The Greengage Summer 1961
Directed by
Lewis Gilbert
Made by
Victor Saville Productions
The Greengage Summer Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for The Greengage Summer (1961). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Joss Grey Susannah York, a sixteen-year-old English girl, must look after her three younger siblings during a summer in France after their mother is suddenly taken ill and rushed to the hospital.
When they go to the Hotel Oeillets, the proprietress Mademoiselle Zisi Danielle Darrieux does not want the responsibility of unchaperoned children, but her enigmatic English lover Eliot Kenneth More persuades her to accept them.
As the days pass, she wishes she had stuck to her original answer; she becomes increasingly jealous of the attention Eliot pays to the children—especially to Joss.
Meanwhile, hotel employee Paul becomes suspicious of Eliot, snoops in his room, and finds a pistol.
Eliot catches Paul and gets Zisi to fire him, but Joss’s thirteen-year-old sister Hester Jane Asher has taken a liking to Paul and begs Joss to get Eliot to reconsider, which he does. But later he becomes angry when Hester takes his picture. Then he rushes out of a tour of caves where champagne is stored to avoid famous guest Monsieur Renard Raymond Gérôme, the best policeman in France. He also insists on turning away potential guests.
Tensions come to a boiling point when Zisi throws a glass of champagne in her rival’s face. Eliot chases after her, saying—within Joss’s hearing—that she is only a child. Learning from a newspaper article that Eliot is a notorious jewel thief, the outraged Joss mails Hester’s photo of him to the police.
Eliot has already decided to leave. He sneaks out late at night, but, on hearing a drunken Paul attack Joss in her bedroom on the second floor, he rushes up to her room. He punches Paul, who then tries to climb down a drainpipe, but the pipe breaks and Paul falls to his death. Eliot tells everyone not to call the police. A remorseful Joss confesses to Eliot that she has denounced him to the police. At her request, he gives her a grownup kiss. Then he disposes of Paul’s body and disappears.
While Renard is questioning the uncooperative children the next morning, their solicitor uncle, Mr Bullock Maurice Denham arrives. He has been summoned by an unsigned telegram to extricate them. From the source of the message, Renard realizes that it is from Eliot and that he is trying to escape across the border to Germany on a river barge. Renard explains that Eliot is now also suspected of murdering Paul, but Joss states he died in an accident after trying to escape from her room. With it now almost certain that the police will capture Eliot attempting to escape via the river barge, Hester breaks down in tears and is consoled by her uncle, while Joss walks away alone from the hotel down a country lane, disconsolate.
The Greengage Summer Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of The Greengage Summer (1961) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Mother falls ill; Joss becomes caretaker
With their mother ill and rushed to the hospital, Joss, a 16-year-old English girl, must care for her three younger siblings. The family travels to the Hotel Oeillets in France for a summer holiday that suddenly becomes a test of responsibility. Joss's protective instincts set the tone for the days ahead.
Zisi agrees to take the children
Mademoiselle Zisi is reluctant to take on unchaperoned children, but Eliot persuades her to accept them. The arrangement drags the siblings into the hotel's social circle and foreshadows coming tensions. The hotel becomes a charged setting for their summer.
Paul suspects Eliot; pistol found
Paul, a hotel employee, grows suspicious of Eliot and snoops in his room, where he discovers a pistol. Eliot catches him and convinces Zisi to fire Paul, removing a potential threat to his plans. The petty power struggle at the hotel heightens the sense of danger.
Hester befriends Paul; Joss steps in
Hester, Joss's 13-year-old sister, takes a liking to Paul and begs Joss to get Eliot to reconsider his stance toward him. Joss persuades Eliot to back down from his earlier stance, at least temporarily, in deference to her sister's plea. The dynamic tightens the emotional stakes around the adults' decisions.
Eliot's cave-tour outburst
Eliot becomes furious when Hester photographs him, exposing the tension under the surface. He bolts from a tour of caves where champagne is stored to avoid the famous policeman Renard. He also insists on turning away potential guests, underscoring his volatile mood.
Champagne confrontation and accusation
Zisi throws a glass of champagne at a rival guest, triggering a tense chase. Eliot pursues her and, in earshot of Joss, declares that Zisi is still a child in his eyes. The confrontation underscores how far the situation has spiraled.
Newspaper exposes Eliot; Joss acts
A newspaper article reveals Eliot as a notorious jewel thief. Enraged, Joss mails Hester's photo of Eliot to the police, signaling the end of Eliot's concealed presence at the hotel. The decision marks a turning point toward pursuit and exposure.
Eliot leaves; late-night attack
Eliot decides to leave and sneaks out late at night. Paul, drunk, attacks Joss in her bedroom on the second floor, prompting Eliot to rush upstairs. He punches Paul as Paul tries to climb down a drainpipe; the pipe breaks and Paul dies.
No police; confession and kiss
Eliot tells everyone not to call the police, attempting to contain the situation. Joss confesses that she has denounced him to the police, and Eliot responds with a grown-up kiss. Then he disposes of Paul's body and disappears.
Disposal and disappearance
Eliot quietly disposes of Paul's body and disappears into the night. The hotel is left in unsettled silence as the consequences of the night's events begin to sink in.
Uncle arrives; Renard investigates
The next morning, Inspector Renard questions the uncooperative children while their solicitor uncle, Mr Bullock, arrives after an unsigned telegram to extricate them. The tension at the hotel intensifies as authorities close in on the truth. The children become passive pieces in a larger pursuit.
