1961's premiere "date" movie represented the screen debut of
Warren Beatty. Set in the 1920s,
William Inge's screenplay concerns the superheated romance between working-class high schooler
Natalie Wood and rich kid Beatty. Trying their best to keep their relationship from going "all the way," Beatty and Wood go through a series of unsatisfying interim romances. The troubled Wood attempts suicide and is sent to a mental institution, while Beatty impregnates freewheeling waitress
Zohra Lampert. Wood and Beatty still carry a torch for one another, but circumstances preclude their getting together -- and besides, Wood suddenly realizes that she's outgrown the still-floundering Beatty. Scriptwriter William Inge shows up as a minister in Splendor in the Grass, while comedienne
Phyllis Diller does a cameo as famed nightclub entertainer Texas Guinan; also, keep an eye out for
Sandy Dennis, making her first movie appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide