The Long, Hot Summer
Ben Quick returns to the Southern town of Frenchman's Bend to claim his inheritance and soon runs afoul of local power Boss Varner. The handsome Ben attracts the attention of the local women but young Jody Varner is resentful of his attributes.
- 1965-1966
- 1 season
- ABC
- Drama
Ben Quick returns to the Southern town of Frenchman's Bend to claim his inheritance and soon runs afoul of local power Boss Varner. The handsome Ben attracts the attention of the local women but young Jody Varner is resentful of his attributes.
Season 1 Episode Guide
27 Episodes 1965 - 1966
Episode 0
The Long Hot Summer
Thu, Sep 9, 1965
This pilot to the subsequent television series follows the storyline of the 1958 film.
Episode 1
The Homecoming
Thu, Sep 16, 1965 60 mins
Thirteen years after his family was run out of town by the wealthy, formidable bank owner Will Varner, Ben Quick returns to Frenchman's Bend, Mississippi to reclaim his family's farm and put an end to Varner's vise-like grip on the town's residents. Meanwhile, intent on seeing his daughter Clara married, Varner encourages a romance between her and the dull but socially acceptable Duane Galloway. Much to Varner's chagrin, Clara shows more interest in Ben Quick, and the attraction is mutual.
Episode 2
A Time for Living
Thu, Sep 23, 1965 60 mins
When Clara rides onto Ben Quick's property, her charging horse knocks Ben to the ground, cracking several of his ribs. Over Ben's objections, Clara endeavors to nurse him back to health.
Episode 3
A Stranger to the House
Thu, Sep 30, 1965 60 mins
Jody Varner picks up runaway Eula Harker in a rainstorm, thus incurring the anger of Eula's redneck boyfriend.
Episode 4
The Twisted Image: Part 1
Thu, Oct 7, 1965 60 mins
Willow, a former girlfriend of Ben Quick, comes back into his life, now widowed and now wealthy.
Episode 5
The Twisted Image: Part 2
Thu, Oct 14, 1965 60 mins
Ben Quick struggles to free himself from a manslaughter charge.
Episode 6
Home Is a Nameless Place
Thu, Oct 21, 1965 60 mins
Ben wanders onto the farm of Lonnie McBain and his sister Sharon and becomes involved in their fight to hold on to their property which Varner wants for the construction of a sawmill. Though they're being offered alternate land and a canceled mortgage, the McBains want to stay since it's the only place Sharon, a deaf-mute, feels comfortable and safe. Minnie manages to soften Varner's resolve, though it may not be in time to stop an act of violence.
Episode 7
No Hiding Place
Thu, Oct 28, 1965 60 mins
Ben Quick and Clara Varner seek shelter from a late-night rainstorm inside an abandoned shack.
Episode 8
Run, Hero, Run
Thu, Nov 4, 1965 60 mins
Former resident Scott Manning, a celebrated professional football player, comes home to Frenchman's Bend and receives a hero's welcome by the adoring town. Clara isn't so welcoming, though. She and Manning were once involved, and unknown to her, he plans to rekindle their romance in an effort to get his hands on the Varner fortune.
Episode 9
The Desperate Innocent
Thu, Nov 11, 1965 60 mins
Ben finds himself pursued by the needy, emotional Vicki Sue Dane, daughter of determined senator Jonathan Dane. Ben ends up jailed after Vicki falsely accuses him of trying to molest her. She's also attempting to conceal a letter from her father sent by the headmistress of her school.
Episode 10
Bitter Harvest
Thu, Nov 18, 1965 60 mins
In dire need of help with his harvest, Ben hires itinerant workers Buck and Leona Mills, a brother and sister team who share with him the same troubled relationship with the Varner family. The Millses once defied Will. He's never forgotten, and Ben's support of them creates tension in a tenuous arrangement they have.
Episode 11
Hunter to the Wind
Thu, Dec 2, 1965 60 mins
While Will is away, old family friend Roger Lake arrives in Frenchman's Bend for a surprise visit with the family. He's carrying tickets to South America and a cache of money. Unknown to Clara and Jody, he is also involved in the manhunt for a murderer, but a suspicious Ben is on hand ready to protect Clara.
