When "Peyton Place" debuted in the fall of 1964, it set up a particular narrative that took until this episode, which broadcast in April of 1965 to finally pay off: Constance Mackenzie (Oscar winning actress Dorothy Malone) revealing to her daughter Alison (very young Mia Farrow) that she was married to anyone when she gave birth to her...and that the guy in the photo on the mantle came with the picture frame when she bought it at a drugstore! Further, her actual father is Elliot Carson--who has recently returned to town after having served 18 years for supposedly killing his wife!
The culmination of the reveal means this is a pivotal episode for Alison/Mia, and the show gives her a chance to shine. After leaving her mother to grapple with the sudden shattering of her world, she goes to see her college English professor, who is a cynical damaged man with a relatively obvious emotional interest in Alison. What transpires is a 6 minute long take (no editing) of the two of them, her trying to come to grips with a new view of life, and him trying to figure out if he should be honorable or take advantage of the situation. It's practically a return to the "Golden Age" of live theater on TV, and not only do the performers acquit themselves admirably, but Robert B. Hauser expertly glides the camera around the room to provide constantly intriguing angles and positions as they move around the room.
The culmination of the reveal means this is a pivotal episode for Alison/Mia, and the show gives her a chance to shine. After leaving her mother to grapple with the sudden shattering of her world, she goes to see her college English professor, who is a cynical damaged man with a relatively obvious emotional interest in Alison. What transpires is a 6 minute long take (no editing) of the two of them, her trying to come to grips with a new view of life, and him trying to figure out if he should be honorable or take advantage of the situation. It's practically a return to the "Golden Age" of live theater on TV, and not only do the performers acquit themselves admirably, but Robert B. Hauser expertly glides the camera around the room to provide constantly intriguing angles and positions as they move around the room.
