Age 13 (1955)

A troubled young teenager has trouble dealing with the death of his mother and his ill treatment by his stepfather.

Director:

Arthur Swerdloff

Writer:

Arthur Swerdloff

Stars:

Michael Keslin

Cast

Credited cast:
Michael Keslin	...	Andrew

Storyline

The mother of thirteen year-old Andrew passed away three days ago, leaving him under the care of his stepfather, who is not a cruel man but an uncaring and non-understanding one. Andrew's mother was his ideal guide in a world that has been less than hospitable to their poor and broken family. His inability to bring his mother back - which he thought he could do by fixing her beloved radio - coupled with being ashamed of the family's poverty, which in turn results in ridicule by his classmates, leads Andrew to rebel against the world around him. Any hope of Andrew getting over this traumatic period in his life will depend on the caring of individuals who understand what he is going through, these people who include the school counselor and a psychologist.

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Plot Keywords:

teenager | uncle | grief | social guidance | adoption | 

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Genres:

Drama | Short

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Filming Locations:

Inglewood, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sid Davis Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

27 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Like many films produced and directed by Sid Davis, this one was recorded silently. The sound was recorded later and synched to fit the picture; in many cases, Arthur Swerdloff, the editor, cut to another shot to allow him to re-sync the audio and the video. See also, Gang Boy.

User Reviews

A Bad Educational Film, But a Great Music Video

Age 13:

This film is like any other bad fifties educational film I've seen, complete with the melodrama, monotonous voices, and rigid performances. And I expected no more. Thank God Kevin Moore from Chroma Key (ex-Dream Theater member to those unfamiliar with Chroma Key) saw potential in Age 13 to make an out-standing album out of it. He wrote all of the music on that album (called Graveyard Mountain Home) to the film. I suggest you pick up Graveyard Mountain Home and skip the Age 13, because the album comes with a bonus DVD of the film with the music over it.