Episode 12
Nor Hell a Fury
Thu, Dec 9, 1965 60 mins
Martha Ross, an elegant, worldly writer, hires Ben to remodel her lodge, and the two develop an attraction to one another. After Martha loans Ben the money he needs to beat Varner in a business deal, her unmentioned husband Jim arrives on the scene and takes issue with her relationship with Ben.
Episode 13
The Return of the Quicks
Thu, Dec 16, 1965 60 mins
Chuck Quick, a distant and nearly forgotten cousin of Ben's, brings his wife and son to Frenchman's Bend along with a hard luck story. The duplicitous Chuck concocts a scheme to claim Ben's land as his own and sets about to undermine him with a series of increasingly dirty tricks.
Episode 14
Track the Man Down
Thu, Dec 30, 1965 60 mins
After his house is broken into, Ben discovers that the culprit is Joe Hagen, a man who once helped Ben and his late father get out of Frenchman's Bend. Hagen has become an escaped convict, imprisoned for a crime he swears he didn't commit. Feeling he owes Hagen, Ben helps him hide from authorities.
Episode 15
Face of Fear
Thu, Jan 6, 1966 60 mins
A skeleton is found, and it's determined the cause of death was a bullet to the head. It is assumed that Ben Quick's late father was the culprit. Ben works to clear his name.
Episode 16
Evil Angel
Thu, Jan 13, 1966 60 mins
Eula is lured to the mansion of the eccentric and reclusive Maribelle Kirkpatrick who offers to tutor her in the ways of becoming a cultured Southern lady. Hoping it will help her win Jody Varner, Eula thinks it's a dream come true, though it slowly becomes a nightmare when she realizes that she's a dead ringer for Maribelle's late niece, and Maribelle's a little bit disturbed.
Episode 17
Day of Thunder
Wed, Jan 19, 1966 60 mins
An old friend of Ben Quick's comes to town. However, that old friend is the head of a troublesome motorcycle gang.
Episode 18
The Warning
Wed, Jan 26, 1966 60 mins
The discovery of a tumor which may or may not be malignant signals a change in the typically irascible behavior of Will Varner. Confronted with the possibility of impending death, he suddenly wants to settle his relationships with his children and proposes marriage to a surprised Minnie.
Episode 19
The Intruders
Wed, Feb 2, 1966 60 mins
While recuperating from his illness, Will engages the services of Nurse Nan Haverill. Haverill's boyfriend, escaped convict Tim Demming, seeks help from her while on the run and holds everyone in the Varner mansion hostage. His plan is to use Varner's car to escape to Mexico, but he wants to use Clara as the driver.
Episode 20
From This Day Forward
Wed, Feb 9, 1966 60 mins
After one of his mill hands is killed in an accident at work, Will becomes protective of the man's attractive widow Karen. He goes out of his way to ensure that Karen is taken care of financially, but his devotion to her bothers Minnie who thinks he's being made a fool.
Episode 21
A Time to Die
Wed, Feb 16, 1966 60 mins
Jody Varner is kidnapped as part of a plot to get his father's money.
Episode 22
Reunion - Italian Style
Wed, Feb 23, 1966 60 mins
Clara Varner realizes how unhappy she is, and a childhood friend visits.
Episode 23
Blaze of Glory
Wed, Mar 2, 1966 60 mins
The arrival of Eleanor Davis, who exited Frenchman's Bend over twenty years ago, shocks Will, who makes an appeal for her to leave and never return again. Clara and Jody can't understand their father's reaction until they learn that Eleanor is their long-absent mother.
Episode 24
Crisis
Wed, Mar 9, 1966 60 mins
Jody Varner has a fight with his father over his future. He turns to Ben Quick for advice and assistance.
Episode 25
Carlotta, Come Home
Wed, Mar 30, 1966 60 mins
The Varner household is thrown into complete chaos upon the arrival from France of Carlotta, Will's sophisticated, worldly cousin. An intolerable situation manages to devolve even further when Carlotta insists that Clara accompany her on a trip around the world.
Episode 26
Man with Two Faces
Wed, Apr 13, 1966 60 mins
It's a familiar story in the final episode of the series. Many years ago Will's construction foreman Brice Ferguson saved Clara from a deadly fall, but he was critically injured himself and has endured lifelong complications. Now he has suddenly returned to Frenchman's Bend to resume the life he left behind.
