Mad Youth (1940)

A rich society mother hires a male escort, but he falls for her daughter instead. The mother-daughter conflict forces the daughter to run off to stay with a friend who is enslaved by a prostitution ring.

Director:

Melville Shyer

Stars:

Mary Ainslee, Betty Compson, Willy Castello

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Mary Ainslee	...	Marian Morgan
Betty Compson	...	Lucy Morgan
Willy Castello	...	Count DeHoven
Betty Atkinson	...	Helen Johnson
Tommy Wonder	...	Harry
Lorelei Readoux	...	Beth
Margaret Fealy	...	Helen's Grandmother
Donald Kerr	...	Taxi Driver
Ray Hirsch	...	Jitter Bug
Patti Lacey	...	Jitter Bug
Eugene Taylor	...	Jitter Bug
Aileen Morris	...	Jitter Bug
Maxine Taylor	...	Jitter Bug
Pearl Tolson	...	Jitter Bug
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Monte Collins	...	Stewart, Singing Bridge Player (as Monty Collins)

Storyline

A rich society mother hires a male escort, but he falls for her daughter instead. The mother-daughter conflict forces the daughter to run off to stay with a friend who is enslaved by a prostitution ring.

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Plot Keywords:

diary | gigolo | mother daughter relationship

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Taglines:

A JITTERBUG DANCE! (original poster - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 May 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Girls of the Underworld

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Noel Neill's film debut.

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Connections

Edited into Confessions of a Vice Baron (1943)

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Soundtracks

"I'd Rather Be a Bum on Broadway Than an Angel in the Sky"

User Reviews

Castello, not Costello

This movie is quite mature in its themes, and i recommend it as a better than average "exploitation" film. It stars Willam (Willy) Castello, the suave, often villainous Dutch-born actor, as the Count de Hoven. This is not the same actor as William Costello, born in Rhode Island, USA, who voiced Popeye. It is also of interest to note that some scenes from "Mad Youth" were later excerpted and used alongside other Willy Castello exploitation film clips to make an entirely new feature, "Confessions of a Vice Baron," in which the Castello character narrates his life of crime and multiple name-changes -- as if every character he had played in each of the earlier movies had been one man in disguise. I have never seen another movie that uses this device, and so i have made an effort to watch every film that contributed to "Confessions of a Vice Baron." So far, "Mad Youth" is by far the best of the lot.