Summer Girl (1983 film)
 |
| Summer Girl | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert Michael Lewis |
| Screenplay by | AJ Carothers and Caroline Crane |
| Produced by | Bill Finnegan, Roberta Haynes, Bruce Lansbury, and Edgar Lansbury |
| Starring | Barry Bostwick, Kim Darby, Martha Scott, and Diane Franklin |
| Cinematography | Fred J. Koenekamp |
| Edited by | Les Green |
| Music by | Angela Morley |
| Distributed by | CBS (United States and Canada) and Pro-Mart Video (VHS) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Summer Girl is a 1983 American made-for-television thriller film directed by Robert Michael Lewis that aired on CBS.[1]
Plot
[edit]The story revolves around a married couple who hire a live-in babysitter for their two young children during a summer at their beach house. The babysitter, named Cinni, portrayed by Diane Franklin, initially appears plain but transforms into a seductive and manipulative figure. She begins to take over the family, seducing the husband and winning over the children, with sinister intentions to replace the wife.
Cast
[edit]- Ben Murphy as Prof. Douglas McCadden
- Barry Bostwick as Gavin Shelburne
- Kim Darby as Mary Shelburne
- Martha Scott as Martina Shelburne
- Murray Hamilton as Jack Reardon
- Millie Slavin as Esther Reardon
- Diane Franklin as Cinni
Production
[edit]Summer Girl was produced by Bill Finnegan. It was distributed by CBS. The movie was filmed entirely in Hawaii.
Release
[edit]Summer Girl premiered on CBS television on April 12, 1983.
It was re-aired multiple times over the years, particularly during summer reruns or on cable channels dedicated to older movies or TV shows. After its initial airing, CBS re-aired it a few times in subsequent years.
Reception
[edit]Summer Girl, while not a blockbuster or critically acclaimed, offers a snapshot of the television movie landscape in the early 1980s, where psychological thrillers with domestic settings were popular. While not as widely remembered or discussed as some other films of its time, "Summer Girl" is occasionally referenced in discussions about 80s TV movies, especially those involving sinister nannies or babysitter. It was part of a trend of made-for-TV movies that capitalized on domestic thrillers, appealing to a broad audience with its mix of suspense, drama, and a touch of the sensational. While it didn't achieve iconic status, "Summer Girl" contributes to the tapestry of 80s television cinema, reflecting cultural anxieties about family, trust, and the intrusion of external, manipulative forces into the home. See The Babysitter (1980 film). It's noted for its melodramatic elements typical of TV movies from that era, with a plot that might remind viewers of later films like The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (film), though "Summer Girl" predates it.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Summer Girl". IMDB. IMDB. Retrieved 2024-10-27.