Summer Movies: 30 Sun-Drenched Classics

by John Malahy, Turner Classic Movies, Leonard Maltin (Foreword)

Turner Classic Movies presents a festival of sunshine classics—movies that capture the spirit of the most carefree season of the year—complete with behind-the-scenes stories, reviews, vacation inspiration, and a trove of photos.

Summer Movies is your guide to 30 sun-drenched classics that—through beach parties, road trips, outdoor sports, summer camp, or some intangible mood that brings the heat—manage to keep summer alive year-round. Packed with production details, stories from the set, and more than 150 color and black-and-white photos, the book takes an in-depth look at films from the silent era to the present that reflect the full range of how summer has been depicted on screen, both by Hollywood and by international filmmakers. Featured titles include Moon Over Miami (1941), State Fair (1945), Key Largo (1948), Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955), The Parent Trap (1961), The Endless Summer (1964), Jaws (1975), Caddyshack (1980), Dirty Dancing (1987), Do the Right Thing (1989), Moonrise Kingdom (2012), Call Me by Your Name (2017), and many more.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, History, Media Tie In

197 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2021

Reviews

[Leah]

What a delight! I was never a big movie person, so even the most popular ones in this book (Jaws, Caddyshack, The Seven Year Itch, etc) are only known to me through pop-culture. Malahy truly compiled a fantastic and varied line-up, jumping from the silent era to sports to thrillers to foreign films, breaking down why each is a great summer flick - and explains why he didn't include some obvious choices (Grease, for example, seems like quintessential summer viewing, but apart from those summer ni-hiiiiiights the movie takes place over the course of the school year).

One thing I especially enjoyed was that at the end of each selection, he included a quick blurb on a second, somewhat-related titled to watch as a double feature. After watching Bogey and Bacall in 1948's Key Largo, stick around in Florida with another noir: 1981's Body Heat. One of several Judy Garland/Gene Kelly films was 1950's Summer Stock, a group of Broadway actor descends on a family farm to host a summer production in a barn. Malahy pairs this with Floating Weeds, a Japanese film from 1959 about a village who hosts a travelling theater troupe. Rear Window gets paired with To Catch a Thief, Ghost World is suggested to watch alongside The Graduate, Bend it Like Beckham is a notable follow-up to A League of Their Own, jump from Dirty Dancing to a Ginger Rogers/Douglas Fairbanks Jr film.

There was really only one entry I skimmed, the others - including MANY of the double feature options - are now on a massive list of Movies I Need To Watch.

[Ann]

A fun book for fans of the movies shown on Turner Classic Movies channel. A synopsis of each film, pictures from the set or the movie, and behind the scenes stories.

[Frances]

Fun read about many movies, some old and some new.

[Raquel]

A delightful read! TCM staffer John Malahy spotlights 30 summer themed movies and their cultural impact. It's a beautifully designed book with plenty of photos. Each film is presented with a companion recommendation for a fun double bill. Nice compact size means it'll fit perfectly in your beach tote.

Full review here:
http://www.outofthepastblog.com/2021/...

[Susan Devine]

Our family has had so much fun this summer picking movies and some double features from this book. The background information I’ve learned has been especially helpful to me as a newbie compared to my movie loving husband and son! This book lists 30 movies recommended for summer. Each movie is discussed with interesting insights and a second movie that’s related. There are brief suggested travel recommendations as well.

[Chy]

Summer is the most magical of seasons where anything can happen and that's why it'll always hold a special place in my heart and be my favorite (okay technically it's a tie between summer and autumn as to which one's my favorite, but anyways)

I really enjoyed this! Though I was familiar with quite a few of the movies listed there were some I hadn't heard of before and I've come away with more movies added to my ever expanding watch list. I also appreciated how the author acknowledges that when it comes to summer movies there is a lack of diversity with most of the movies made and chronicled in this book featuring white characters and their stories.

[Punkie]

5 stars
Probably my favorite of the TCM series thus far. The history and plot breakdown of each film is informative and tightly paced, the pictures are gorgeous, but the real standout here is the films that were chosen. While not all 30 are favorites of mine (very nearly though), it's the way they were chosen. Covering every genre and era imaginable, this is one of the few film books that really explores outside the tried and true and brings light to an assortment of a much wider scope. A must-have for film buffs.

[T.J.]

I loved this cool little book about hot summer flicks! 30 juicy movie reviews, lovingly written and expertly assessed, along with 30 more paired "double feature" suggestions. And vacation ideas, too! Plus gobs of photos!

I enjoyed reading about the films I've seen a dozen times and already consider classics, and I added many others I haven't seen to my "next time it's on tv" list!

The lush, beach-perfect presentation makes this a great gift for your fave movie buff, too! Buy two.

[Tonya Johnson]

Movies to view while sunning

Initially, I anticipated a nostalgic exploration of classic beach cinema, reminiscent of the iconic "Where the Boys Are." However, the collection delves into films simply set during the summer season. While some selections captivated my interest, others failed to resonate with my personal taste, proving not every movie is a perfect match for every viewer.

[Shant]

I liked this book. It was interesting seeing the cultural/sociological changes for what people did /wished they could do during the summer. Obviously there are movies that I would swap in/out but it was diverse in time periods, genres, and settings covered, as well as characters. I liked the double feature and vacation recommendation parts, as well.

[Petty Lisbon]

I enjoyed this book. Even if I generally didn't care about most of the ones before 1970, I enjoyed reading about them and how they "represent" summer. I liked the caveat for pairing each movie with another movie and then giving a vacation idea for the movie.

[Autumn Kearney]

Summer Movies: 30 Sundrenched Classics is a fun walk down memory lane. The text is quick and easy to read and the photographs are vibrant. It’s a fun book to either read from cover to cover or even skim through.

[Susan]

Not just a list, but good background information and other related movies mentioned.

[Ronald]

Chapters are geared to have a main summer movie and a second one making them "double features." Many photos are included.

[Renee]

It was Memorial Day weekend so I thought I'd dip into this book in honor of the start of summer. I ended up reading straight through. Malahy came up with a great variety of summertime movies. One rarely sees Bergman and Ozu films on the same list as Caddyshack. 30 films get a lavishly illustrated full write up. Each is paired with a paragraph suggesting another film for a double feature. Malahy also offers suggested vacation destinations for each film. It's a breezy read perfect for movie lovers.

[Kristin]

Loved this book. However, I felt some movies were missing. I would have loved to see The Sandlot, The Great Outdoors, and Adventureland on the list. Otherwise it was great!