The Long, Hot Summer is a drama that aired on ABC. It was set in the small Mississippi town of Frenchman's Bend, dominated by the aging, tyrannical Will Varner, who owned the town, and young Ben Quick, who had returned after 13 years to reclaim his father's farm and challenge Varner's absolute authority. Ben's father had been 'destroyed' by Varner and Ben had returned to take up the fight again. To complicate things Ben, and Varner's daughter Clara, become attracted to each other. Other characters include Jody Varner, Will's son, honest but with a weak personality. Minnie Littlejohn who runs the town's hotel, a good friend and mistress of Will Varner. Eula Harker, a farm girl, picked up one night in the rain by Jody, who became a leading character in his life and that of the town.
Cast
1 Edmond O'Brien played Will Varner for the first 13 episodes of the show. He left because of differences with the producers, and was replaced by Dan O'Herlihy starting with episode 15.
Crew
Seasons
| Season |
Premiere |
Finale |
#
|
| ABC
|
| Season One |
September 16, 1965 |
April 13, 1966 |
26
|
In-Depth
DVD Releases/Episode Uploads
Trivia/Background Information
- Edmond O'Brien's differences with the producers, which led to him leaving after 13 episodes, was mainly over the decision to make the Ben Quick character central to the series.
- Paul Geary missed the last 3 episodes as he was in Hospital for Surgery. Tom Lowell was his replacement.
External Sites
- Long Hot Summer complete episodes on YouTube [1]
