''The Careless Years'' is a 1957 film from

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...

directed by Arthur Hiller and produced by Edward Lewis. The film was the directorial debut for Hiller. The film stars

Dean Stockwell Robert Dean Stockwell (March 5, 1936 – November 7, 2021) was an American actor with a career spanning seven decades. As a child actor under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he first came to the public's attention in films including ''Anchors A ...

and Natalie Trundy in an early film appearance.

Plot

Two high school seniors from different social groups go on a date. He begins to fall for her when she resists his amorous advances and decides they should get married immediately. Both sets of parents object to the sudden nature of the proposal. He talks her into going to Mexico to get married, but they decide it is best to wait until they are older.

Main cast

Production

The film originally was called ''The Young Lovers''. The female lead went to Natalie Trundy, who was then 16 and only had made one film. Bryna Productions signed her to a five-year contract. The male lead went to former child actor

, who also was signed to a five-year contract. It was the first feature as director for Arthur Hiller. He recalled he was offered the job, "read the script, and I liked it a lot, but I had reservations. And I thought 'Do I tell him he producerabout my reservations? Or do I pretend I really just love it? I don't want to lose the job'. Finally I went about it honestly and just told them just what my feelings were. Those are my feelings, and I'm doing a rewrite, just on those items".

Critical reception

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

of ''The New York Times'' did not care for the movie: "The pace is slow, the writing uninspired and the approach to the issue is often naïve and repetitious."

References

External links