Christie and Barbara Loden

IMDB.com Entry for the film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055471/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Wikipedia.org Article for the film:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splendor_in_the_Grass

Wikipedia.org Article for Director Elia Kazan:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elia_Kazan

Wikipedia.org Article for Natalie Wood:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Wood

Wikipedia.org Article for Warren Beatty:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Beatty

Wikipedia.org Article for Pat Hingle:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Hingle

Trailer for the film on YouTube:



The story of two Kansas high school sweethearts growing up in the late 1920s through the stock market crash of 1929. Bud and Deanie are very much in love, but the pressures of sex in society creates a rift in their relationship. Bud's father encourages him to leave Deanie to find "another kind of girl" which drives Deanie into madness. She is committed into an institution while Bud reluctantly obeys his father and enrolls in Yale. The crash of '29 hits and changes the lives of both their families. Together they learn the harsh lesson of love and life in the '20s and sadly go their separate ways. 

Boy, we sure have come a long way.  We are still a nation of prudes, but at least we can be more open with each other, even about sex. In Elia Kazan’s exploration of fly-over space America from 1928 to the mid 30s, using 1960s film devices, the film opens up to an intense shot of a couple making out by a waterfall, with the beautiful Natalie Wood and perty-boy Warren Beatty (in his first film role), giving us an excellent look at what the kids had to go through back then. From Natalie (Wilma), getting advice from her, obviously, religious mother as well as questions like, “You haven’t gone too far have you Wilma?”, to all kinds of subliminal-like messages of sexual taboos and naiveté’ thinking and a very intense exploration of characters with major libido issues. What really is interesting about this film is the turn it takes.  As we get beyond the days of the depression, the story takes on an almost anti-romantic feeling.

Other than a few nit-picky mistakes, a side-story about Beatty’s drunken sister that becomes slightly tedious and a very odd Phyllis Dillar sighting, everything else fits into place quite well in this masterpiece. I was impressed by Beatty’s performance and Pat Hingle (Commissioner Gordon from the Burton/Schumaker Batman movies), does an excellent portrayal of Beatty’s father.  

I can’t say for sure or even prove it, but it would be nice to think that Kazan was influenced by The Crowd (1928), and the opening scene was made for that reason, because the parallels are there, especially when you think of the year 1928.

Wikipedia.org Article for The Crowd (1928):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crowd_(1928_film) 

See Splendor in the Grass (1961), because it really represents the transition that film started to go through when the changing tides between the old Hollywood and new Hollywood started to appear. 
- Phil

Click the link below at GoWatchIt.com to see where you can stream or watch The Splendor in the Grass (1961) online or on TV right now:
http://gowatchit.com/movies/splendor-in-the-grass-46933

Or check out TVGuide.com to see if this film is playing on TV/Cable in your area:
http://www.tvguide.com/movies/splendor-in-the-grass/118718/

Check back in tomorrow ......................
For our next Film of the Day .....................