You're Only Young Twice (film)

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You're Only Young Twice
"You're Only Young Twice" (1952).jpg
Directed by Terry Bishop
Written by Reginald Beckwith
Terry Bishop
Lindsay Galloway
Based onWhat Say They? by James Bridie
Produced by John Baxter
Barbara K. Emary
Starring Duncan Macrae
Joseph Tomelty
Patrick Barr
Charles Hawtrey
Diane Hart
CinematographyJo Jago
Edited by Bernard Gribble
Music by Cedric Thorpe Davie
Production
company
Distributed by Associated British-Pathé (UK)
Release date
  • July 1952 (1952-07)(UK)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

You're Only Young Twice is a 1952 British second feature ('B') [1] comedy film directed by Terry Bishop and starring Duncan Macrae, Joseph Tomelty, Patrick Barr, Charles Hawtrey and Diane Hart. [2] [3] It was written by Reginald Beckwith, Bishop and Lindsay Galloway based on the 1939 play What Say They? by James Bridie.

Contents

Premise

A young woman visiting a Scottish university in search of her uncle, who is in hiding from the authorities, is mistaken for the principal's secretary, so she pursues the impersonation.

Cast

Production

The film was produced by the government backed Group 3 Films and shot at Southall Studios with sets designed by the art director Ray Simm. John Grierson, head of Group 3, thought it had "some of the fastest and best dialogue in a generation." [4]

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "This is an involved and fantastic comedy, in which many of the participants' motives remain obscure. The total impression is mainly one of great noise and confusion, though one can see what the makers were aiming at: an irresponsible, lunatic kind of entertainment, perhaps a Scots equivalent of Pierre Prevert. There are some entertaining scenes – the arrival of the Rector, most of the episodes involving Adolphus, brilliantly played by Charles Hawtrey – and the anarchistic spirit of the whole is appealing. But You're Only Young Twice! is the kind of joke that needs altogether more discipline in writing and direction." [5]

Kine Weekly wrote: "Warm and agreeable academic romp ... Its story, telling of goings-on behind the scenes of a Scottish university, is untidy, but the characters, which have colour and individuality, are neatly manipulated, and the dialogue has quite an edge. Atmosphere and detail, too, are effective. A pleasant change from raucous American collegiate comedy, it should register with the majority of picturegoers." [6] Leslie Halliwell said: "Misfire eccentric comedy which deserves marks for trying but fails to amuse." [7]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Too foolish for words, this comedy fell between all sorts of stools." [8]

The Radio Times has described it as a "theatrical comedy," which was "shakily brought to the screen ... the story involves mistaken identity, Celtic poetry, horse racing and the rigging of Rectorial elections. Blink and you'll miss Ronnie Corbett in what, of course, can only be described as a small role." [9]

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References

  1. ↑ Chibnall, Steve; McFarlane, Brian (2009). The British 'B' Film. London: BFI/Bloomsbury. p. 156. ISBN   978-1-8445-7319-6.
  2. ↑ "You're only Young Twice! (1952) - BFI". BFI. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
  3. ↑ Harper, Sue; Porter, Vincent (2007). British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference. Oxford University Press. p. 187. ISBN   9780198159353.
  4. ↑ Grierson, John (27 September 1951). "Three's Company Adds Up". Kine Weekly.
  5. ↑ "You're Only Young Twice" . The Monthly Film Bulletin . Vol. 19, no. 216. 1 January 1952. p. 125 – via ProQuest.
  6. ↑ "You're Only Young Twice" . Kine Weekly . Vol. 424, no. 2352. 24 July 1952. p. 23 – via ProQuest.
  7. ↑ Halliwell, Leslie (1989). Halliwell's Film Guide (7th ed.). London: Paladin. p. 1147. ISBN   0586088946.
  8. ↑ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 404. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.
  9. ↑ Adrian Turner. "You're Only Young Twice". RadioTimes.
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