Young and Innocent

A truly charming film from the Master of Suspense. Being a rather huge Hitch fan, I recently sought out some lesser known films from his early period. Of those I viewed ("Number 17," & "Murder!" among others) this one was my favorite--among the best of his Pre-Hollywood films. There is the usual mixture of humor and suspense, some nice camera work (including a wonderful precursor to the "key-in-hand" shot of "Notorious"), and most importantly, Nova Pilbeam. I'm not sure how this actress managed to play her scenes SO appealingly, and yet managed to have fallen SO completely off the acting radar. How many people today have her name rattling about their cerebral attic? Virtually none, I'd hazard, and yet she is terrific here--worth the effort of finding the video for her performance alone.

This film certainly is not in the same league as Hitch's best, but still is vastly superior to the average suspense film coming out of Hollywood today--or any other day, for that matter.

I hold with what seems to be the majority opinion here, i.e. that this early Hitchcock effort is a neglected gem. Though certainly not as well-done as some of his more noteworthy movies, I found it to be thoroughly captivating and entertaining, with the blend of suspense and humor that one finds in, say, "To Catch a Thief" or "Family Plot". Derrick deMarney as the romantic lead does a particularly fine job; sort of a foreshadowing of the kind of thing Cary Grant later did so well.

One thought is that the title is perhaps a bit of a double entendre; we always associate the phrase "Young and Innocent" with a female, but the story is really about the attempt of the lead character - a young man - to prove his innocence. Then again, is he really the lead, or is the story about the girl after all? I'm sure Hitch intended this touch of ambiguity.

Once again I have to thank American Movie Classics for bringing us another worthy movie from the past. Hitchcock fans should not miss this one (come to think of it, the only dog that I have seen from Hitch is "The Paradine Case").

This is a good Hitchcock film, but on the lighter side. The acting may be disputed (certainly many dispute about it!), but in my opinion it is a very solid, entertaining, and well-acted picture. It does have much of Hitchcock about it (not surprisingly) and is well worth watching. All of the classic Hitchcock elements are there, and they fit together wonderfully: the musical score, the camera work, the twists and turns in the plot, the thrilling scenes, the build-up, the director himself ... and not to forget the story! This is built up very carefully, and contains many, many interesting side-glances and elements. But one needs to watch the film very carefully, or more than once, in order to find these. It is indeed a sort of '39 Steps', and a precursor to several later Hitchcock films, but in its own way it occupies a place rather different than any other Hitchcock film. I am referring to a certain 'bucolic' atmosphere, which is perhaps only equalled by 'The Trouble With Harry'. The parallels to this film have perhaps not yet been adequately explored.

Hitchcock is in a class by himself. I'll give any of his films multiple viewings. The story and structure of "Young and Innocent" resemble "The 39 Steps," with a young woman helping a young man on the run thwart the police and prove his innocence. This film is a standout, though, not because of the story or acting (both charming), but because of a virtuoso bit of directing by the Master, in which the location of the killer is revealed. As I watched the scene unfold for the first time, I remember thinking, "This is what makes Hitchcock Hitchcock." I wish I had never seen any Hitchcock films so I could watch them all again for the first time. His is a brilliant body of work, and this is an often overlooked example of his mastery of the film art.

Aside from the suspense, there are several notable scenes. Two minutes into things, and a man opens a front door. Suddenly facing us just beyond the railing is a roiling wall of water, an angry sea about to pour over us. I grabbed my seat cushion, hoping it would float. Then there's the flop house full of snoring vagrants, dead cockroaches, and peeling paint. Right away, I reached past my highball glass and took the wife's Coke. Topping that, is the drive into the mine tunnel. It's a marvel of special effects and timing, with an effect as stunning, I believe, as anything in today's digitally drenched cinema. Nonetheless, I checked the garage to make sure my car was still on all fours. The final scene was a contrast since I'd just watched a 40's musical with wild-man drummer Gene Krupa. Here, it's like watching a wind-up toy slowly losing its mind.

Nova Pilbeam is not exactly a glamor girl, with her over-sized brow and snub nose; still and all, for an 18 -year old she's one heck of an actress. This is a pretty slender exercise for Hitchcock, nothing terribly profound and a lot like The Thirty-Nine steps of two years before. Too bad De Marney doesn't generate the kind of charisma or sympathy the Robert Donat part calls for. Hitchcock was to plow this furrow of racing against the law a number of times. Here, it's Pilbeam going against her civic duty and constable father to help prove accused murderer De Marney's innocence. Their bond of trust grows over time, showing once more that young love often sees what the law cannot-- at least as far as the movies are concerned.

This may not be top-flight Hitchcock. Still, there are the usual humorous touches, darkly suggestive moments, and imaginative moves with the camera. So if you've got a spare hour and half, see why England should never have allowed that funny looking, fat guy an exit visa.