''You’re Never Too Young'' is a 1955 American semi- musical

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Norman Taurog Norman Rae Taurog (February 23, 1899 – April 7, 1981) was an American film director and screenwriter. From 1920 to 1968, Taurog directed 180 films. At the age of 32, he received the Academy Award for Best Director for '' Skippy'' (1931). He i ...

and starring the team of

Martin and Lewis Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis. They met in 1945 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Martin ...

and co-starring

Diana Lynn Diana Marie Lynn (born Dolores Eartha Loehr, July 5, 1926 – December 18, 1971) was an American actress. Early years Lynn was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Louis Loehr, was an oil supply executive, and her mother, Martha Loe ...

Nina Foch Nina Foch ( ; born Nina Consuelo Maud Fock; April 20, 1924 – December 5, 2008) was a Dutch-born American actress who later became an instructor. Her career spanned six decades, consisting of over 50 feature films and over 100 television appea ...

, and

Raymond Burr Raymond William Stacy Burr (May 21, 1917September 12, 1993) was a Canadian actor known for his lengthy Hollywood film career and his title roles in television dramas ''Perry Mason'' and '' Ironside''. Burr's early acting career included roles ...

. It was released on August 25, 1955 by Paramount Pictures.

Plot

A valuable diamond is stolen at a

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

hotel and a man guarding it is killed. The thief, Noonan, hides it from police, first in the jacket of a customer, Bob Miles, and then in the pocket of a barber's apprentice, Wilbur Hoolick. Wilbur, boarding a train to go home to Blitzen, Washington, pretends to be an eleven-year-old in order to purchase a ticket for half price. Noonan sits beside him, still trying to retrieve the stolen jewel. Wilbur gets the impression that the thief is a jealous husband. He hides in the compartment of Nancy Collins, a teacher at a private girls' school. Feeling sorry for "young" Wilbur traveling alone, she allows him to stay there for the duration of the train ride. During a stop-over, Gretchen Brendan, the jealous daughter of the school's headmistress, boards the train and finds out that Nancy is sharing her compartment with "a man." Gretchen hurries to the school to let Nancy's fiancee, Bob, in on this news, then tries to get Nancy dismissed. In order to protect Nancy's job and reputation, Wilbur must continue the charade of pretending to be a child. He accompanies "Aunt Nancy" to the all-girl school. The jewel thief follows them. Along the way, Wilbur falls in love with Nancy, although she still thinks of him as a little boy. Noonan pretends to be Wilbur's father and regains possession of the diamond. But the police have arrived and a speedboat chase ensues. In the end, the thief is captured and Wilbur's identity is revealed. Nancy still loves Bob, but he is off to join the Army and discovers that Wilbur is his barber.

Cast

* Dean Martin as Bob Miles * Jerry Lewis as Wilbur Hoolick *

as Nancy Collins *

as Gretchen Brendan *

as Noonan *

Tommy Ivo Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fi ...

as Marty *

Nancy Kulp Nancy Jane Kulp (August 28, 1921 – February 3, 1991) was an American character actress and comedienne best known as Miss Jane Hathaway on the CBS television series ''The Beverly Hillbillies''. Early life Kulp was born to Robert Tilden and M ...

as Marty's mother *

Veda Ann Borg Veda Ann Borg (January 11, 1915 – August 16, 1973) was an American film and television actress. Early years Born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Gottfried Borg, a Swedish immigrant, and Minna Noble, Borg became a model in 1936 before winni ...

as Noonan's wife * Mitzi McCall as Skeets *

Emory Parnell Emory Parnell (December 29, 1892 – June 22, 1979) was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career. Early years Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Parnell trained as a musician at Morningside ...

as Train Conductor *

Margery Maude Margery Kathleen Maude (April 29, 1889 – August 7, 1979) was an English actress of stage, screen and television. Early life Margery Maude was born in Wimbledon, London, the elder daughter of the actors Cyril and Winifred (née Emery) Maude. ...

as Mrs. Ella Brennan *

Milton Frome Milton Frome (February 24, 1909 – March 21, 1989) was an American character actor. Career Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Frome landed his first acting job in the short subject ''Daredevil O'Dare'' in 1934. He did not act again until 1939 ...

as Lt. O'Malley *

Bobby Barber Bobby Barber (December 18, 1894 – May 24, 1976) was an American actor who appeared in over 100 films. Barber is notable for his work as a foil for Abbott and Costello on and off screen. Biography Barber was born Robert S. Barbera in New York. ...

