Splendor in the Grass 07/22/25

William Inge’s intense drama of teenage romance comes to HD with rich Technicolor hues. Elia Kazan’s film of the ill-fated teen romance of Deanie and Bud (Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty) has only improved, with performances that couldn’t be bettered. Sexual suppression leads to emotional hysteria, all against a 1929 backdrop of prohibition and a stock market boom. Pat Hingle, Audrey Christie and especially Barbara Loden sculpt superb characterizations — the cast includes Zohra Lampert, Jan Norris, Gary Lockwood, Sandy Dennis and Phyllis Diller. It’s a powerful, relevant slice of Americana. On Blu-ray from The Warner Archive Collection.
07/22/25