A Summer Without Boys (1973)

I love this movie so much

Such a frustrating disappointment

Good concept, poorly executed.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

"A Summer Without Boys" is a made for TV movie that is set during WWII. When the story begins, Ellen (Barbara Bain) brings her daughter Ruth (Kay Lenz) to a summer camp--the sort that families used to frequent in the Adirondacks and Catskills. Ellen knows her marriage is coming to an end but has not told Ruth...and also secretly hopes things will all work out with her husband. She repeatedly talks about when her husband is coming up to visit them, but the more she says this, the more it seems like a remote possibility at best. When things come to a head, Ruth is very vulnerable. What's to happen with this pair?The acting in this film is reasonably good, though a few times it did come off as a bit over the top. The story is modestly interesting. Nothing terrible nor anything particularly outstanding either--just a decent made for TV film.

When this film came up on the TV guide, I checked IMDb to see if it might be worth watching. It had a score of 7.1, which sounded promising. I feel compelled to write a review of this film to help others avoid making the same mistake. This film is abysmal! Does it reflect genuine life experiences? Well, my cv doesn't include being handyman at a holiday lodge but perhaps it should. Apparently I could expect to be pursued by an attractive woman in her early forties ... and her daughter! I don't remember that being explained in the careers brochure. Apart from that, the storyline is a collection of hideously predictable clichés. So, the 'plot' is drivel, is the acting any better? Is the Pope a Catholic? The performances are stilted and stereotyped, of the standard one might reasonably expect from a local dramatic production. If you have the choice of watching this film or having your spleen removed without an anaesthetic, take option B.

It has been 11 years since bksand wrote: "If there is someone out there who could help, I would greatly appreciate it. I was an extra in this TV movie as a child. I would like to get a copy of this if there is one available. Or I would like to know when it will be airing again.Thank you!" I also would like to see a copy but cannot find it on DVD or even VHS, so I am looking for a copy. Kay Lenz in particular is a favorite of mine. I want to see all of her movies.Has anyone received any positive feedback in all these years? It seems enough time has passed for this film to be re-issued. How can we get the holders of the film rights to release the old shows once again. Another great old old movie is "Heaven Only Knows" also known as "Montana Mike" with Robert Cummings starring as the angel who came to earth to help the gambling saloon keeper, Brian Donlevy, save his soul. The opening scene is coming into the Montana town with its name over the main street - the name of the town is "Paradise."

I've always dug Barbara Bain from her "Mission Impossible" days to the present, so I was sure to tune in when "A Summer Without Boys" was on TV waaaaaay back in 1973. I can still remember some scenes vividly. Kay Lenz does a great turn as the inhibited daughter, but the real scene stealer in this one is Debralee Scott who gets Kay to go out with some sailors for a "fun time" during which they play strip poker (or spin the bottle...whutever) and Debralee has to take off her top (she manages to wiggle out of her bra and pull it out from underneath her top which keeps her from having to expose her breasts but that pisses off the sailors who are counting on a "good time" which they invariably don't get. Debralee seems to always come off as genuine in her roles as typically "cheap" girls, though I expect she's really a pretty nice person in real life and far above the "white trash" sorts of standards her roles frequently demanded. If this ever turns up on TV again, tape it and let me know -- I'd like to see it again!