an all star cast have a field day in this excellent adaptation of grace metalious novel . there be so much go on in this town and it be tell well with wonderful acting and 5 act oscar nomination to boot . constance mackenzie settle in this town after her husband allegedly die and be raise a daughter and alison and while the proprietor of a dress shop . truth be that alison be illegitimate . constance be soon court by the town young new high principal and michael rossi play well by newcomer lee philip . the position of principal be suppose to go to veteran pedagogue elsie thornton . ( a wonderfully spinster like performance by mildred dunnock who specialize in these role . ) a be so true in life and a school board step in and use thornton age to thwart her appointment for the supposedly young and dynamic rossi . dunnock convey the right stuff in depict her disappointment but her determination to continue her commitment to teach . alison best friend and play by hope lange and come from a dysfunctional family . her emotionally wrought mother be victimize by a second husband and play with a fantastic sadistic quality by arthur kennedy . alison be diane varsi and lange mom be bette field and who eventually kill herself . town gossip and other vicious people reside in the town . dr. lucas swain and a marvelous lloyd nolan and will come to the aid of lange and when she be accuse of kill her stepfather kennedy . lange scene on the witness stand be believable and nolan be at his best in his condemnation scene of the town . russ tamblyn put away his dancing shoe and star a the boyfriend of selena cross ( lange ) . victimize by an overbear mother and tamblyn show he could do some fine dramatic acting . with all this and we have a fine lana turner performance a constance mackenzie . a sexually suppress woman and afraid of a romantic involvement in her life and turner turn in a powerhouse performance . lana turner be nominate for best actress and support nomination go to tamblyn and kennedy and lange and varsi . while no one win the oscar and their performance be memorable . a truly wonderful rendition of town life with the problem of gossip pursue .