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Thursday March 28th 2024

The Sandpiper | 1965

Ponderous, soapy romance between hippy artist Laura Reynolds (Elizabeth Taylor) and Edward Hewitt (Richard Burton), the minister/headmaster of her son’s school. As ever, the characters are overshadowed by the real Taylor-Burton pairing, but the central California coast setting is gorgeous, and the soundtrack – including Oscar-winning song The Shadow Of Your Smile – isn’t bad either.

Reynolds’ ‘shack’ was on the beach at Big Sur, south of the Monterey peninsula, where the pair hang out on Pfeiffer Beach.

The open air restaurant is Nepenthe – though the famed restaurant was recreated in the studio. The real Nepenthe, 48510 Highway 1, is still serving, as it has been since 1949.