Mad Youth

Nothing really mad going on here at all, of course, apart from the heavy-handed moralizing as delivered by gigolo Count Willy Castello which will have you laughing out loud. And that is the point of these type of films - they are unintentionally hilarious in parts. It's what makes them good entertainment.

The story starts with Betty Compson (Lucy) phoning up for an escort as usual. On this evening she gets Willy Castello and she is not shy in coming forward! She takes him home where they meet up with her daughter Mary Ainslee (Marian). Big mistake. Castello takes a shine to the daughter and they start dating behind the mum's back. Ha ha. This must have happened so many times in real life. Well, the youth party and dance away but there is a new storyline introduced when Ainslee's best friend Betty Atkinson (Helen) absconds from home in response to an advert. The reality is that she has become a prossie and Ainslee unknowingly gets caught up in her plight when she pays her a visit. We need a hero to come and save them.

Meanwhile, Compson ends the film as she started it - by calling up an escort/gigolo to spend her evening with. She really has got life sussed. A good role model.

This is a sleazy little film about "white slavery"--in other words, women forced into prostitution. While the budget was obviously very low and the production values low, this film actually was pretty watchable due to decent writing--as the plot often surprised me and wasn't completely telegraphed (something usual for the genre). Oddly, while the writing isn't bad, portions of the film look like a second-rate talent show, as various acts (some good, some bad) parade through two scenes that are largely irrelevant. In the first one, there are two excellent jitterbug dancers (this makes sense at a "wild party") and a drum major (huh??!?!). Later, it's pretty much the same.

The plot itself concerns a very vain and stupid mother who is too busy running around with male escorts (the real type, not male prostitutes). Her favorite male escort begins dating her daughter on the sly and you assume he's up to no good--especially since she seems pretty "fast". However, where the film goes next and the actual character of this man was very unexpected--making this very low-budget film worth a peek. Aside from a few poor performances and the odd talent show portions, it's a pretty good suspense film about the seamier side of life.

By the way, for an exploitation film, this one does NOT have any nude scenes--the plot is rather adult and there are some women in lingerie but that's really about all.

Shapely sweater-clad Mary Ainslee (as Marian Morgan) enjoys wild nights partying while "lonesome" mother Betty Compson (as Lucy) prefers quieter evenings playing bridge with "dedicated and refined" gigolos like accented immigrant Willy Castello (as "Count" DeKoven). With her alimony check spent, Ms. Compson can't afford the extra charge for Mr. Castello's "love" on their first date, but future funds mean "necking" sessions. Then, when Castello meets Ms. Ainslee, both mother and daughter desire the same man. Are Castello's intentions good, or "strictly dishonorable?"

"Mad Youth" takes an unexpected turn for a last act, after skirting with some actual depth. The performances of Ainslee and Compson become quite good, and intriguingly natural. It's nice to see women portrayed as interested in sex (for a change). After the rival mother and daughter share a marvelous scene, the story returns to its lurid roots. The dissolve and double exposures used for Ainslee's "drunk scene" and Compson's discovery of her daughter's diary are well done. The uninhibited dancing of Tommy Wonder and the "Jitter Bugs" is another highlight. Watch for the slinky blonde prostitute to stand in front of a revealing lamp, and one of the fighters to split his pants, in the film's final minutes.

****** Mad Youth (5/5/40) Melville Shyer ~ Mary Ainslee, Betty Compson, Willy Castello, Tommy Wonder

1st watched 2/19/2007 - 3 out of 10(Dir-Melville Shyer): Mediocre drama about a battling mother and daughter over the affections of a gigolo named "Count." Advertised as an exploitation movie about the horrors of youth but instead it's just a run-of-the-mill romance where it just happens that the mother and daughter are the competitors. The mother is trying to live out her youth all over again by hiring young escorts to take her to wonderful places but one young suitor is more impressed with her daughter. After a spat, the daughter decides to move out and hooks up with an old friend of hers who happens to be trapped in a brothel. The "Count" then comes to the rescue and the rest is cinema history(kind of…)!! This is a very bland drama with professional dancing thrown in to keep us entertained around the silly story. The problem is that the dancing is better than the story, so I guess they should have made the movie around them instead of using them as window-dressing. Of course, that would have been a different movie but possibly a better one.

Lucy lives with her rich divorcee mother Marian Morgan. Marian hires male escort Count DeHoven, but he has a fling with Lucy instead. Lucy's friend Helen got kicked out of her home and intends to marry. Marian is tired of her daughter's partying and jealous of her youth. Marian sends her to live with her father. She heads off to stay with Helen instead.

The filmmaking is poor. The acting is mostly stiff and average at best. I'm not sure about the intention. It is a B-movie. One can argue that it's better than most B-movies. That's not a high bar to clear. I am engaged enough to stay with the story and there are some fun dance scenes. In the end, this is not good enough.