Apart from being a decent crime thriller, "Young and innocent" functions as a character study of its protagonists as Hitchcock shows viewers their presence of mind and ability to understand each other's sentiments. They are perfectly aware of risks they are taking as they are running from police. It is the risk which brings them closer to each other. Their innocence also speaks a lot about their backgrounds as the girl puts her father's reputation in danger as she decides to help a man who has been unjustly accused of killing a famous actress. Mystery and suspense become a key component of this film's scenario as viewers are immediately led to witness what happens after a crime has been committed. This film has been listed under great director Alfred Hitchcock's filmography as "The girl was young" but it is better known to some of his inveterate fans as "Young and innocent". This title makes perfect sense as a guilty person is punished only once for evil deeds. This is not the same in the case of an innocent person who is punished more than once as the threat of having been framed unjustly looms large over his/her head.