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That Certain Summer (1972) USA

"That Certain Summer" is a landmark 1972 American made-for-television drama, widely recognized as the first sympathetic portrayal of gay characters on U.S. network TV. [5]

## Plot Overview
The story centers on Doug Salter, a divorced San Francisco contractor played by Hal Holbrook, who lives with his younger partner Gary McClain (Martin Sheen). Doug's 14-year-old son Nick (Scott Jacoby) visits for the summer, unaware of his father's sexuality, leading to emotional revelations and family tensions as Doug navigates coming out to his child. [3][4] The narrative emphasizes personal challenges over societal politics, set against a backdrop of limited gay rights in early-1970s America. [4]

## Cast and Production
Directed by Lamont Johnson with a teleplay by Richard Levinson and William Link, the film featured strong performances, including an Emmy win for Jacoby as Best Supporting Actor; Holbrook and Hope Lange (as Nick's mother) received nominations. [3][5] Produced by Universal Television for ABC's Movie of the Week, it aired November 1, 1972, despite facing homophobia, censorship, and threats. [1][2]

## Historical Impact
As the first network drama to show a stable same-sex couple and a gay parent, it broke ground in queer representation, earning praise for its respectful tone and mainstream casting. [5][6] A novelization by Burton Wohl followed, and it remains a key milestone in LGBTQ+ media history. [5]

Citations:
[1] LGBT Movies: That Certain Summer (1972) - The Avocado https://the-avocado.org/2019/10/07/lgbt-movies-that-certain-summer-1972/
[2] That Certain Summer https://calgarygayhistory.ca/2023/09/28/that-certain-summer/
[3] That Certain Summer (1972) – rarefilmm | The Cave of Forgotten Films https://rarefilmm.com/2018/12/that-certain-summer-1972/
[4] That Certain Summer (1972) http://every70smovie.blogspot.com/2017/02/that-certain-summer-1972.html
[5] That Certain Summer - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Certain_Summer
[6] Lgbtq+ Pride Series: That... https://comic-watch.com/movies/lgbtq-pride-series-that-certain-summer
[7] That Certain Summer (TV Movie 1972) - IMDb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069368/
[8] That Certain Summer | Rotten Tomatoes https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/that_certain_summer
[9] That Certain Summer - Wikipedia, a enciclopedia libre https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/That_Certain_Summer
[10] That Certain Summer (1972): Where to Watch and Stream Online https://reelgood.com/movie/that-certain-summer-1972