One look at the box cover, and you pretty much know what you're in for should you decide to rent this film. Lots of moralizing and stilted dialogue that's fairly typical of low budget youth oriented movies of this vintage. Like Leslie Neilsen, Ed Platt's overly serious deadpan delivery would prove to be much more effective when put to comedic purposes nine years later on "Get Smart."
Prolific actor John Saxon broods a lot, and comes across looking like an ersatz Marlon Brando. Luanna Patten, as his romantic interest, is equally as dour. Only the ever reliable Sal Mineo and the then 13-year-old Shelley Fabares seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves. Even when she has to perform such obligatory clichés as screaming "I'll never grow up if you keep treating me like a child!" and then running up to her room and crying, one gets the impression that she's in on the fact that this ain't exactly Shakespear, and is purposely camping it up. Her character is named "Twinkie" for gosh sakes!
Other than that, this film will be of interest to trivia buffs who might be surprised to know that before becomming the well known poet/songwriter, Rod McKuen actually had a brief film career in low budget productions such as this, and even gets to croon a tune while Saxon pretends to strum his guitar...One of the great running gags of this film is the fact that it is so obvious that the activity of his fingers never even remotely resembles the music emanating from his instrument. Sal Mineo, on the other hand, appears to be really playing the drums, A talent he would put to good use a few years later in the "Gene Crupa Story."
