The Young in Heart **** (1938, Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Paulette Goddard, Roland Young, Billie Burke, Minnie Dupree) – Classic Movie Review 7476

Director Richard Wallace’s 1938 The Young in Heart is a lovely, warm and very funny, typically Thirties-style screwball comedy about a family of likeable rogues, in this case loveable rogues. It is written by Paul Osborn and Charles Bennett, based on the novel The Gay Banditti by I A R Wylie. The Young in Heart was nominated for three Oscars: Best Cinematography (Leon Shamroy), Best Music, Scoring (Franz Waxman) and Best Music, Original Score (Franz Waxman).

The Carleton family are attractive and appealing confidence tricksters who attach themselves to a kindly wealthy old woman.

‘Sahib’ Carleton, aka the ‘Colonel’ (Roland Young), his dizzy wife Marmy (Billie Burke), sweet daughter George-Anne (Janet Gaynor) and handsome, charming son Richard (Douglas Fairbanks Jr) are first seen in France before they travel to London to try to win the inheritance of sweet old lady Miss Fortune (Minnie Dupree), whom they meet at the train station while being forced to leave Monte Carlo.

Among the knockout cast, the four stars are superbly engaging in polished performances, while in star support Paulette Goddard shines as Fairbanks’s belle, Leslie Saunders, and Dupree is the very essence of sweet old lady.

Producer David O Selznick digs deep into his pocket for a grand production. The production designer William Cameron Menzies contributes dazzling art deco sets, Leon Shamroy’s Oscar-nominated cinematography is as sharp as a pin, and Franz Waxman’s Oscar-nominated score swings it all along.

With Wallace’s snappy direction, this vintage film is a more or less forgotten gem that still provides a tremendous measure of enjoyment.

Also in the cast are Richard Carlson, Henry Stephenson, Tom Rickets, Lucile Watson, Ian McLaren, Billy Bevan, Walter Kingsford, Charles Halton and George Sorrell.

The Young in Heart is directed by Richard Wallace, runs 91 minutes, is made by Selznick International Pictures, is released by United Artists, is written by Paul Osborn and Charles Bennettt, based on the novel The Gay Banditti by I A R Wylie, is shot in black and white by Leon Shamroy, is produced by David O Selznick, is scored by Franz Waxman, and is designed by William Cameron Menzies.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7476

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Douglas Fairbanks Jr in The Young in Heart (1938).