The Careless Years
The Careless Years is a 1957 film from United Artists directed by Arthur Hiller and produced by Edward Lewis. The film was the directorial debut for Hiller.[1] The film stars Dean Stockwell and Natalie Trundy in an early film appearance.
| The Careless Years | |
|---|---|
 film poster | |
| Directed by | Arthur Hiller John E. Burch (assistant) |
| Written by | John Howard Lawson Mitch Lindemann |
| Produced by | Edward Lewis |
| Starring | Dean Stockwell Natalie Trundy John Larch Barbara Billingsley John Stevenson Maureen Cassidy Mason Alan Dinehart Virginia Christine Guy Boyd Leo Grillo |
| Cinematography | Sam Leavitt |
| Edited by | Leon Barsha |
| Music by | Leith Stevens |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
|
Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
Two high school seniors from different social groups go on a date. He begins to fall for her when she resists his amorous advances and decides they should get married immediately. Both sets of parents object to the sudden nature of the proposal. He talks her into going to Mexico to get married, but they decide it is best to wait until they are older.
Main cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Dean Stockwell | Jerry Vernon |
| Natalie Trundy | Emily 'Miley' Meredith |
| John Larch | Sam Vernon |
| Barbara Billingsley | Helen Meredith |
| John Stevenson | Charles Meredith |
| Virginia Christine | Mathilda Vernon |
Production
The film originally was called The Young Lovers. The female lead went to Natalie Trundy, who was then 16 and only had made one film. Bryna Productions signed her to a five-year contract.[2] The male lead went to former child actor Dean Stockwell, who also was signed to a five-year contract.[3]
It was the first feature as director for Arthur Hiller. He recalled he was offered the job, "read the script, and I liked it a lot, but I had reservations. And I thought 'Do I tell him [the producer] about my reservations? Or do I pretend I really just love it? I don't want to lose the job'. Finally I went about it honestly and just told them just what my feelings were. Those are my feelings, and I'm doing a rewrite, just on those items".[4]
Critical reception
Bosley Crowther of The New York Times did not care for the movie: "The pace is slow, the writing uninspired and the approach to the issue is often naïve and repetitious."[5]
See also
References
- "Trivia for The Careless Years (1957)". IMDb. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
- MISS KERR SIGNED FOR FILM MUSICAL New York Times 22 Dec 1956: 14.
- SUSAN HAYWARD TO STAR FOR FOX New York Times 26 Dec 1956: 34.
- "Interview with Arthur Hiller Part 2". DGA.
- Crowther, Bosley (1957-11-28). "Original New York Times review". Movies.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2012-04-10.