Copyright 1958 by Universal International Pictures. No New York opening. U.S. release: December 1958. U.K. general release through Rank Film Distributors: 6 October 1958 (sic). Australian release as the lower half of a double bill: 29 January 1959. 86 minutes. Censored to 84 minutes to gain a Universal Exhibition certificate in Great Britain. Cut to 76 minutes by Universal to fit lower halves of double bills in Australia. U.K. release title: "The WONDERFUL YEARS".
SYNOPSIS: When Melinda Grant (Sandra Dee), smeared by the gossip that she is an illegitimate child — a fact of which she is totally unaware — is offered a chance to try out for a part in her school production of "Our Town" by a teacher, Miss Robson (Virginia Grey), she refuses because of fear of her mother, Elizabeth Grant (Teresa Wright), who is living the life of a recluse.
However Melinda does go to a school dance where she meets Will Henderson (John Saxon). He and Melinda go for a walk toward an old bandstand and discover they enjoy each other's company a great deal. When Will tells his parents (Margaret Lindsay and James Whitmore), he has been with Melinda, they tell him to stay away from her and go with "nice" girls.Later, when the "Our Town" tryouts begin, Melinda, urged on by Will, wins the lead from Polly, and she and Will continue their friendship against the frantic wishes of parents of both families.
NOTES: First Hollywood film for director Helmut Kautner, whose The "Captain from Koepenick" had been nominated for the Foreign Language Academy Award in 1956 (losing out to "La Strada"). More than one reviewer described "Der Hauptmann von Koepenick" as the best German film of the year.
COMMENT: "Restless" is certainly the operative word here, aptly describing the reaction of most of the audience at the session I attended. Of course real-gone fans of sulky John Saxon or squeaky- voiced Sandra Dee may have received some joy from the movie. And the rest of us did have the opportunity to catch up with some old favorites like Margaret Lindsay, Alan Baxter and little Jimmy Whitmore.
But try as they might, the players are stuck with a lame-duck melodrama that most theatergoers would have found impossibly old hat, even back in the gaslight era. I'll admit that Kautner's direction has its moments, but his generally deliberate, super- careful approach adds little zest to Ernest Laszlo's often static CinemaScope photography.
SYNOPSIS: When Melinda Grant (Sandra Dee), smeared by the gossip that she is an illegitimate child — a fact of which she is totally unaware — is offered a chance to try out for a part in her school production of "Our Town" by a teacher, Miss Robson (Virginia Grey), she refuses because of fear of her mother, Elizabeth Grant (Teresa Wright), who is living the life of a recluse.
However Melinda does go to a school dance where she meets Will Henderson (John Saxon). He and Melinda go for a walk toward an old bandstand and discover they enjoy each other's company a great deal. When Will tells his parents (Margaret Lindsay and James Whitmore), he has been with Melinda, they tell him to stay away from her and go with "nice" girls.Later, when the "Our Town" tryouts begin, Melinda, urged on by Will, wins the lead from Polly, and she and Will continue their friendship against the frantic wishes of parents of both families.
NOTES: First Hollywood film for director Helmut Kautner, whose The "Captain from Koepenick" had been nominated for the Foreign Language Academy Award in 1956 (losing out to "La Strada"). More than one reviewer described "Der Hauptmann von Koepenick" as the best German film of the year.
COMMENT: "Restless" is certainly the operative word here, aptly describing the reaction of most of the audience at the session I attended. Of course real-gone fans of sulky John Saxon or squeaky- voiced Sandra Dee may have received some joy from the movie. And the rest of us did have the opportunity to catch up with some old favorites like Margaret Lindsay, Alan Baxter and little Jimmy Whitmore.
But try as they might, the players are stuck with a lame-duck melodrama that most theatergoers would have found impossibly old hat, even back in the gaslight era. I'll admit that Kautner's direction has its moments, but his generally deliberate, super- careful approach adds little zest to Ernest Laszlo's often static CinemaScope photography.