Girls Town (1959)

Silver is a troubled teenage girl sent to a Catholic reform school, where she has trouble fitting in.

Director:

Charles F. Haas (as Charles Haas)

Writers:

Robert Hardy Andrews (story), Robert Smith (screenplay)

Stars:

Mamie Van Doren, Mel Tormé, Ray Anthony

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mamie Van Doren	...	Silver Morgan
Mel Tormé	...	Fred Alger (as Mel Torme)
Ray Anthony	...	Dick Culdane
Margaret Hayes	...	Mother Veronica (as Maggie Hayes)
Paul Anka	...	Jimmy Parlow
Cathy Crosby	...	Singer
Gigi Perreau	...	Serafina Garcia
Elinor Donahue	...	Mary Lee Morgan
Gloria Talbott	...	Vida
Sheilah Graham	...	Sister Grace
James Mitchum	...	Charley Boy (as Jim Mitchum)
Dick Contino	...	Stan Joyce
Harold Lloyd Jr.	...	Chip Gardner
Charles Chaplin Jr.	...	Joe Cates
The Platters	...	Themselves

Storyline

Chip is killed accidentally while trying to rape a blonde girl, who runs. Silver becomes the number-one suspect although she has an alibi, but because she's had previous brushes with the law she's sent to Girls Town, a nun-run home for young women in trouble with the law. Rebellious Silver causes trouble at the school, and her friend Serafina's infatuation with a young singer brings her to the brink of self-destruction. Meanwhile, Chip's father hires a detective to learn the truth, and Chip's friend Fred makes trouble for Silver's sister at a drag race. Silver has problems, all right.

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Plot Keywords:

judo | nun | mother superior | convent school | catholic school | 

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Taglines:

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUTHFUL REBELS GO BAD?

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Innocent and the Damned

Company Credits

Production Co:

Albert Zugsmith Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Early on, when the nuns arrive at the police station to retrieve Sarafina, the "Girls Town" station wagon is a Ford Edsel.

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Goofs

The positioning of Chip's body at the bottom of the cliff is different from when he first lands to when Fred discovers him moments later.

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Quotes

Stan Joyce: [as the Dragon and Jaguar gangs square off] You cats lookin' for a rumble?
Fred Alger: We're lookin' for Silver Morgan.
Silver Morgan: [Steps out] You found her.
Fred Alger: You had a date with Chip tonight.
Silver Morgan: So what?
Fred Alger: You drove out to the cave with him.
Silver Morgan: Guess again, flea brain. I stood him up.
Fred Alger: Why?
Silver Morgan: I got tired of you cats with the fast cars and the slow heads. You give me a pain in the ears.
Stan Joyce: That's tellin' him, chick.
[...]

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Connections

References White Wilderness (1958)

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Soundtracks

It's Time To Cry
Music and lyrics by Paul Anka
Sung by Paul Anka

User Reviews

My goodness but Mamie sure could fill-up an outfit!

Already on probation for a series of petty crimes, Silver Morgan (Mamie Van Doren) is facing time in juvenile detention after being accused by a witness of pushing her boyfriend off a cliff. Fortunately for Silver, Mother Veronica offers to take her in at Girls Town - a Catholic home for troubled young women. Silver doesn't want to fit in and has trouble with the other girls from the moment she arrives. But when her kid sister gets into trouble, it's these very same people she turns to for help. Can Girls Town save Silver - and her sister?

If Silver Morgan is 16 years old, then I'm a teenager myself. My goodness but Mamie sure could fill-up an outfit! Curves galore! And what kind of name is "Silver"? Sounds like a stripper name to me! But even though this is low-budget 50s-style exploitation, Mamie gives a surprisingly decent performance. It's not award worthy or anything, but I enjoyed it.

Beyond Mamie, another "highlight" of the movie has to be the fight scene between those two imposing specimens of masculinity, Paul Anka and Mel Torme. That's right - Paul Anka and Mel Torme in a fight! It's one of the absolute funniest things I've seen in a long time. I mean Mamie's bra is tougher than these two. Still, it's a moment that made the movie for me.

Realistically, Girls Town isn't anywhere near as good as my rating would indicate. But as I've said before, my ratings are based on the entertainment value I find in movies regardless of a lot of other factors. If I watch a movie and enjoy it and have fun with it, it gets a good rating. And unlike a lot of other reviewers, I had a blast with Girls Town.

I watched the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version of Girls Town and loved it. The riffs were dead-on and hysterical. I've got no problems rating episode #601 a 4/5 on my MST3K rating scale. This is one any fan of the show should seek out.