As Young as You Feel (1951)

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

Director:

Harmon Jones

Writers:

Paddy Chayefsky (story), Lamar Trotti

Stars:

Monty Woolley, Thelma Ritter, David Wayne

Cast

Complete credited 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)

Storyline

Sixty-five-year-old John Hodges must retire from Acme Printing. He later impersonates the president of the parent company and arrives at his old plant on an inspection tour. Acme president McKinley is so nervous not even his beautiful secretary Harriet can calm him. McKinley's wife Lucille becomes infatuated with Hodges. Many further complications ensue.

---

Plot Keywords:

secretary | impostor | forced retirement | speech | assumed identity | 

---

Taglines:

A thousand cheers for the nation's happy-as-lark family!

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 August 1951 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Will You Love Me in December?

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The term "Consolidated Motors" is said sixty-one times during this film.

---

Quotes

Frank Erickson: [Trying to convince Gallagher that their visitor was a fake] All you have to do is to look at his picture in the file, sir.
Horace Gallagher: Never mind the file. Now let me get this straight. You say the whole world thinks that the man who inspected our plant yesterday was the president of the Consolidated Motors, is that it?
Frank Erickson: Yes, sir. Then he made a speech at the Chamber of Commerce.
Horace Gallagher: Mr. McKinley thinks he is the president of the Consolidated Motors, the papers think so, the Chamber of Commerce thinks so, but ...
[...]

---

Connections

Version of The 20th Century-Fox Hour: The Great American Hoax (1957)

---

Soundtracks

Maria, My Own (Maria La O)
(uncredited)
Music by Ernesto Lecuona
Played as dance music at the country club after McKinley leaves and occasionally in the score

User Reviews

Charming film

Monty Woolley believes you're as "Young as You Feel" in this 1951 film also starring Thelma Ritter, David Wayne, Jean Peters, Allyn Joslyn, Russ Tamblyn, Albert Dekker, Constance Bennett and Marilyn Monroe.

Woolley plays John Hodges, who at the age of 65, is fired from his job in a printing company due to corporate policy that no one can work past 65. Many baby boomers wish that were the case today, because in fact, they'll be working way past 65. He finds out that the company he works for is a subsidiary of a huge company that is owned by a huge corporation. Finding out the name of the President of that huge corporation, he dies his hair and whiskers and poses as the man, comes to town, tours the plant, and makes a speech in which he declares that the knowledge of our elders is critical in printing, and changes the policy.

And there the fun begins. The boss' wife (Constance Bennett), feeling unloved by her husband (Dekker), falls for Hodges; his granddaughter's boyfriend (Wayne) recognizes him and tells someone else at the plant; and the corporation doesn't know what to do. This fake president has raised their stock and given them a fabulous profile, so much so that the labor union has settled their grievances with them. How can they call his bluff? I seem to have enjoyed this film more than some of the other posters. Thelma Ritter, as John's daughter-in-law, is a scream. An ex-singer who gave up her career to marry George (Joslyn), John's son, sings "Temptation" while in the kitchen - she's hilarious. Woolley is great as an older man not ready to be put out to pasture, and it's wonderful to see one of the great stars of the '30s, Constance Bennett, in a later role.

This film is remembered today as early Marilyn Monroe. She plays the boss' sexy secretary, and she does a wonderful job. It's a small role, but you can definitely see that she, Peters, who plays the granddaughter, and David Wayne are all getting the star buildup and are each at different stages of it. Monroe was just about to break through, and she and Wayne would appear together in "How to Marry a Millionaire" (where he says, "I already think you're quite a strudel.") Entertaining and definitely worth seeing.