John Malahy - Summer Movies: 30 Sun-Drenched Classics

Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi arrive on Burano in Summertime (1955).

Most of all, John Malahy captures the fun we associate with summertime, whether or not we take his suggestions for travel and tourism or line up some of his outside-the-box suggestions for double features. This book made me smile, remembering when and where I first encountered the films he discusses so enthusiastically. If you havent seen all thirty features, you have even more to look forward to. Remember, a good movie is never out of season.

LEONARD MALTIN is best known for his evergreen reference paperback Leonard Maltins Movie Guide, its offshoot Leonard Maltins Classic Movie Guide, and his thirty-year run on Entertainment Tonight. He teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and appears on Turner Classic Movies. With his daughter Jessie he hosts the weekly podcast Maltin on Movies. He also holds court at www.leonardmaltin.com.

I n June 1975, Steven Spielbergs Jaws was released in theaters. The summer-set thriller kicked off an industry trend: the crucial season in which studios release their biggest movies while teenagers (the target audience) are home from school. But Jaws isnt just the prototypical summer blockbuster. It is also a classic example of an underappreciated category of moviesthose that depict the experiences, traditions, and delights of the summer season. As such, Spielbergs monster movie can be linked to other warm-weather classics, from beach musicals to sun-drenched romances.

Much of our understanding of summer comes from, or is reflected in, the movies. The great American road trip will probably always be tied to the Griswolds and their iconic green station wagon. Gidget is the quintessential teenage misfit who, both literally and figuratively, finds her place in the sun. Theres no crying in baseball! continues to be heard on many a warm afternoon at the ballpark. Better still, these cultural touchstones can be accessed any time of year. Even in the chilly depths of winter, the movies can bring us the feeling of a carefree summers day.

This book sprang from my personal love of Jaws and quickly grew in scope to cover everything from Betty Grable to Patrick Swayze. At first, there was a centurys worth of titles from which to select, spanning Charlie Chaplins short By the Sea (1915)a self-styled classic of girls, the seashore and the good old summer timeto Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019), in which the high school superhero takes a class trip to Venice.

But summer is more than just a time for R&R. The downside of all that warm weather is the threat of violent hurricanes and killer heat waves, as seen in