Movie Monday Review: The Young in Heart

The Carletons can still sing

The Young in Heart (1938)

Starring: Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Roland Young, Billie Burke, Minnie Dupree, Paulette Goddard, Richard Carlson, Henry Stephenson.

Summary

The Carletons are a family of four that have never touched work in their lives, let alone wanted to. They live life, attempting to take advantage of the wealthy, in the hopes that they will someday live securely. Attempting to find sympathy, Mr. Carleton, affectionately called “The Sahib” (Roland Young), tells people he served in India for the British Army. However, he was an unsuccessful actor, who never even set foot in India. Mrs. Carleton, called “Marmy” (Billie Burke) by the children, is ever at her husband’s side. She is willing to play along with any fantasy in attempts to gain them a meal ticket.

Hungry and slightly annoyed with their parents are Rick (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) and George-Anne (Janet Gaynor). Rick has good looks on his side, and quickly they try to marry him to a wealthy senator’s daughter, so that all of them can live comfortably in ease. George-Anne has met a Scot’s man named Duncan (Richard Carlson), whom she has fallen in love with. He has no money, but she’s not worried due to the hopes that her brother will marry wealthy. Unfortunately, they are caught and sent away from the French Riviera and off to London. They are starving and the children can’t stand the fact that their parents can still sing and be happy in their current circumstances.

Miss Fortune looks after her new “family”

On the train, George-Anne discovers that Duncan has followed her. He tells her his love for her is still alive and that he wants to marry her. Now that their plans for Rick to marry a wealthy lady are gone, she refuses. She tells Duncan she’s no good and can’t marry him and he retorts that aside from her, he wouldn’t be caught dead with her family. She’s furious and tells him to leave her “once and for all”.

She soon meets up with an old woman, sitting alone in a train compartment. The old woman, Miss Ellen Fortune (Minnie Dupree), tells George-Anne that she’s terribly lonely. The quick-thinking young Carleton tells Miss Fortune that her “poor mother just had surgery” and that “her father was gassed in the war”. Miss Fortune quickly tells George-Anne to bring her family and she runs to get them. Instructing them to act the part she’s laid out for them, Rick even sucks in his cheeks to look hungry.

Starving children…

Miss Fortune, who jokes about her name, tells them that she’s never been so happy. She was a woman who gave up a chance for love when she was young, due to lack of trust. Now, she’s unhappy. Soon, as they play their part, Miss Fortune asks them to come live with her in her mansion. She is very wealthy, but all alone and would like the company. They cannot resist and agree.

Fooling Miss Fortune

While on the train, there’s an accident and the train runs off the track. Rick and George-Anne save Miss Fortune, who is now forever grateful. Duncan sees this and insists that George-Anne does have a heart after all, but she fiercely tells him it’s not true and tells him to leave, “once and for all”.

Duncan after the accident

At Miss Fortune’s home in London, the Carleton’s are welcome. Miss Fortune’s lawyer and friend, Mr. Anstruther (Henry Stephenson) is interested in the family, but soon leaves on business.

How sweet!

Meanwhile, George-Anne wakes the family in the middle of the night. She has a plan, she says, waking up the sleepy Rick (who somehow managed to lose his pajama shirt). If they are nice to “the old lady” and keep pretending sincerity, she just might make a will and leave everything to them. They agree this is good, but are not too pleased with her other part of the plan. The men must go out to work to make themselves look honest. Begrudgingly, they agree.

Maybe you know what happened to the top of my pajamas…

Duncan sees the advertisement that George-Anne’s father is looking for work and soon gets him a job as a salesman for the Flying Wombat car center. As though going to death, “The Sahib” makes his way there.

It was good while it lasted

Rick walks him down and after the sad farewell, looks for a job for himself. Wandering into a civil engineering firm, he finds himself in the presence of a young and efficient lady, Leslie Saunders (Paulette Goddard). Amazed to meet a man who has never worked, she gives him a job sorting mail for the company, thinking he couldn’t possibly become an engineer, even if he tried.

Leslie doesn’t trust Rick

Miss Fortune manages to say things to each of the family members that strikes them in the heart. They are starting to feel guilty, but are resolute in their goal as well. Rick begins to fall in love with Leslie, who keeps him at a distance for being such an awful man. Duncan can’t live without George-Anne and continues to call on her, she is also in love with him, despite her instance otherwise. “The Sahib” and Rick are beginning to enjoy their work, Rick has even taken to studying engineering.

The Sahib and Marmy

When Miss Fortune passes out and becomes ill, the family is deeply concerned, but says outwardly that they hope she has changed her will. Mr. Anstruther is furious with them and tells them he knows who they are, but can’t convince Miss Fortune, who has asked to change her will. He then tells them that, although Miss Fortune doesn’t know it, she has basically nothing left in her will. The family is thrilled, shocking Mr. Anstruther, because they have learned what true love really is.

Cut to the heart

Miss Fortune survives and has to move due to financial issues. The Carleton’s, now making an income, buy their own home and take in Miss Fortune. Together, they are a happy family, especially now that both Rick and George-Anne have found their spouses!

Rick with Leslie

Review

The lie that the Carleton family lives is so thoroughly and consistently done that when someone is nice to them, they don’t know what to do. They feel betrayal to the rest of the family if they dare turn honest. Each character is played to perfection and is suited to the actor. It’s neat to see adult siblings in old movies that actually like each other. The chemistry between Douglas Fairbanks and Janet Gaynor is fun and adds cuteness and humor to the film. They make up for the bumbling parents who seem to lack all responsibility and scruples, raising their children to be the same.

The Carletons

The unique and enjoyable aspect of the movie, is that they do change in the end. They see that their actions are wrong and that love, purely for the person’s sake, is an actuality. The transformation from greedy, lying, unscrupulous people to an honest, loving, and sincere family redeems the film. The hardest-hearted of the family seems to be Gaynor, who plans and organizes their plots to take advantage of rich people. She tries her hardest to “be strong” and not deviate, but one can see how she slowly changes and finally, when she sees that the family has changed, she goes whole-heartedly with them.

A gift for Miss Fortune

Nearly the funniest scene in the movie, is when Roland Young and Fairbanks are sent out by Gaynor to find jobs. Work has always been detestable to them and they have been quite successful at avoiding it. When they do find a job, it is humorous to watch, as they act as though death has struck the family. The neat change that occurs in the end, shows the men happy in their work and excited to be making a salary. Now, they are dependable people who can actually live honestly and support their families.

The comedy makes the whole thing lighter and entertaining. Fairbanks and Gaynor enjoy playful banter, helping you like the characters early on. The interactions that Fairbanks has with Paulette Goddard help you see his character better, as he determines what life is really all about.

On another note, it is interesting to see Douglas Fairbanks Jr. interact with Paulette Goddard, who was married to his father’s best friend, Charlie Chaplin.

A wonderful watch, find it if you can!

Ellen Nolan

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