- The "terrible trio" of "Summer of '42" has graduated high school. Now the real learning begins. For Benjy, 1944 is a time to serve his country.
- The sequel to Summer of '42 (1971) reunites Hermie, Oscy and Benjie as they graduate from high school. Benjie departs shortly to war while Hermie and Oscy go on to college and experience fraternity hazings, cheating on exams, sex scandals and other unsavory college activities. Hermie grows apart from his childhood friend Oscy and begins a relationship with Julie that allows him to settle down into maturity.—alfiehitchie
- The exploits of best friends Hermie (the earnest one), Oscy (the brash one) and Benjie (the naive one) in the latter half of 1944 are presented. They have just graduated from high school in Brooklyn, and embark onto their adult lives in an uncertain world with war still looming in Europe and the Pacific, with most in their situation either going to college or into the military. Hermie and Oscy have received those educational exemptions, much to Oscy's own surprise as he cheated in the exam to fail, feeling he better suited to military life, he perhaps mistakenly believing he officer material. Under this circumstance, Hermie and Oscy head off to college in Connecticut together, with Hermie seeing this phase of his academic life lasting only for a year, he planning to do his military duty after that. Much to their surprise, Benjie has instead decided to enlist, in the marines no less. While still being together as roommates, Hermie and Oscy end up having their individual college experiences, Hermie's which includes writing for the college newspaper, and embarking on a relationship with more a more worldly and wealthy co-ed named Julie, it despite the animosity in their initial encounter. Hermie's transition into adulthood in this environment may have more to do with the natural course of life, than with the global geopolitical situation or what happens at college.—Huggo
- This is the sequel to Summer of '42. The film is a slice-of-life style autobiography of sorts, depicting the lives of the "Terrible Trio" two years after their summer of 1942 on Nantucket.
The setting is in 1944 suburban New York City. The film opens with seeing the Trio; Herman "Hermie" Raucher (Gary Grimes), and his pals Oscar "Oscy" Seltzer (Jerry Houser) and Benjie (Oliver Conant) at their high school commencement exercises.
After the graduation ceremony, Hermie throws a final blast-off party at his house. During the party, the three agree to meet at a diner that night, at which point Benjie announces he has enlisted in the US Marines and will report for basic training the following day. Hermie and Oscy are going to college at their respective fathers' request and spend the summer working at a loading dock.
A few months later, Benjie pays a surprise visit before reporting to active duty in the South Pacific. He can't stay for lunch, saying he's on his way to the subway, so Hermie and Oscy accompany him to the train station, where they say their goodbyes.
In September 1944, Hermie and Oscy are off to college in New Haven, where they settle in their boarding house and are introduced to campus life. When Hermie goes to apply for a position at the campus newspaper, he meets Julie, an attractive, well-to-do coed. They strike up a friendship and quickly fall in love.
Meanwhile, Oscy laments that he won't last very long in college, saying he's doing it for his father, and expends more effort in trying to pick up girls than studying. He tries out for football and makes the team.
Hermie and Oscy join a fraternity that Julie has picked out, and go through the ritual of initiation. No sooner do they move into the frat house when Oscy gets expelled from school for having a girl in his room; a major rule violation. When Hermie expresses concern about upcoming exams, Julie teaches him a few tricks on cheating.
Hermie and Julie have a falling out when Julie informs him that they can't go to the fall dance together because an old boyfriend was going to be in town and insisted on seeing her that same evening. Julie tries to assure Hermie that this guy means nothing to her anymore and has no objection if Hermie were to go to the dance with someone else, but Hermie doesn't buy that and Julie leaves in a huff.
Back at the frat house, Hermie gets into an argument with his new roommate over personal hygiene. It escalates into a shouting match when a phone call brings bad news for Hermie: his father has died suddenly. He returns home for the funeral, where Oscy shows up and pays his respects after the service. He is now in the US Army and is stationed on Governor's Island as a clerk typist. Oscy tries to lift Hermie's sagging spirits by suggesting they go out and have a drink in memory of Hermie's father. Once at the bar, they become inebriated and a brawl breaks out. They manage to escape and eventually stagger back to Hermie's house, where Hermie struggles to accept the fact that his father is gone.
In the final scene, Hermie returns to college and is about to call for a cab at the New York-New Haven and Hartford Railroad train station when headlights are aimed directly at him, then a car horn is sounded. It's Julie, who has come to meet him. She tells Hermie that she found out about his father and called his house, at which point Hermie's mother told her what train he'd be on. She offers her condolences and informs Hermie that he passed his exams. The two reconcile as the film ends. But when Julie tries to start her car, the battery dies as the train pulls out of the station.
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