The story is set in Dearborn, Michigan during the 1950s, and revolves around 14-year-old Arthur Bartley and his schoolmates, 15-year-old Janet Willard and Ernie. While widower's-daughter Janet laughs at Arthur and Ernie's forays into smoking, drinking, and playing cards, she's always been interested in Arthur, and as Arthur's parents try to shelter him from negative things in life, he turns to Janet for comfort. The relationship between Janet and Arthur results in her becoming pregnant. Unable to ask their parents for help, they turn to Ernie, who'd boasted earlier about "helping a sailor who got his girl in trouble" by directing him to an abortionist - only to discover Ernie made it all up, based on secondhand stories. The three seek together to arrange an abortion and raise the funds, only to be discovered by their parents at the last moment. In the meantime, Arthur and Janet find out how much they do not yet know about life - and how much they truly care about each other.
The play was first announced in 1955. In December 1955, its title was changed to The Children's Comedy. In June 1957 the title was changed back to Blue Denim. Joshua Logan agreed to direct. Carol Lynley was cast in the lead. Warren Berlinger joined the cast several months later. The play opened February 27, 1958. the New York Times called it "a moving play". It closed after 166 performances.
Filming production
Film rights were bought by 20th Century Fox. In August 1958, Fox announced that the leads would be played by Carol Lynley and Ray Stricklyn. In September Lynley was signed to a long term contract at Fox and Dick Powell was to produce and direct. In October 1958, Fox assigned Phillip Dunne to write and direct the film. Dunne wrote the script in collaboration with Edith Sommers, who just had a play on Broadway about teenagers titled A Roomful of Roses, which producer Charles Brackett had admired. Eventually Stricklyn dropped out and the lead was played by Brandon de Wilde. Filming started May 23, 1959.
Differences between stage and film versions
In the original stage version, Janet does have her fetus aborted, and she and Arthur talk it over later as they settle their feelings for each other. When the play was adapted for Hollywood, however, strict production codes forbade anything but the condemnation of abortion, so the storyline was changed. Arthur and Janet instead get married and stay with Janet's aunt in another city until the baby is born.
Critical and public reception
While the play and then the movie came and went, at first causing a minor controversy, then becoming part of the 'canon' of Broadway adaptations, and studied for its sociological impact, Blue Denim still was being decried as late as the 1980s by Fundamentalist preachers. According to Dunne, the film was a financial, if not critical, success.
Home media
Video
20th Century Fox released Blue Denim on DVD on March 16, 2016. Twilight Time released the film on Blu-ray disc on April 10, 2018. It plays occasionally on cable TV and video on demand.
Music
The film score for Blue Denim was composed and conducted by Bernard Herrmann. It has been described by Film Score Monthly as a "Baby Vertigo type of score, reminiscent of Herrmann's anguished romantic writing for Hitchcock". The score was released on CD in November 2001.
In other media
In Truman Capote's book In Cold Blood, Bobby Rupp, Nancy Clutter's beau, says "We talked for a while, and made a date to go to the movies Sunday night - a picture all the girls were looking forward to, Blue Denim."
