Untamed Youth (1957)

Follows the vagrant sisters work for crooked characters at a rock 'n' roll prison's farm.

Director:

Howard W. Koch

Writers:

John C. Higgins (screenplay), Stephen Longstreet (story)

Stars:

Mamie Van Doren, Lori Nelson, John Russell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mamie Van Doren	...	Penny Lowe
Lori Nelson	...	Jane Lowe
John Russell	...	Russ Tropp
Don Burnett	...	Bob Steele
Eddie Cochran	...	Bong
Lurene Tuttle	...	Judge Cecilia Steele Tropp
Yvonne Lime	...	Baby
Jeanne Carmen	...	Lillibet
Robert Foulk	...	Sheriff Mitch Bowers
Wayne Taylor	...	Duke
Jered Barclay	...	Ralph (as Jerry Barclay)
Keith Richards	...	Angelo
Valerie Reynolds	...	Arkie
Lucita	...	Margarita
Glenn Dixon	...	Jack Landis

Storyline

Sisters Jane and Penny are arrested for hitchhiking on their way to Los Angeles when they stop for a quick skinny-dip in a rural town. Local agricultural magnate Tropp is a sponsor for a local prison work program and the women are put in the cotton fields to work off their sentence. Tropp marries the middle-aged widowed judge in order to ensure a stable supply of cheap labor to undercut his competition. The prisoners suffer ill treatment, but the judge's son has signed on as a hired hand and begins to figure out the scam as he falls in love with Jane, and Penny dreams of making it big in showbiz.

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Plot Keywords:

abuse of power | psychotronic film | camp | sister | skinny dipping | 

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Taglines:

Turns a searing spotlight on teen-age 'cons' in a House of Correction!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Music

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Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was skewered by Joel and the Bots on Mystery Science Theater 3000. (S2E12)

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sheriff Mitch Bowers: Okay, crawl out!
Jane Lowe: [skinny dipping in a pond] Well, you go away first!
Sheriff Mitch Bowers: Oh, that'd be neglect of duty.
Penny Lowe: Well, at least turn around. You're not much of a gentleman!
Sheriff Mitch Bowers: Huh! I never was! Now get out!

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Connections

Featured in American Grindhouse (2010)

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Soundtracks

Cottonpicker
Written by Les Baxter
Performed by Eddie Cochran (uncredited)

User Reviews

Great, silly fun

You have to be a real stick in the mud not to get a kick out of this movie; or it's sister film "Girl's Town." I am still wondering what inspired Pinky's great speech ("I am a just man") but the rest is simply. Cheesy rock and roll, cool chicks, and a moral lesson driven home with the subtly of a huge Cotton gin falling on you. Many of the current political problems with our immigrant work force are foreshadowed. If only today's politicos had a Mamie to help iron out all the fuss. If only they had given Eddie Cochran a better song.... The MST3K version is worth seeking out; but this is one that stands on it's own.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 March 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untamed Youth

Filming Locations:

Bakersfield, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aubrey Schenck Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1