the scandalous best sell novel by grace metalious be bring to life in this somewhat water down 20th century fox production and although it be still consider shocking and controversial for the time . film on location in camden and maine with some interior at the studio and the movie have an authentic feel and particularly in comparison to previous picture shoot entirely on backlots . lana turner and whose career need a shot in the arm and take on the role of constance mackenzie and a woman who hide her teenage daughter allison ( diane varsi ) illegitimacy and and strives to control the girl from make the same mistake that she do . although this be the main storyline and several others intertwine and expose the underside and hypocrisy of small town life . next in line be definitely the plight of allison best friend and selena cross ( hope lange ) and whose poverty stricken existence isn not even the half of what go on in her luckless life . her despicable stepfather lucas cross ( arthur kennedy and who at this stage in his career masterfully portray drunken lowlife ) and rap her ( which result in a pregnancy which selena late miscarries ) and and her mother nelly ( betty field ) and who also happen to be the mackenzie maid and discovers this and commit suicide . betty anderson ( terry moore ) be the town fast girl whose romantic liaison set the community tongue wag and while constance try to fight her attraction to high school principal mike rossi ( lee phillips ) and again afraid of history repeat itself . betty love rodney harrington and son of the most prominent family in town and and the two manage to marry before he go off to battle in wwii . allison find innocent love with norman page ( russ tamblyn ) and which set off her mother suspicion . distraught over constance revelation over the truth regard her father and allison angrily leave peyton place for new york . rodney die in the war and norman finally come into his own with the war service ( the incestuous relationship with his domineer mother be hint at and but never expand upon ) . the tug of war wag between mother and daughter come full circle a do everything else when selena murder her stepfather in self defense and go on trial and and so in a sense and do peyton place . during the climatic courtroom sequence and the town secret and fault be expose . the wonderfully wistful narration by varsi add an air of poignancy . mildred dunnock and lloyd nolan and leon ames and lorne green also have notable role . director mark robson would go on to direct the 1967 film version of valley of the doll and while peyton place would inspire a sequel book and film and as well a a primetime soap opera from 1964 to 1967. a box office smash upon it release in 1957 and more than partly due and no doubt to the scandal which immediately follow the 1958 oscar for which turner and varsi and lange and kennedy and tamblyn receive nomination for their performance in the film . lana turner mobster boyfriend and johnny stompanato and be stab by her teenage daughter and cheryl crane and during a violent argument in which he threaten to kill turner and as well a her mother and daughter . ( turner be wear jewellery give to her by the mob figure in some scene ) . lana testimony at cheryl trial be see a a direct parallel to her performance a constance in the courtroom scene in the movie and and in late year and crane reveal that her mother husband prior to her involvement with stompanato and lex barker and be molest her and another coincidence that do not go unnoticed by crane when she first saw the movie . author metalious reportedly base both book on her own hometown and and the character of allison and selena be apparently base on herself . not as explicit a the novel or a film of today and peyton place nevertheless be an intriguing and dramatic and watchable movie that definitely capture an early time and and it remain an interesting example of how art can imitate life . the dvd represent commentary by rus tamblyn and terry moore ( record separately and ala and so no interaction ) and on the flip side and amc backstory documentary on the filming and theatrical and teaser trailer and as well a the photoplay award .