As Young as You Feel (1951)

Director:

Harmon Jones

Writers:

Paddy Chayefsky (story)
Lamar Trotti

Release Date:

11 April 1952 (France)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A 65-year-old printer hatches an elaborate scheme to avoid forced retirement.

Plot Keywords:

Printing | Impostor | Forced Retirement | Secretary | Old Man

Cast

Monty Woolley	...	John R. Hodges
Thelma Ritter	...	Della Hodges
David Wayne	...	Joe Elliott
Jean Peters	...	Alice Hodges
Constance Bennett	...	Lucille McKinley
Marilyn Monroe	...	Harriet
Allyn Joslyn	...	George Hodges
Albert Dekker	...	Louis McKinley
Clinton Sundberg	...	Frank Erickson
Minor Watson	...	Harold P. Cleveland
Wally Brown	...	Horace Gallagher
Russ Tamblyn	...	Willie McKinley (as Rusty Tamblyn)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Don Beddoe	...	Head of Sales (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Man at Chamber of Commerce Luncheon (uncredited)
Helen Brown	...	Clancy (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	Dick (uncredited)
Charles Cane	...	Det. Rogell (uncredited)
Harry Cheshire	...	Chamber of Commerce President (uncredited)
David Clarke	...	Cleveland's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Dick Cogan	...	Benson (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Man at Chamber of Commerce Luncheon (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Concert Patron Outside Auditorium (uncredited)
Charles J. Conrad	...	Information Clerk (uncredited)
Robert Dudley	...	Old Man on Park Bench (uncredited)
William Frambes	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Raymond Greenleaf	...	Bill (uncredited)
James Griffith	...	Cashier (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Man at Luncheon (uncredited)
Billy Lechner	...	Mailboy (uncredited)
Hank Mann	...	Man at Luncheon (uncredited)
Harry McKim	...	Page Boy (uncredited)
Roger Moore	...	Saltenstall (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Executive (uncredited)
William J. O'Brien	...	Man at Luncheon (uncredited)
Renie Riano	...	Harpist (uncredited)
Cosmo Sardo	...	Man at Country Club Dance (uncredited)
Carol Savage	...	Librarian (uncredited)
Harry Shannon	...	Det. Kleinbaum (uncredited)
Gerald Oliver Smith	...	McKinleys' Butler (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Man at Chamber of Commerce Luncheon (uncredited)
Houseley Stevenson	...	Old Man on Park Bench (uncredited)
Ludwig Stössel	...	Serge Toulevitsky - Conductor (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Man on Train Platform (uncredited)
Emerson Treacy	...	Ernest (uncredited)
Ann Tyrrell	...	Cleveland's Secretary (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox	...	Joe (uncredited)

Directed by
Harmon Jones

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paddy Chayefsky		story
Lamar Trotti

Produced by
Lamar Trotti	....	producer

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge		(as Cyril Mockridge)

Cinematography by
Joseph MacDonald		(as Joe MacDonald)

Film Editing by
Robert L. Simpson		(as Robert Simpson)

Art Direction by
Maurice Ransford
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little
Bruce MacDonald

Costume Design by
Renié

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Lueker	....	first assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
W.D. Flick	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe director

Music Department
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (as Maurice de Packh)
Lionel Newman	....	musical director

Other crew
Jerry Bryan	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (1952) (France) (theatrical)
• Fox Films (1953) (Finland) (theatrical)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Unrated | Singapore:PG

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

It was during the production of this film that Marilyn Monroe met her future husband, Arthur Miller.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "American Masters: None Without Sin (#18.1)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

