Peyton Place is a 1957 motion picture. Shocking at the time of its initial release, it's a delightfully campy soap opera about the lives and loves of the residents of a small New England town in the years immediately preceding and following World War II. At the core of its plot are three women - Constance Mackenzie, who has shielded the truth about her past from daughter Allison, an aspiring author, and Selena Cross, a good girl living on the wrong side of the tracks. Extramarital affairs, illegitimacy, incest, abortion, and murder are sprinkled liberally throughout the story.

The film stars Lana Turner, Lee Philips , Lloyd Nolan , Arthur Kennedy, Russ Tamblyn, Terry Moore, Hope Lange, Diane Varsi and Barry Coe .

The movie was adapted from the Grace Metalious bestseller by John Michael Hayes and directed by Mark Robson .

It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role (Lana Turner), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Arthur Kennedy), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Russ Tamblyn), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Hope Lange), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Diane Varsi), Best Cinematography, and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.

A less successful sequel, Return to Peyton Place, was released in 1961.