As Young as You Feel *** (1951, Monty Woolley, Thelma Ritter, David Wayne, Constance Bennett, Jean Peters, Marilyn Monroe) – Classic Movie Review 7601

Director Harmon Jones’s 1951 comedy As Young as You Feel stars Monty Woolley in excellent role for him (although it was intended for Clifton Webb) as an old employee John Hodges, who is angered at being compelled to take enforced retirement from Acme Printing at the age of 65. But printer John Hodges saves his company from going bust by dying his hair and impersonating the president of the parent company (Minor Watson), arriving at his old plant on an inspection tour, and then ordering the rehiring of the forcibly retired staff.

Marilyn Monroe in As Young as You Feel (1951).

Paddy Chayefsky’s pleasing, spirited, inventive comic story with a very genial, good-hearted message is in safe hands with a lovely cast on good form. Woolley is superb, Constance Bennett, Thelma Ritter, David Wayne and Jean Peters also star brightly, and Marilyn Monroe gets her laughs in her five lines as Acme president Louis McKinley (Albert Dekker)’s beautiful secretary Harriet.

And it is great how Paddy Chayefsky’s story and Lamar Trotti’s screenplay bring out the film’s theme of the cruelty of enforced retirement by heartless companies so strongly.

Also in the cast are Allyn Joslyn, Clinton Sundberg, Ludwig Stossel, Renie Riano, Wally Brown and Russ [Rusty] Tamblyn.

As Young as You Feel is directed by Harmon Jones, runs 78 minutes, is made and released by 20th Century Fox, is written by Lamar Trotti, shot in black and white by Joe MacDonald, is produced by Lamar Trotti and is scored by Cyril J Mockridge and Lionel Newman.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7601

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