Naughty Arlette (1949) The Romantic Age (original title)

Director:

Edmond T. Gréville

Writers:

Serge Véber (novel) and
Peggy Barwell (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

1950 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Arlette is a malicious schoolgirl who uses her feminine charms to attract, and then destroy, every man gullible enough to respond to her flirtations...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Cast

Mai Zetterling	...	Arlette
Hugh Williams	...	Arnold Dickson
Margot Grahame	...	Helen Dickson
Petula Clark	...	Julie Dickson
Carol Marsh	...	Patricia
Raymond Lovell	...	Hedges
Paul Dupuis	...	Henri Sinclair
Margaret Barton	...	Bessie
Marie Ney	...	Miss Hallam
Mark Daly	...	Withers
Judith Furse	...	Miss Adams
Betty Impey	...	Jill
Adrienne Corri	...	Norah
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jacqueline Allerton	...	A Lady (uncredited)
Jean Anderson	...	Miss Sankey (uncredited)
Margaret Anderson	...	Eileen (uncredited)
Brenda Cameron	...	Ivy (uncredited)
June Charlier	...	Avice (uncredited)
Howard Douglas	...	Mr. Harbin (uncredited)
Susan Dudley	...	Susan (uncredited)
Christine Finn	...	Jennie (uncredited)
Christina Forrest	...	Joan (uncredited)
May Hallatt	...	Matron (uncredited)
Walter Horsbrugh	...	A Husband (uncredited)
Viola Johnstone	...	Miss Thorley (uncredited)
Joan Kirkpatrick	...	Eva (uncredited)
Dorothy Latta	...	Virginia (uncredited)
Colette Melville	...	Miss Holland (uncredited)
Mary Merrett	...	Dorothy (uncredited)
Charlotte Mitchell	...	Charlotte (uncredited)
Margaret Ridgway	...	Rita (uncredited)
Ann Smith	...	Heather (uncredited)
Betty Leslie Smith	...	May (uncredited)
Cecily Walper	...	Mrs. Wheeler (uncredited)

Directed by
Edmond T. Gréville

Writing credits
Serge Véber		(novel "Lycee des jeunes filles")
Peggy Barwell		writer
Edward Dryhurst		writer

Produced by
Edward Dryhurst	....	producer
Eric L'Epine Smith	....	producer

Original Music by
Charles Williams

Cinematography by
Hone Glendinning

Film Editing by
Ralph Kemplen

Art Direction by
Anthony Mazzei

Costume Design by
Eleanor Abbey

Sound Department
Dudley Messenger	....	sound
Peter Davies	....	first assistant dubbing mixer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Pinnacle Productions

Distributors

• General Film Distributors (GFD) (1949) (UK) (theatrical)
• Eagle-Lion Classics (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

"The Romantic Age" - UK (original title)

Runtime:

80 min | West Germany:85 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 (nf)

Company:

Pinnacle Productions

Trivia:

Film debut of Christine Finn.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Apartment (1960)

Soundtrack:

On a Rainy Day in Paris

Respectable teacher ensnared by the charms of a French tart!

I recently had the pleasure of viewing The Romantic Age again after about 25 years from an underground video. It used to occasionally play on the local LA late show back then, along with other such nostalgic films as Miranda, Cynara, No Minor Vices, The Lady Says No, etc. I found that I could remember much of the dialog which brought back a flood of youthful memories. A classic scene is when Hugh Williams' daughter, Petula Clark, starts dancing and drinking wildly in a British nightclub as her shocked father enters to pull her out of there. Over the sound of the jazz, a disreputable-looking fat lady starts laughing at this, and you can still hear her piercing laugh as Williams yanks Petula out into the streets. I can still hear that laugh 25 years after seeing the movie! The irony of this is that Williams has been having an affair with one of his students, namely Arlette Tessereau, a French flirt played by a young Mai Zetterling. This film may be fluff, but it ranks high with me probably due to its nostalgia power. It should be released on video as well as Miranda and other obscure British comedies which are my favorites. But where are these films now? Who owns them? And will they ever be shown or released again?