grandiose soap opera drama ( isn not life a big soap opera . ) and beautifully act and photograph and score and write and direct . it feature incest and pre marital lust and a teen with a domineer mother and suicide and illegitimate child and murder and more . lana turner give her best performance ever and minimize any annoying posture and head a mostly noble ensemble cast and with the possible exception of lee phillips and handsome a the small town new principal and but somewhat grating in character . diane varsi and a turner daughter be also the narrator and occasionally brilliant and but somewhat monotone in voice . hope lange be superb and along with arthur kennedy and betty field and mildred dunnock and leon ames and russ tamblyn . the new england location be stun in deluxe color cinemascope and set to a stirring and symphonic soundtrack . the setting be 1940s before and after world war ii and but it most definitely 1957 and via the costume and hairstyle . base on a bestselling book and and supposedly tone down a bit and the picture be a huge hit for fox and spawn a mediocre 1961 movie sequel and a highly watched 1960s television series . but do not miss the original classic .