1939 is almost universally heralded by critics as the greatest year in Hollywood History. Gone with the Wind, Beau Geste, The Wizard of Oz and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington were just a few of some of the film classics released that year. It was also the year that this little film came out, to much less fanfare of course.

Mad Youth is one of those exploitation films released under the guise of being a moral play. The filmmakers try to claim they are out to show what can happen to you if they live a moral lifestyle but instead it seems to be more or less an excuse to show women in their "granny panties." Perhaps this was sexy in 1939 but personally I think it's a bit off putting.

The film centers around a mother and daughter who both live wild lifestyles. Mother brings home paid escorts who are much younger than her while daughter hangs with a wild gang of kids. Of course, as all movies like this, it all ends up in a house of ill repute and an adult male delivers a moralistic lecture that would even make Mike Brady blush.

Clocking it at barely over an hour this film is rather short on plot. Much of the film is either jitterbug dancing and musical numbers. Perhaps they felt that people would fall asleep or just leave the theater if there wasn't some entertainment in the film.

If that drunken bachelor at the bridge party who sings of old Broadway looks familiar it was Monte Collins. Monte was a character actor who appeared in many shorts and cheap films in the 1930s and 40s. Three Stooges fans will recognize him as Mr. Zero from the first Three Stooges short, Woman Haters.

So yeah, this film generally stinks. It's not horrible and neither is it as funny as

Just a random note but after watching this film and typing "Mad Youth" over and over has somehow made me want to put on the old Tears for Fears song, "Mad World," preferably the Gary Jules cover.

This film was part of a collection I partially reviewed a while back.

Labels: 31 days of film, Crap, Cult Films