My Summer Picks for the 2022 Classic Film Reading Challenge

Hello, lovely readers!

I don’t know about you, but for me, the past few weeks have been an absolute blur.

In the blink of an eye, the spring has merged into summer and with it, the comforts of the season lie on the horizon: lazy, sun drenched afternoons, festive barbecues with friends and family, and the juiciest of summer reads.

This summer, Raquel Stecher of the Out of the Past blog is hosting her Classic Film Reading Challenge. Raquel is encouraging participants to read and review up to 6 classic film related books from May 25 – September 15, 2022. Those who complete all 6 reviews will be entered to win a prize!

See the official rules and find the sign-up form on Raquel’s website. If you’re interested don’t wait too long, sign up ends July 15th!

My reading has been somewhat sporadic for the past few months, so I’m excited to participate in this challenge and get back on track. Without further ado, let’s get to the list…

Portrait of Jennie by Robert Nathan

As a teenager, I fell in love with the haunting 1948 movie adaptation starring Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten and ever since have wanted to read the novella it was based upon. I can’t wait to compare the film and book and see if the author offers additional insight into the mysterious Jennie who forever changes the life of a despairing artist.

Note: My review of the 1948 film can be found here.

Picnic by William Inge

If you’ve been around the Muse for a while, you know Picnic is a film that I hold very dear to my heart. I’m so curious about the source material to see if the characters I love were faithfully represented in the film adaptation.

Bonus! William Inge’s Pulitzer prize winning play is as summer romance as summer romance gets.

Note: My review of the dreamy 1955 film can be found here.

Elephant Walk by Robert Standish

And yet, more fiction…

For some reason, I find Elephant Walk (1954) starring Elizabeth Taylor, Dana Andrews, and Peter Finch incredibly intriguing. Could it be the adventurous, tropical location of Ceylon, the convoluted familial dynamics, the struggle of man versus nature, or a stirring combination of all three?

Upon a quick search into the quality of the source material, the general consensus is that the book far outshines the movie.

I am so here for it.

Show Boat by Edna Ferber

I am ready to soak in the balmy heat, smell the sweet magnolias, sing, dance, and live and love along with the fascinating folks aboard the floating theater, the Cotton Blossom.

This title has been on my list for a very long time as I had the 1951 musical on a loop before I can even remember. After reading the novel, I am looking forward to (finally!) watching the 1936 film adaptation which many say is superior to its remake.

Note: My thoughts on the poignant New Year’s Eve scene between Magnolia and Captain Andy can be found here.

The Making of The African Queen by Katharine Hepburn

Confession time: I’ve only seen The African Queen once…(!)

And it’s time to fix that by reading this book and revisiting this teriffic film. From the title, it’s clear as to what the reader is getting into. This looks to be a breezy read with illuminating anecdotes about the adventure of a lifetime written by a woman with tremendous tenacity, humor, and charm.

Swamp Water by Vereen Bell

After careening through a winding trail of rabbit holes, one unexpectedly led me to Swamp Water. Upon noticing the 1941 film was directed by Jean Renoir (yep, the offspring of that Renoir) and the phenomenal cast includes Walter Brennan, Walter Huston, and Dana Andrews and Anne Baxter – two favorites – this title practically jumped on my list!

Now the eternal question…read the book or watch the film first? Hmmm.

Note: My thoughts on Renoir’s deliciously off-beat noir Woman on the Beach can be found here.

And a Maybe…Vertigo: The Making of a Hitchcock Classic by Dan Auiler

This is a maybe in case I want to switch things up and give myself a bit of room to choose what I’m in the mood for.

You’ve heard me talk about this title in my 2022 Spring Book Haul so I won’t go into too many details. Let’s just say it looks amazing and this challenge is the perfect opportunity to finally pull it off my shelves!

I want to thank Raquel for hosting this challenge, and I’d like to encourage anyone who has a read or two in line for the summer to join the fun!

Thank you for visiting! Stay tuned for these reviews coming throughout the summer!

Which of these titles would you read? What’s on your reading/watch list this summer?

…Let me know in the comments below…