The son (Joselito) of an oíl magnate arrives in Madrid with his parents (Luis Prendes, Marisa Merlini) to spend the holidays and befriends a group of somewhat conflicted boys and girls. Shortly after, he meets a young Venetian girl with whom he falls in love, but then Joselito is pursued the evil gang that causes all all sorts of mischief.
A musical melodrama, to Joselito's greater glory. Co-produced with France and Italy, it was shot in various countries, showcasing the attractive exteriors of Madrid, Rome, and especially Venice with its wonderful canals. Directed by Manuel Mur Oti, who, unlike child prodigy films, gives Joselito the opportunity to break away from his usual roles, playing here a teenager in trouble who, due to these problems, attempts redemption by taking on hard work, even as a gondolier. For all these reasons, the movie turns out to be a soap opera with songs, but it fails to overcome the infalible formula of troubled teen films. And also fails to successfully make the leap from childhood to adulthood, although his distinctive singing style is still unforgettable. However, some of his voice changes significant compared to his classic sounds -nicknamed nightingale- of the past.
This is a vehicle for the distinguished child prodigy Joselito to shine, but here he's not so much a child. In this movie, he ends up falling in love, while driving a car, is chased by young delinquents, gets into a fight, and goes to work to make amends. The curious thing is that he still has almost the same face as his previous films, the same height, and similar appearance, although his voice has changed. Therefore, it's somewhat ridiculous to see him driving a car, falling in love, or working with older people, while maintaining his same figure as always. Joselito's career was short but flourishing. It was the actor and singer Luis Mariano who convinced him to act together in Paris and gave him work on French radio and television. Discovered by Antonio del Amo, he directed him in 8 of his 14 films. The hit of his first three movies, the so-called , "La Trilogía del Ruiseñor', consisting of: "El pequeño ruiseñor" 1956, "Saeta del ruiseñor"1957, and "El ruiseñor de las cumbres" 1958, is of immense proportion in Spain , but also in France, Italy and Latin America and even Japan, so much so that he becomes one of the undisputed stars of Spanish cinema and Pier Paolo Pasolini includes some of his songs in the soundtrack of "Mamma Roma" 1962. Among his other feature films it is worth mentioning are: "La nueva vida de Pedrito de Andalucia" 1964 directed by Rafael Gil and this "Loca juventud" 1965. These films were not as successful as expected, so Joselito retired from acting and singing, dedicating himself to other tasks, even working as a mercenary in some African countries.
The movie was unevenly directed by Manuel Mur Oti, but it demonstrates professionalism enough given his extensive filmmaking experience. After writing the script for the four films directed by Antonio del Amo, he made his directorial debut con "Un hombre va por el camino" 1949, which already the literary influence that would become common in his pictures. His best films are the effective meodrama "Cielo negro" 1951, the rural drama "Condenados" 1953, the love story "Orgullo" 1955, the adaptation of the classic work of the same name "Phaedra" 1956 and the neighborhood drama set in the humble Madrid house entitle,d y "El Batallón de las Sombras" 1956.
