Return to Peyton Place is a 1961 American drama film in color by De Luxe and CinemaScope, produced by Jerry Wald, directed by José Ferrer, and starring Carol Lynley, Tuesday Weld, Jeff Chandler, Eleanor Parker, Mary Astor, and Robert Sterling. The screenplay by Ronald Alexander is based on the 1959 novel Return to Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. The film was distributed by 20th Century Fox and is a sequel to their earlier film Peyton Place (1957).

The film's storyline centers on the life and loves of bestselling author Allison MacKenzie. She has followed in the footsteps of her mother Constance by having an affair with a married man, her publisher Lewis Jackman (Chandler). She goes on to publish a tell-all novel that fictionalizes the scandal, homicide, suicide, incest, and moral hypocrisy that belies the tranquil façade of her hometown. She is quickly criticized by friends, family, and neighbors as a result.

The film takes place some eight to ten years after the events of the original film.

Allison MacKenzie receives a phone call from publisher Lewis Jackman, who shows interest in publishing her book, promising to turn her into a household name whose books are exclusively bestsellers. Allison is ecstatic after hearing the news. Her best friend Selena Cross, however, continues to receive a lot of criticism from the townspeople for her "shameful" past.

Among these criticizing her is Mrs. Roberta Carter, an old-fashioned, domineering woman who is unhappy that her son Ted has a close bond with Selena. Later that day, Mrs. Carter is visited by her son, who is in town while visiting from Boston. He surprises her with the shocking news of his having impulsively married a former Italian fashion model, Raffaella. Mrs. Carter looks down on the foreigner and contacts Selena with the couple's news, with the hope that Selena will drive the couple apart. Selena sees through Mrs. Carter's scheme and refuses, angrily leaving and getting herself involved in a car accident. At the accident scene, young ski instructor Nils Larsen helps Selena, and although she initially treats him coldly, she feels attracted to him.

Meanwhile, Constance reluctantly allows her daughter to visit New York for a meeting with her publisher, Lewis. Allison is unhappy when she finds out that he wants to make changes to her book, but she finally agrees to cooperate. Constance calls the next morning and discovers that Allison and Lewis have been working together all night, so she immediately suspects the worst.

Back in Peyton Place, Raffaella threatens to ban Ted's mother from their life, if she continues to treat her horribly. Raffaella and Ted go skiing later that day, and Ted is surprised to see Selena with Nils. Selena finally agreed to date him after bumping into him several more times following the accident.

During the following weeks, Allison spends her time promoting her book, doing TV talk shows and radio show interviews. She is slowly turned into a celebrity, and she is continually with Lewis. She is angry after their time together to discover that he is married, but after she receives the first copy of her book, she kisses him. The book soon becomes a commercial success due to its scandalous contents.

In Peyton Place the book is heavily criticized by its townspeople. Constance is soon disappointed with Allison for allowing so many changes to be made during the book's editing process. Selena is disgusted by the way she is portrayed in the book. She loses her mind, as a result, and strikes Nils with a fireplace poker, having flashed back to her past trauma and confusing him with Lucas, her abuser.

Meanwhile, Mike Rossi, principal of the local high school, husband of Constance and the only defender of Allison's book, risks being discharged by the head of the school board, Mrs. Carter, for refusing to remove Allison's book from the school library. At the Carter home, Ted confronts Raffaella about her quarrel with his mother. Realizing that Ted will never stand up to his mother, Raffaella reveals she is pregnant, before angrily leaving him. Determined, now, to terminate her pregnancy, she purposely causes a skiing accident to end it.

When Allison finds out Mike has been fired, she decides to face the wrath of Peyton Place's residents. They are still incensed by their barely disguised fictional counterparts and her book's revelations of the town's many secrets. She is immediately confronted by her mother for having sold her decency and self-respect for success and money. Despite the quarrel with her mother, Allison decides to support Mike, who has taken his case of being fired directly to Peyton Place's town hall.

Among the people defending Mike are Lewis, Nils, and Ted. Nils points out that the bigoted townspeople have now driven away Selena, who is nowhere to be found, revealing his hope to marry her if she ever returns to Peyton Place. Selena returns and blames the small-minded townspeople for making her feel ashamed, while thanking Allison for having written the truth about their hypocrisy. In the end Roberta is denounced and Mike is given back his job after Constance publicly points out that the older, bigoted townspeople have been manipulating the lives of their children for far too long.

Afterwards, Allison, having emotionally matured and become an adult, breaks off her affair with Lewis, explaining that she does not want to ruin his marriage. She decides to leave Peyton Place to start a new life elsewhere.

• Carol Lynley as Allison MacKenzie, a stubborn young writer who agrees to turn her book into a controversial, tell-all novel in order to become famous and successful.
• Jeff Chandler as Lewis Jackman, a married editor and publisher, who helps Allison become a celebrity, while they have a romantic affair.
• Eleanor Parker as Constance Rossi, Allison's overprotective mother and wife of Mike, who is upset about her daughter's novel. She changes her mind, however, and later defends her daughter.
• Mary Astor as Mrs. Roberta Carter, a snobbish, domineering woman who is reluctant to allow her son to lead his own life and is among the people boycotting Allison's novel.
• Robert Sterling as Mike Rossi, the high school principal and husband of Constance, and one of the few locals supporting Allison's novel.
• Luciana Paluzzi as Raffaella Carter, a former Italian fashion model and the current pregnant wife of Ted, who deals with the constant judgment and criticism of her mother-in-law.
• Brett Halsey as Theodore "Ted" Carter, the son of Roberta, who is afraid to stand up to his mother's dominant behavior.
• Gunnar Hellström as Nils Larsen, a ski instructor who constantly bumps into Selena, resulting in a romantic relationship.
• Tuesday Weld as Selena Cross, Allison's best friend, a former rape victim by her stepfather, who is still looked down upon by various judgemental townspeople because of her past.

• List of American films of 1961