Starring Freddie Stewart, June Preissler, Noel Neill, and Jackie Moran
Directed by Arthur Dreifuss
Music and Lyrics by various
From 1946 to 1948, B movie specialists Monogram Pictures churned out The Teen-Agers, a series of hour-long musicals revolving around a group of typical swing-loving high schoolers (and later, college students) of the time. This was the first, and is probably the best-known today. Teenagers had started to come into their own as early as the 1920's; by the end of the war years, they had their own language, culture, and world view. The newfound prosperity of the late 40's and 50's suddenly gave them more money to spend, and companies responded with literature, clothing, beauty products, and even movies designed just for them. This is one of the earliest responses to that new culture. Does it still win the vote today, or should it thrown out of the race? Let's begin in music class, where a couple of hep cats are getting bored with opera and its crazy plots, and find out...
The Story: Freddie Trimball (Stewart) is so upset when a local businessman says he'll withdraw his funding if his son Jimmy Forest (Jackie Moran) doesn't become student body president, he drops out of the race. Freddie rethinks his stance and throws his hat back in the ring when he overhears the cocky Jimmy trying to ask his girlfriend Dodie (Preissler) to the big Junior Prom at the Teen Canteen. Jimmy's campaign manager Roy Dunn (Frankie Darro) courts Dodie's sister Betty (Neill), the head of the school newspaper, and convinces her to write articles in favor of Jimmy. This starts trouble not only between Betty and her sisters, but between the two candidates, too. Now Betty has to decide where her heart lays, before the competition gets too hot for the school to handle.
The Song and Dance: They may not be actual "teen-agers," but there's still a talented core cast around this goofy school tale. Preissler shows off the same knack for comedy and amazingly limber dance moves she displayed in the first two Judy Garland-Mickey Rooney movies at MGM, Stewart has a gorgeous voice (he was originally a singer), and Neill is just as feisty here as she would be a decade later playing a more famous reporter, Lois Lane, in The Adventures of Superman.
Favorite Number: We open in music class, as the kids give their teacher a hard time about the plots of opera being unbelievable. They'd rather listen to Harry "The Hipster" Gibson "Keep That Beat" and teach them how to swing dance. Freddie and the Clark sisters extoll "Trimbull for President" with their supporters to drown out Jimmy's speech. The kids' record of Eddie Heywood and his orchestra performing "Loch Lamond" turns into what amounts to a video of the real orchestra performing the number. Freddie shows off his singing pipes with "All of a Sudden My Heart Sings" at the Prom. The film ends with a nifty swing dance routine as the kids sing about what happens at the "Teen Canteen."
What I Don't Like: First and foremost, teens have changed a great deal in the past 70 years. Sure, they still chatter away on cell phones, get involved in school elections, and drool over crushes, but most real teens probably would have seen this as somewhere between corny and insulting then, let alone now. Second, none of the actors are actually teens. Granted, most of them can still pass for younger, but Darro's pushing 30 and looks it. Third, this is a low-budget production. It's as fluffy as you can get for a "teen pic," with cheap sets and a silly plot. It's not for someone seeking a darker take on teen life in the 40's or something bigger or higher-budgeted.
The Big Finale: Recommended for some catchy numbers alone if you enjoy the B-films of the 1930's and 40's or swing music.
Home Media: Not on DVD at press time, but can be easily found on streaming. Tubi has it for free with ads.
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