as Train Station Newsstand Clerk * James Burke as Pullman Conductor *

Hans Conried Hans Georg Conried Jr. (April 15, 1917 – January 5, 1982) was an American actor and comedian. He was known for providing the voices of George Darling and Captain Hook in Walt Disney's ''Peter Pan'' (1953), Snidely Whiplash in Jay Ward's '' Dud ...

as Francois * Robert Carson as Tailor * Franklyn Farnum as Man in Ticket Line *

Bess Flowers Bess Flowers (November 23, 1898 – July 28, 1984) was an American actress best known for her work as an extra in hundreds of films. She was known as "The Queen of the Hollywood Extras," appearing in more than 350 feature films and numerou ...

as Extra in Lobby *

as Marty *

Tor Johnson Karl Erik Tore Johansson (19 October 1902 or 1903; sources differ – 12 May 1971), better known by the stage name Tor Johnson, was a Swedish professional wrestler and actor. As an actor, Johnson appeared in many B-movies, including some famous ...

as Train Passenger * Hank Mann as Train Passenger *

Peggy Moffitt Margaret Anne "Peggy" Moffitt (born May 14, 1940) is a former American model and actress. During the 1960s, she worked very closely with fashion designer Rudi Gernreich, and developed a signature style that featured heavy makeup and an asymmetric ...

as Agnes *

Paul Newlan Paul Emory Newlan (June 29, 1903 – November 23, 1973) was an American film and TV character actor from Plattsmouth, Nebraska. He was best known for his role as Captain Grey on the NBC police series ''M Squad'' and for his roles in films incl ...

as Husky Man at Train Station *

as Train Conductor *

Isabel Randolph Isabel Randolph (December 4, 1889 – January 11, 1973) was an American character actress in radio and film from the 1940s through the 1960s and in television from the early 1950s to the middle 1960s. Early life She was born in 1889 in Ch ...

as Teacher *

Dick Simmons Richard Simmons (August 19, 1913 – January 11, 2003) was an American actor. Early life Simmons was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and his family later moved across the Mississippi River to Minneapolis. There, he attended West Side High Sc ...

as Professor

Production

''You're Never Too Young'' was filmed from October 18 to December 27, 1954. This film is a gender-swapped remake of another Paramount film, ''

The Major and the Minor ''The Major and the Minor'' is a 1942 American comedy film starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland. It was the first American film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay credited to Wilder and Charles Brackett is "suggested by" the 1923 play '' ...

'' (

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in w ...

), directed by

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Hol ...

— his first American film as director — and co-written by Wilder and

Charles Brackett Charles William Brackett (November 26, 1892 – March 9, 1969) was an American screenwriter and film producer. He collaborated with Billy Wilder on sixteen films. Life and career Brackett was born in Saratoga Springs, New York, the son of ...

. Both films were adapted from the play ''Connie Goes Home'' by Edward Childs Carpenter.

previously appeared with Martin and Lewis in their first film, ''

My Friend Irma ''My Friend Irma'' is a media franchise that was spawned by a top-rated, long-running radio situation comedy created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard. The radio show was so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated the films, ...

'' (1949), as well as its sequel, ''

My Friend Irma Goes West ''My Friend Irma Goes West'' is a 1950 American comedy film directed by Hal Walker and based on the radio show ''My Friend Irma.'' It stars the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The film is a sequel to ''My Friend Irma'' (1949) and was ...

'' (1950). She is also featured in ''The Major and the Minor'', which ''You're Never Too Young'' is based on.

Re-release

In 1964, Paramount re-released ''You're Never Too Young'' with another

film, ''

The Caddy ''The Caddy'' is a 1953 American semi- musical-comedy- sports film starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis. It is noteworthy for Dean Martin introducing the hit song "That's Amore". Plot Harvey Miller, whose father was a famous golf pro, is ...

'' (

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yug ...

Home media

The film was included on a five-film DVD set, the ''Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Collection: Volume Two'', released on June 5, 2007.

References

External links

* * {{Martin and Lewis 1955 films 1955 comedy films American comedy films Remakes of American films American films based on plays 1950s English-language films Films directed by Norman Taurog Films scored by Walter Scharf Films set in schools Paramount Pictures films Films with screenplays by Sidney Sheldon 1950s American films