Saturday, December 5, 2009

The Young Stranger (1957)

Directed by John Frankenheimer
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Turner Classic Movies)

One of the best "juvenile delinquency" movies to come out of the 50s. James MacArthur is a wisecracking 16-year-old who's mouth gets him in trouble with a movie theater manager. He's hauled off to the police department after throwing a punch. The police are biased because they think he is a spoiled Beverly Hills rich kid. His relationship with his father, a famous movie producer, is strained to say the least. His mother is sympathetic but also having second thoughts about her marriage. The relationships are allowed to stretch out and even by today's standards seem real. The final scene which vindicates the son and exposes the shortcomings of his father is particularly well done. Kim Hunter and James Daly are superb in their roles.



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