Escape plan and murder suspicion clarified
Renard explains that Eliot is trying to escape across the border to Germany on a river barge, and that Eliot is now suspected of murdering Paul. The reality of pursuit sharpens the sense of peril around Joss and Hester. The hotel becomes a staging ground for a looming manhunt.
Joss defends Eliot's fate; chase continues
Joss states that Paul died in an accident while trying to escape from her room, not murder, but authorities press on toward Eliot as he makes a bid for the river barge. The discord between perception and truth drives the plot toward a final confrontation. The siblings' loyalties are tested as the net tightens.
Hester's tears; Joss walks away
Hester breaks down in tears and is consoled by her uncle, while Joss walks away alone down a country lane, distraught at the uncertain fate of Eliot. The personal toll of the pursuit becomes clear for the children left behind. The ending hints at unresolved futures.
Eliot vanishes; ending
Eliot has vanished, and Joss remains solitary as she traverses the countryside. The film closes with the sense that justice, escape, and family loyalties are left unresolved. The summer at Hotel Oeillets ends with an open-ended fate for all involved.
The Greengage Summer Characters
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Joss Grey (Susannah York)
A 16-year-old English girl who suddenly becomes responsible for her three younger siblings. Her sense of duty drives much of the plot, but her growing awareness of adult life also brings doubt and emotional conflict. She grapples with loyalty to Eliot, care for her family, and the urge to tell the truth.
Eliot (Kenneth More)
A suave English man whose charm masks a dangerous past as a jewel thief. He manipulates those around him and becomes the focal point of jealousy and suspicion. His actions lead to a moral crisis for Joss and a pursuit by the law.
Madame Zisi (Danielle Darrieux)
Proprietress of the Hotel Oeillets who is wary of taking in unchaperoned children. Her attraction to Eliot stirs jealousy and complicates her professional discretion. She wields authority at the hotel but is pulled into personal entanglements.
Renard (Raymond Grme)
The best policeman in France who interrogates the children and pieces together Eliot’s schemes. He represents order and the social responsibility that constrains the family’s summer drama. His methodical approach contrasts with the impulsive actions of the others.
Hester (Jane Asher)
Joss’s 13-year-old sister who unexpectedly becomes a bridge between the siblings and the danger around them. Her sympathy for Paul and her protective nature toward her sister shape key decisions. She shows resilience amidst turmoil.
Mr Bullock (Maurice Denham)
The solicitor uncle summoned to extricate the children, representing the legal and domestic stability they lack. He arrives as a stabilizing force amid the hotel’s upheaval and the unfolding investigation. His presence signals a return to order and accountability.
The Greengage Summer Settings
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Location
Hotel Oeillets, France
Hotel Oeillets is a French countryside hotel that serves as the summer residence for the Grey family when their mother falls ill. The proprietress, Mademoiselle Zisi, runs the place with a wary eye toward unchaperoned children, shaping the social dynamics of the resort. The hotel becomes the center stage for romantic tension, class interactions, and a creeping sense of danger as Eliot’s presence unsettles everyone.
The Greengage Summer Themes
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Coming of age
Joss Grey, a 16-year-old, is thrust into adult responsibilities during a precarious summer. She navigates care for her younger siblings, moral choices, and the weight of grown-up decisions. The setting amplifies her growth as she confronts loyalty, danger, and her own limits.
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Jealousy and romance
The presence of Eliot and the attention he pays to the children sparks jealousy in Mademoiselle Zisi and creates tension with Joss. Romantic tension complicates trust, blurring lines between caregiver, lover, and rival. The story uses these feelings to test characters' boundaries and choices.
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Crime and consequence
Eliot’s jewel-thief past, Paul’s death, and the ensuing investigation by Renard introduce a moral ambiguity at the heart of the drama. Actions have consequences that ripple through the family and hotel staff, culminating in a difficult reckoning. The plot probes how truth, deception, and escape intersect.
The Greengage Summer Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the heat of a French summer, sixteen‑year‑old Joss Grey finds herself thrust into a role far beyond her years. When her mother falls ill, Joss must shepherd her three younger siblings through a vacation that quickly becomes a test of responsibility, love, and the fragile boundary between childhood and adulthood. The sun‑drenched landscape of the Riviera provides a vivid backdrop for a family trying to hold together while the world beyond the hotel windows seems both inviting and uncertain.
The family’s temporary home is the charming yet slightly chaotic Hotel Oeillets, run by the elegant proprietress Mademoiselle Zisi. She is persuaded to welcome the children by her enigmatic English lover, Eliot, whose presence adds a magnetic, if puzzling, energy to the already tense atmosphere. Among the staff, a young employee named Paul watches the interactions with a keen eye, while Joss’s thirteen‑year‑old sister, Hester, begins to form her own attachments that subtly shift the group’s dynamics. The hotel’s lively clientele, including the imposing local officer known as Monsieur Renard, hint at a world of hidden motives and unspoken rules that lie just beneath the surface of polite summer hospitality.
Against this idyllic setting, the film captures the delicate process of awakening. Joss navigates the swirl of admiration, jealousy, and curiosity sparked by the adults around her, all while trying to keep her siblings safe and maintain a semblance of normalcy. The tone balances gentle humor with an undercurrent of tension, allowing the story to explore the bittersweet transition from innocence to experience. As the days drift lazily by, the characters are drawn into an invisible web of desire and doubt, promising a summer that will linger in memory long after the sun has set.
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