I remember stories that my uncle told of the Great Depression and one of them was that for a few years after graduating high school in Rochester, New York there were just no jobs to be had. He was basically hanging around with nothing to do for a few years until World War II came and Uncle Sam solved his employment problem. In fact with domestic industries converted to a war footing believe me there was no reason in 1944 for Youth to Run Wild. For that matter my mother after high school worked at Bausch&Lomb which had converted to a war footing.
So I was a bit skeptical watching this film Youth Runs Wild it just didn't ring true for me. What happens is that after some youthful hijinks three teens are put in the custody of Kent Smith just mustered out of the army with a million dollar wound. Jean Brooks is Smith's wife and one of the kids is her brother Glen Vernon.
Val Lewton directed Youth Runs Wild and what he did with Cat People he could not do with this film. Bonita Granville who a few years earlier was Nancy Drew was just ludicrous as a bad girl. Lawrence Tierney has a minor role, blink you might miss him.
As compared to 50s youth rebellion films like The Wild One or Rebel Without A Cause, Youth Runs Wild does not run wild at all. In fact it stays in some respectable and dull traffic lanes.
So I was a bit skeptical watching this film Youth Runs Wild it just didn't ring true for me. What happens is that after some youthful hijinks three teens are put in the custody of Kent Smith just mustered out of the army with a million dollar wound. Jean Brooks is Smith's wife and one of the kids is her brother Glen Vernon.
Val Lewton directed Youth Runs Wild and what he did with Cat People he could not do with this film. Bonita Granville who a few years earlier was Nancy Drew was just ludicrous as a bad girl. Lawrence Tierney has a minor role, blink you might miss him.
As compared to 50s youth rebellion films like The Wild One or Rebel Without A Cause, Youth Runs Wild does not run wild at all. In fact it stays in some respectable and dull traffic lanes.