Hermie

During his summer vacation on Nantucket Island in 1942, a youth eagerly awaiting his first sexual encounter finds himself developing an innocent love for a young woman awaiting news on her soldier husband's fate in WWII.


I have had 1971's Summer of '42 on my DVR since... well I think last summer.   I originally thought of tying the film into my Last Gasp of Summer series, but after starting the movie, I turned off after just a few minutes.    Prior to deleting it for good, I watched the rest last week.

Below: Grimes with director Robert Mulligan

I am glad I stuck with it, the film is beautifully shot and it had a few similar themes to one of my favorite films, Jodi Foster's Stealing Home.  Jennifer O'Neill is beautiful, but not as interesting to me as Foster was, and it a bit odd Gary Grimes (Hermie) would be so drawn to her.  That being said, Grimes is adorable and I loved his crush, especially the scene in which he was helping carry her groceries home.


I will keep my eye out on Class of 44, a 1973 sequel to Summer featuring Hermie and his two best friends.  Grimes was a little older, but still as adorable,  but from the little I read, not sure it held the beauty of the film that inspired it.



Protection detection




Grimes in Class of 44