Young and Dangerous

Tommy Price (Mark Damon) is the leader of a group of thuggish goons. One day, while out bothering people, Tommy asks a girl named Rosemary (Lili Gentle) out on a date, to win a bet with his creepy friends. While on their dream date, trouble occurs.

YOUNG AND DANGEROUS is another "juvenile delinquent" film of its era. It has a sort of Romeo and Juliet thing going on, since "bad boy" Tommy falls for "good girl" Rosemary. This brings down the wrath of both sets of parents, as well as Tommy's gang!

Co-stars the lovely Connie Stevens as Rosemary's friend, Candy, and Dabbs Greer as Rosemary's grumpy dad.

An entertaining morality drama...

The current movie cover that is showing is absolutely the wrong one! This is a black and white film that is both delightful, warm, loving and romantic. The story takes place in 1957 in California and features two young people that find love with each other but against their parents wishes and mutual friends. There is a little violence in a few boys fighting but no bad language. Great cars are everywhere in this movie because it was produced during 1957. The story also depicts a simpler way of life during this time in America when values were higher, parent's roles were stronger, and adults modeled better behavior. The viewer will also recognize younger Hollywood actors that were building their careers and were in later movies in the 70's though the turn of the century.

The movie's an Illuminating slice of teenage norms, circa 1957. Tommy's (Damon) a good- looking popular 19-year old, used to having his way with girls, going to drive-in's, and carousing with his aimless buddies. Trouble is his dad (Binns) thinks he's on track to nowhere unless he gets serious about maturity. Then Tommy meets good girl Rosemary (Gentle), who's attracted, but wary of his womanizing reputation. Thus begins her struggle to reform him into becoming a socially responsible adult and husband. And, of course, throughout the struggle she must retain her virtue however much she's attracted.

Gentle certainly looks the virginal good girl, while Damon flashes the toothiest smile this side of a dental commercial. Of course, the theme of respectable girls taming fast boys was a popular one for that thoroughly conformist decade. After all, for guys there were only two types of girls—those who did and those who didn't. The first you partied with, the second you married. Here, Damon and Gentle make the shopworn 50's theme fairly convincing with nicely nuanced performances. Still, there's enough kissy-face to satisfy the many horny teens of the period. At the same time, there has to be some action for guy viewers. So a batch of marauding thugs are thrown into the mix, while Tommy's two aimless buddies add a dab of colorful humor or should I say "futeris". And don't miss blonde cutie Connie Stevens (Candy) in her first screen role. Ironically, it's probably she among the cast who went on to the most successful show-biz career.

Anyway, the 70+-minutes amounts to a revealing slice of idealized Americana, 50's style. But little more.