The Cedars Waltz

A Woolley...repeat...Woolley movie, not a Monroe flick

Monty Woolley's film career has not had as much discussion as it deserves. The one time head of Yale University's Drama Department, and close personal friend (possibly lover) of Cole Porter, had been involved in Broadway for many years. He was, for example, in the original cast of the Rodgers and Hart Musical ON YOUR TOES, as the Russian Ballet impresario who sings TOO GOOD FOR THE AVERAGE MAN. He also made many film appearances in the 1930s, including the irascible, but eventually dumbfounded French judge in Mitchell Leisin's MIDNIGHT. But his fame would come when he was starred in the original production of THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, and subsequently was lucky enough to repeat his performance in the film version. Other film starring parts were his as well, such as THE PIED PIPER, and his pair of films co-starring Gracie Fields, HOLY MATRIMONY and MOLLY AND ME. But more frequently he ended up in supporting parts (even in THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER it was Bette Davis who was given the starring position in the credits!). More typical of his later films was MISS TATLOCK'S MILLIONS, where he and Dan Tobin were two greedy uncles of "Schuyler Tatlock" (John Lund). A better (deeper) part was the Latin Scholar in THE BISHOP'S WIFE, who is going to write the greatest history of Rome since Edward Gibbon.

The problem, for Woolley, was age. To an extent, in the early 1940s, he was able to still play grouchy sorts who were not too old (say about 50). But as the 1940s went forward, Woolley's age became a handicap. It was harder and harder to find material for him where he was the star.

Without a doubt his last starring role was as John Hodges, the 65 year old printer who is forced by a company policy to retire while he is still mentally and physically vigorous. Few films from Hollywood had tackled the issue of aging. The best known one was Leo McCarey's MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW, with Victor Moore and Beulah Bondi, which remains a heartbreakingly sad film. But that was made in 1935. Except for an occasional comment about aging in a film (like Berton Churchill's comment to John Carridine not to heed his white hairs if he is hesitant to challenge Churchill to a fight in STAGECOACH), most of the movies ignored aging. Even before the 1960s and President Kennedy's pushing a cult of youth and vigor, Hollywood was pretty much doing the same thing.

So this is why AS YOUNG AS YOU FEEL is such an unusual film. Besides Woolley getting one of the best parts of his career, it tackled a relatively taboo subject. Why talk about the inevitable that nobody likes to think about - aging and weakening...and eventually death. It's a downer in terms of a theme for a film (as McCarey's movie had brilliantly shown). But in point of fact AS YOUNG AS YOU FEEL is the reverse side of the coin.

Woolley is forced to retire from his firm, and is angry about it. Then, by chance, he is able to temporarily take over the media and town's attention when he is mistaken for the multi-millionaire (Minor Watson) who has taken over the factory that retired Wooley. Being an intelligent man, his opinions get huge publicity and sweep the nation. Woolley stresses that the chronicle age of the individual does not mean that he or she is to be put out to pasture, if he or she is capable of functioning and contributing to society. Soon Woolley finds he is in demand everywhere due to his spunky philosophy. Watson, of course, is amazed at the error, but does not stop it - he finds that it is enhancing his own public image (after all, the media and the public think Woolley is Watson).

At the same time, Woolley finds the masquerade is getting out of hand in many ways. It is playing havoc with his grandson (David Wayne's) career. It is also playing havoc with the family life of the manager of the factory (Albert Dekker and his wife Constance Bennett). So caught up in the American dream of making a success of himself for his family, Dekker has distanced himself from his wife and son. Then Woolley shows up, and Bennett decides she wants to divorce her stodgy husband Decker for that lively old wire Woolley!

It was a nicely written role (by Paddy Chayefsky)and Woolley did very well in it. Ironically, despite the philosophical point of view in the film, the studio system ignored the message. Woolley never had another great lead part after this film. His last memorable part was as an elderly adviser to the young Persian Monarch in the musical KISMET - not a really big part that.

Ironically too, the film was one of a long string of early films that Marilyn Monroe appeared in from 1949 (from LOVE HAPPY) to 1952 (the Cary Grant - Ginger Rogers MONKEY BUSINESS). Monroe did well in most of these roles, and they gave her exposure, but even in the meatiest ones (CLASH BY NIGHT) she did not "star" in them. Yet Marilyn's name means so much to this day in film lore to the public, these early films are usually sold in "Marilyn Monroe" collections. The ever youthful, ever too fragile Marilyn remains a Hollywood icon forty - four years after her death in 1962. Monty Wooley died in 1963, but I doubt that a hundredth of the people who adore the memory of Marilyn ever think seriously about Monty and his best performances.