By Erin Free
In this regular column, we drag forgotten made-for-TV movies out of the vault and into the light. This week: the topical 1972 drama That Certain Summer, starring Hal Holbrook, Martin Sheen, Scott Jacoby, Hope Lange and Joe Don Baker.
With the annual Mardi Gras Parade set to roll on Saturday night, the time is unquestionably right to take a look back at the 1972 telemovie That Certain Summer, a low-key, sensitive drama that might look decidedly soft by today’s standards, but which upon its first broadcast was hugely controversial. A big ratings winner and headline-grabber, That Certain Summer was the first major network production to present non-stereotyped, non-comedic, and wholly “normal” gay characters. Gay and lesbian characters simply did not exist on television in the early 1970s, except as figures of derision or closeted villainy, and the importance of That Certain Summer cannot be underestimated in terms of how much it raised gay representation on the small screen.
That Certain Summer originated with writer/producers Richard Levinson and William Link (the co-creators of the popular TV murder mysteries Columbo and Murder, She Wrote), whose script was rejected by NBC before ABC Movie Of The Week creator Barry Diller picked up the property and then basically fought a continuing battle with the network to get it on the air. ABC was scared of the material, as were many Hollywood actors (“I’d rather play Hitler than play that man,” Cliff Robertson reportedly responded when offered the lead role), and Levinson and Link had to jump through many hoops in order to get it made. With an excellent director attached in Unsung Auteur Lamont Johnson (The Last American Hero, Lipstick), and a long list of no-no’s in place from ABC (the gay characters can’t kiss, or even touch, or even look at each other for too long!), That Certain Summer was eventually completed, and the result is something that brims with quiet power and heartrending sadness.
The film is incredibly simple, but it resounds with rich themes. The screenplay was so minimalist, in fact, that lead actor Hal Holbrook initially turned the project down. “I wasn’t worried about whether the character was a gay person or not; the reason I turned it down, frankly, is I read the script and I didn’t think much happened in it,” Holbrook said in a filmed retrospective interview. “I just thought it was kind of tame.” In an era where shows like Modern Family, The L Word, Heated Rivalry, Looking and so on rule the small screen, That Certain Summer is indeed tame, but having knowledge of how much major network ABC leaned on the film’s creators to suppress the film’s gay content makes it even more impressive.
Construction boss Doug Salter (character actor Hal Holbrook at his low-key, finely modulated, deeply empathetic best) is divorced fairly amicably from Janet (Hope Lange, who had far worse marital issues in The Secret Night Caller), and they share a teenaged son, Nick (popular 1970s teen actor Scott Jacoby from Baxter!, Our Winning Season and the classic telemovie Bad Ronald). The reasons for Doug and Janet’s separation, however, are far from typical: Doug is gay, and is now shacked up in San Francisco with music industry player Gary McClain (an energetic Martin Sheen, as likeable and engaging as ever), with whom he shares a relaxed but very serious relationship.
As the title suggests, That Certain Summer finds young Nick arriving in San Francisco to spend some time with his father over the summer holidays. The continued presence of Gary – who is staying on the couch of his jittery sister (Jan Shepard) and her accepting but slightly patronising husband (the late, great Joe Don Baker is only in one scene, but he really makes it count), but still spends a lot of time in the house he shares with Doug – soon makes Nick suspicious, and when the anxious teen actually finds out the truth about his father, he is understandably confused and upset, leading to a deeply moving denouement.
At a brief running time of 72 minutes, That Certain Summer never outstays its welcome. The characters are well-drawn, and the thoughtful screenplay by Levinson and Link, combined with Lamont Johnson’s highly controlled direction, avoids melodrama and emotional hysteria at every turn. Despite not being able to touch or show any obvious physical affection for each other, Holbrook and Sheen are wholly believable as a romantic couple, while Jacoby’s sense of confusion and anger toward his father are palpable. Though some moments in the film play a little difficult today, That Certain Summer retains its quiet power, treating all of its characters with respect, and giving their central emotional dilemma sufficient impact.
Like so many telemovies, That Certain Summer has largely disappeared from view despite the massive inroads that the film made historically and socially. It’s a hugely important film, but also a deeply affecting and thought provoking one. That Certain Summer is a must-see.
Availability: That Certain Summer is a little tricky to find online, but it is available in a clear, nice-sounding presentation. Considering its importance, however, it’s particularly galling that this fine film is not currently available via more, ahem, legitimate means.
If you enjoyed this review, check out our other vintage telemovies Elvis And The Beauty Queen, Scandal In A Small Town, Victims For Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story, The Seduction Of Gina, Blue Murder, The Brotherhood Of Justice, The Wave, The California Kid, The Cracker Factory, Night Terror, Inmates: A Love Story, The Shadow Riders, CHiPs: Roller Disco, Dawn: Portrait Of A Teenage Runaway, Young Love, First Love, Escape From Bogen County, The Death Squad, Hit Lady, Brian’s Song, The Defiant Ones, A Cry For Help, Trilogy Of Terror, Policewoman Centerfold, Smash-Up On Interstate 5, Something Evil, Savage, A Step Out Of Line, The Boy In The Plastic Bubble, The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission, A Very Brady Christmas, The Gladiator, Elvis, The Rat Pack, Silent Victory: The Kitty O’Neil Story, Terror Among Us, The Hanged Man, Hardcase, Charlie’s Angels: Angels In Vegas, Vanishing Point, To Heal A Nation, Fugitive Among Us, To Kill A Cop, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Police Story: A Chance To Live, Murder On Flight 502, Moon Of The Wolf, The Secret Night Caller, Cotton Candy, And The Band Played On, Gargoyles, Death Car On The Freeway, Short Walk To Daylight, Trapped, Hotline, Killdozer, The Jericho Mile, Mongo’s Back In Town and Tribes.
