History Film / SummerOf42

Hermie (Gary Grimes) is a teenaged boy spending the summer of 1942 on an [[NoCommunitiesWereHarmed unnamed island that's a lot like Nantucket]]. Hermie and his friends -- Oscy (Jerry Houser), the jock, and Benjie (Oliver Conant), the shy nerd -- aren't too concerned with the war, but they are very concerned with sex and girls. When Benjie reveals that his parents own a textbook about sex, it is a major event in the the lives of the boys. Oscy starts putting the moves on a pretty blonde he meets at the movie theater. Hermie also meets a girl at the movie theater, but his attention is elsewhere: on Dorothy (O'Neill), a woman at least ten years older than he is, who has a cottage on the beach. At the beginning of the movie Hermie sees Dorothy bidding goodbye to her husband, a paratrooper who has gone off to fight in the war.

In 1973, the movie was followed by a [[FirstInstallmentWins forgotten sequel]], ''Class of '44''. It featured the return of Hermie, Oscy, and Benjie (all played by the same actors) but with [[SequelNonEntity no appearance by Dorothy]] (maintaining consistency with the original, in which Narrator Adult Hermie says he never saw her again).

Hermie (Gary Grimes) is a teenaged boy spending the summer of 1942 on an [[NoCommunitiesWereHarmed unnamed island that's a lot like Nantucket]]. Hermie and his friends -- Oscy (Jerry Houser), the jock, and Benjie (Oliver Conant), the shy nerd -- aren't too concerned with the war, but they are very concerned with sex and girls. When Benjie reveals that his parents own a textbook about sex, it is a major event in the the lives of the boys. Oscy starts putting the moves on a pretty blonde he meets at the movie theater. Hermie also met a girl at the movie theater, but his attention is elsewhere: on Dorothy (O'Neill), a woman at least ten years older than he is, who has a cottage on the beach. At the beginning of the movie Hermie sees Dorothy bidding goodbye to her husband, a paratrooper who has gone off to fight in the war.

* AdaptationalModesty: While the movie is still very frank in its depiction of sexuality, the book is downright filthy, including a scene where Hermie remembers a friend of his getting his penis stuck in a Coca Cola bottle.

''Summer of '42'' is a 1971 comedy-drama film directed by Robert Mulligan and written by Herman Raucher. A ComingOfAgeStory based on Raucher's own experiences as a teenager during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, it is perhaps best known for providing ''the'' role of [[Creator/JenniferONeill Jennifer O'Neill]]'s career and for including ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHezowVjDX4 that]]'' music.

* VagueAge: Dorothy's age is never said, as in real life he never knew (he said in interviews "she could have been twenty for all I knew"). The casting call was for actresses over thirty, but Jennifer O'Neill was twenty-two.

* QuestionableConsent: Oscy is repeatedly trying to grab Miriam's boob or put his arm around her at the movies - which she keeps telling him to stop. Then by the end of the movie, they happily make out and Oscy later loses his virginity to her.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Oscy, who in the book's epilogue is mentioned as having died while serving as a medic in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Oscy, who dies in the book's epilogue while serving as a medic in UsefulNotes/TheKoreanWar.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: Oscy, who dies in the book's epilogue while serving as a medic in Korea.

* GaussianGirl: Technically employed but effectively averted, since he ''entire film'' is shot in this manner, the better to convey the nostalgia of the adult Hermie's recollections.

* NostalgicNarrator: Robert Mulligan providing the voice of the adult Herman.

* DefrostingIceQueen: Miriam, with regard to Oscy.
* DiegeticSoundtrackUsag: A suitably {{retraux}} version of the theme plays on a phonograph at Dorothy's place when Hermie shows up toward the end.

* ThemeTuneCameo: A suitably {{retraux}} version plays on a phonograph at Dorothy's place when Hermie shows up toward the end.

''Summer of '42'' is a 1971 comedy-drama film directed by Robert Mulligan and written by Herman Raucher. A ComingOfAgeStory based on Raucher's own experiences as a teenager during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, it is perhaps best known for providing ''the'' role of Creator/JenniferONeill's career and for including ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHezowVjDX4 that]]'' music.

''Summer of '42'' is a 1971 comedy-drama film directed by Robert Mulligan and written by Herman Raucher. A ComingOfAgeStory based on Raucher's own experiences as a teenager during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, it is perhaps best known for providing ''the'' role of Jennifer O'Neill's career and for including ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHezowVjDX4 that]]'' music.

* DuringTheWar: Set on the American homefront during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, obviously. Other than killing off Dorothy's husband, the war has little impact on the storyline. Our teenage male protagonists are, of course, too young for military service.

* {{Novelization}}: Written by Raucher and published concurrently with the film's release, it became a bestseller in its own right. A little more of Hermie's background, and the circumstances that brought him back to the island as an adult, is fleshed out.

* AllThereInTheManual: The novelization gives the full names of the characters: Oscy's is Oscar Seltzer, Dorothy's is Dorothy Walker and her husband is Pete. The druggist is Mr Sanders (though there is a reference to "old man Sanders" in the film). It's also said that new people bought Dorothy's house after she left.

* CringeComedy: Hermie trying to work up the courage to buy condoms in the drug store. First there's an elderly lady in there he doesn't want overhearing him, then he orders an ice cream because he's too embarrassed, then he has to bluff his way through asking for his "usual" brand, and finally he tries to pretend he doesn't even know what condoms are used for.

* CringeComedy: Hermie trying to work up the courage to buy condoms in the drug store. First there's an elderly lady in there he doesn't want overhearing him, then he orders an ice cream because he's too embarrassed, and finally he tries to pretend he doesn't even know what condoms are used for.

* BreadEggsMilkSquick: When trying to buy condoms, Hermie keeps chickening out and asking for an addition to his strawberry ice cream. As the druggist is getting a napkin, he nervously blurts out "How about some rubbers?" Cue DoubleTake from the man.

* BreadEggsMilkSquick: When trying to buy condoms, Hermie keeps chickening out and asking for an addition to his strawberry ice cream. When the drugist is getting a napkin, he casually blurts out "how about some rubbers?" and cue DoubleTake from the man.

* TheThreeFacesOfEve: Aggie is asexual and completely innocent of sex - running away in shock when she discovers Miriam and Oscy doing it (Child). Dorothy is the older, kind, nurturing presence (Wife). Miriam who Oscy loses his virginity to, is also given a high sex drive (Seductress).

* {{Novelization}}: Written by Raucher and published concurrently with the film's release, it became a bestseller in its own right.

* QuestForSex: Oscy is desperate to get laid this summer, and Hermie sort of is as well.

* NostalgicNarrator: Robert Mulligan providing the voice of the adult Hermie.