From the Terrace Reviews

Another failed attempt to adapt one of John O'Hara's sprawling novels for the screen, FROM THE TERRACE stars Newman as a Navy flier who comes home to rest at the mansion of his wealthy family in Pennsylvania. His elderly father, Ames, and his drunken, cheating mother, Loy, get on his nerves quickly, so he moves to New York and starts a business with his pal, Grizzard. Visiting the posh Long Island resort of Southhampton, he meets and woos Woodward, a rich socialite. They marry and seem to have it all together until Newman lands a job with a Wall Street investment company run by Aylmer. Becoming obsessed with his new position, Newman begins to ignore Woodward, who grows increasingly desperate for affection and renews an affair with O'Neal, a neurotic psychologist. After quarreling with Woodward, Newman goes to Pennsylvania to conduct some delicate business negotiations. Once there, he falls hard for Balin, the daughter of a local businessman (De Corsia). They have a steamy affair, which is continued later when she comes to New York City and they meet clandestinely. One of Newman's coworkers, Caine, discovers the affair and threatens to tell the prudish Aylmer about it unless Newman helps him in what is obviously a fraudulent investment scheme. Forced to decide between love and money, Newman opts to bare his soul to the company's directors, bid Woodward goodbye, and take off for a simpler life with Balin, thereby salvaging whatever integrity he still possesses. The novel's sexual explicitness is censored out of this film adaptation, and the filmmakers' expectation that the casting of real-life husband and wife Newman and Woodward would generate box office proved badly mistaken. Poor direction, an overplotted screenplay, and a disappointing performance from Newman all contribute to the film's downfall. The best performance is that of Loy, who gives a sharply etched portrayal of Newman's tortured and alcoholic mother. Character actress Marie Blake, also known as Blossom Rock, was Jeanette MacDonald's sister who labored in bit parts for decades.