"Mad Youth" is one of the better so-called "exploitation" films made in the 1930s. These films were made by independent producers, made cheaply, with poor sets, bad acting, and were rush jobs. While "Mad Youth" was probably made on a low budget, the film has nice sets, an OK cast, and is quite enjoyable. Exploitation films were shown at independent movie theaters, and then would travel along with circuses and sideshows for years to come. The films would be re-named, re-edited and shown again as if it was a new picture.
The plot of "Mad Youth" is this. Betty Compson, a divorced mother of one is a bit of a tramp, hiring male escorts to accompany her to bridge games and parties, and she inevitably sleeps with them, and falls in love with them and plans to marry them. Her daughter, Marian, is a bit of a wild child herself. She throws drinking and stripping parties at her home while her mother is out. Compson's newest escort, played by William Costello, is supposed to be a Count. He cannot stand Compson's aggressiveness towards him, and he begins to date her daughter Marian, which is kept a secret from her mother.
When her mother finds out about the affair, the daughter decides to go away for a while, and visit one of her friends who she thinks has been married, having met her husband from an ad placed in a magazine for those seeking companionship. It turns out that the girl was sold into a prostitution ring and is being held captive. When Marion visits her, she too is held captive and forced into prostitution.
The film is quite enjoyable because it is a film that seems to bypass the production code because it was not a major Hollywood film, and dialog and situations in this film, would not appear in a major Hollywood film for decades to come. Betty Compson is very enjoyable as the slutty mother. Compson was a former silent film star and this was probably a lucky break for her. The rest of the cast is alright, with special attention being payed to William Costello, who played the count. By this time he was already well known for providing the voice to the cartoon character "Popeye."
The plot of "Mad Youth" is this. Betty Compson, a divorced mother of one is a bit of a tramp, hiring male escorts to accompany her to bridge games and parties, and she inevitably sleeps with them, and falls in love with them and plans to marry them. Her daughter, Marian, is a bit of a wild child herself. She throws drinking and stripping parties at her home while her mother is out. Compson's newest escort, played by William Costello, is supposed to be a Count. He cannot stand Compson's aggressiveness towards him, and he begins to date her daughter Marian, which is kept a secret from her mother.
When her mother finds out about the affair, the daughter decides to go away for a while, and visit one of her friends who she thinks has been married, having met her husband from an ad placed in a magazine for those seeking companionship. It turns out that the girl was sold into a prostitution ring and is being held captive. When Marion visits her, she too is held captive and forced into prostitution.
The film is quite enjoyable because it is a film that seems to bypass the production code because it was not a major Hollywood film, and dialog and situations in this film, would not appear in a major Hollywood film for decades to come. Betty Compson is very enjoyable as the slutty mother. Compson was a former silent film star and this was probably a lucky break for her. The rest of the cast is alright, with special attention being payed to William Costello, who played the count. By this time he was already well known for providing the voice to the cartoon character "Popeye."