I'm not sure what the producers were aiming for here. On the face of it, it would seem a Dick Clark showcase, taking his TV fame and segueing to movies. But the cast is much too large and the storyline too sprawling to showcase one individual. As a dedicated teacher, Clark keeps his TV role as shepherd of struggling teens, and despite his thoroughly white-bread presence, does pretty well in the acting department. Anyway, as a teen angst film, the film's okay; as a juvenile delinquency movie, it lacks bite until the end; as a R&R showcase (Duane Eddy, et.al.), it's lame and tame with only two bland selections. What it does have that's noteworthy is the gay context surrounding the older man, Chris. It's subtle, but pretty daring for 1960 and especially for a film introducing Clark. (Thanks reviewer fordraff for your extended discussion.) Taken as a whole, however, the movie's too sprawling with too many sub-texts to achieve anything like focused impact. And except for cult figure Tuesday Weld, the array of featured youngsters has largely faded into obscurity. But not Clark, who went on to a stellar TV and producing career.
Review of Because They're Young
