Last Summer is a shockingly bold film for its time period (late 1960s) and very well acted, featuring actors who went on to virtual stardom at a time when they were just starting out: Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas and Bruce Davison. Portraying restless teenagers at Fire Island for the summer, they meet and begin hanging out together, eventually encountering Rhoda (Catherine Burns), a teenager who doesn't quite fit their mold but wants to make friends. And this is where the story really gets moving. As the plot advances, it seems the behavior of the original three becomes increasingly edgy and even cruel. Meanwhile, Rhoda, with her sincerity and vulnerability, senses she is out of place but desperately hangs in to be part of the group, even though she sets herself up for embarrassment, conflict and possibly even danger. Unfortunately, copies of Last Summer are pretty much impossible to find and it is almost never shown on television. I saw it when it was originally released, but the only time I saw it on cable TV was in 2013; to my great disappointment, the print wasn't in letterbox and had been edited for content, reducing both the film's impact and significance.

I read this haunting tale by Evan Hunter in the late 1960's, and felt numb afterwards. It was a devastating story, but came across honest and true. I wasn't aware that it had been made into a movie until much later, but never felt compelled to "revisit" it, until it turned up on TV (TCM, I think) recently. The movie did capture the essence of the novel, unsupervised (neglected) adolescents from well-off, dysfunctional (hinted), families spiraled out of control when their ambiguous and budding desires fed off each other in a vicious circle, culminating in something akin to evil. The psychological and sociological overtones reflected the zeitgeist of the sixties - sex, drugs, violence, and the mob mentality.The sexually suggestive scenes and the violence was tastefully done, necessary but not exploitative. This film was definitely targeting a more mature audience, but surely will not unduly shock or traumatize the precocious youths of today. Nevertheless, portions of the story are unpleasant enough to discourage repeated viewing. In any case, the message is potent enough to come across loud and clear just going through it once.For the more inquisitive viewers who might wonder whether the worst had happened to Rhoda, I suggest a reading of the excellent book by Evan Hunter. ("The Blackboard Jungle" and "Mr. Buddwing" are among the films based on his books. In fact, he wrote a sequel to "Last Summer", aptly named "Come Winter". He was also well-known in another genre under the name Ed McBain.) In retrospect, I wish I had not read the novel before I saw the movie. I always prefer watching the movie before reading the book (if there is one). In my opinion, the medium lends itself to greater dramatic and emotional impact, and provides a more primal sensory experience, but there are invariably certain elements in a book that no motion picture can convey.I suspect my rating for this film would have been higher had it not been for the unpleasant and unresolved emotions and thoughts it provoked, but did (could) not provide any hope or closure in the ending.

Three obnoxious teenagers on Fire Island during a particular summer form a bond that leads to an unbelievable ending.Nothing like a story about 3 teens, all of whom apparently come from wealthy families who pal around during the summer and meet Rhoda, a depressed teen, far from beautiful, who is basically in a world of her own.Catherine Burns, as Rhoda, tells in detail the tragic drowning of her mother, 5 summers ago and this telling brought her a best supporting actress Oscar bid.The unbelievable, tragic ending and the callous disregard of a human being is haunting. Otherwise, we're subjected to summer-time carefree leisure which to be perfectly honest is quite boring after a while.

A strikingly clear-eyed and nonjudgmental portrait of adolescent explorations into sex, friendship, loyalty and cruelty which deftly captures the essential amorality and irresponsibility of that uncertain period of one's life with considerable candor and an admirable dearth of sentiment. Three carefree, unsupervised teenagers -- conniving, domineering, flirtatious strumpet Sandy (a deliciously wicked Barbara Hershey, wearing a skimpy bikini outfit that shows off a lot of her toothsome, voluptuous figure), aggressively libidinous Dan (Bruce Davison in his solid film debut), and the slightly more thoughtful Peter (a strong turn by Richard Thomas) -- become involved in a playfully steamy menage a trois on Long Island's tranquil Fire Island resort. The two guys are both completely infatuated with Sandy and vie with each other to seduce her. The rowdy trio engage in a wild group grope in a movie theater, drink beer, smoke grass, nurse a wounded seagull back to health, bask in the sun's unwavering rays, and cut loose during an especially crazed impromptu heavy petting/hair washing session. Their delicate, uninhibited fantasy world gets upset when pallid, pudgy, deeply uptight and morally responsible plain jane Rhoda (superbly played by the endearingly ungainly Cathy Burns, who deservedly got an Oscar nomination for her first-rate performance) enters their precious circle and steals Peter's attention away from Sandy. Eleanor Perry's astute, keenly observed script offers many painfully truthful moments as the gawky, confused main characters grapple with mortality (Rhoda's monologue about the untimely death of her mother is simply incredible), intense, unfulfilled sexual longings, sexual rivalry, and feelings of extreme callousness. Directed with great tact and restraint by Frank Perry, gorgeously shot in dewy, creamy, golden-hued soft focus by Gerald Hirshfeld (the expansive beachside scenery is positively beautiful), and marvelously acted by a fine cast, "Last Summer" rates as a quietly potent, poignant and disturbing sleeper.