Because They're Young

At the time this movie came out, the generation emerging from the late Fifty's into the early Sixty's, didn't have any desires different than the previous generation. Since the turn of the 19th century parents became more and more lax or permissive you might say (for whatever reasons). The main difference, to me, was the way in which those teens behaved & expressed themselves. More and more, kids wanted to have fun but found that "Fun", doing different things. My formative years experienced dire warnings of "bad associations, trouble making rebels, leather jacket kids were no good, combing your hair with in a jelly roll style was for delinquents and so on." So I tended to be careful but respectful of others. "Because They're Young" was a successful attempt to capture the "atmosphere" the "Ambiance" of the era. Being Hollywood, over dramatization was and is not uncommon. Yet the sense of being "young" (after all these years) isn't a lost cause. It will always be very much alive and well. All it will ever really need is for older folks to empathize, sympathize and not forget that "Because They're Young" was them too, once upon a time.

Amazingly a couple of the teens are teens brither wearing her bra? Quick throwaway line ex-football player dick clark as the actor==first time. One previous film played a DJ why suspend teacher??

"Because They're Young" is a movie that is worth seeing...much of it because it was Dick Clark's first chance to show his acting talents. This was his second movie appearance as an actor, but his first was playing a DJ...which is hardly a stretch from his job as the emcee on "American Bandstand"...a TV show featuring various hot musical acts of the day.

Clark plays Mr. Hendry, a new teacher at a local high school. His principal is a tough guy and expects his teachers to be disciplinarians first...though Clark thinks it's more important he understand the students instead of just labeling them as delinquents. Most of his kids seem like good kids, but he'll have trouble with Griff (Michael Callan)...a budding sociopath. What's next? Watch the movie.

This is a nice film though the story is occasionally uneven. As for Clark he's quite good and handsome...but he generally stuck to playing himself and never was a big movie star despite this performance.

By the way, if you're interested Duane Eddy and James Darren make appearances in the film as themselves.

On his first teaching assignment, Dick Clark has a problem: He cares too much. That's not what we want, says his stern principle. Just teach your classes and send all the discipline problems to me. Not surprisingly, Clark can't stay uninvolved. Who would want it any other way?

Clark is no seasoned pro in this film, but he's basically playing himself, or his public image, anyway, and he can do that well enough. He's there to try to straighten out all types of kids including the insecure newcomer (Warren Berlinger) and the incipient juvenile delinquent (Michael Callen.) This movie doesn't have anything close to the grit of 'Blackboard Jungle' or the lurid laughability of 'High School Confidential' but a big fan of the movies will likely find it worth the time. Admirers of Tuesday Weld will want to check her out, too. Victoria Shaw plays a school secretary who serves as a love interest for Clark.

Yes- I was a teenager when this movie came out. Actually, I was lucky enough to have danced on Dick Clark's American Bandstand on and off in 1962 at WFIL TV studios in Philadelphia. Seeing this movie really helps "take me back" to those carefree days of youth. Of course, the movie shows some problems among a few of the kids, but my enjoyment of it lies in identifying with the happy-go-lucky majority. These are the kids seen dancing, laughing and just enjoying themselves in being a teenager in 1960.

Another movie I'd love to see released on video/DVD that's been too long neglected is "BECAUSE THEY'RE YOUNG" (Columbia, 1960) starring Dick Clark of American Bandstand with Duane Eddy and his Rockin' Rebels, and Bobby Rydell on the soundtrack. Oh yes, that cool blonde hottie Tuesday Weld was in there too. Too bad it was in black & white, but they were doing a retake on "BLACKBOARD JUNGLE" (MGM, 1955) so it had to be, and look like a B-movie. I know I'm dating myself, but I did see this movie in the theaters when it was released in May-June 1960. It was the coolest, man. I mean like I really dug it the most, at age 13. I was into Edd 'Kookie' Byrnes' jive talk, rock'n'roll, and hip beatnik jazz so Maynard G. Krebs was my buddy on TV. And DIck Clark was a swingin' hipster on American Bandstand, WFIL-TV in Philly, broadcast on ABC-TV network nationwide. I watched it every afternoon after coming home from school, along with reruns of "Adventures of SUPERMAN", "Topper", and "Ramar of the Jungle"! Dick Clark really clicked for teens and kids in this movie, I remember everyone thought he did a great job with his first acting role. In retrospect, not having seen this movie since the early '70s when it was shown on TV one Saturday afternoon, I can't really judge it as an adult, but I fondly remember it being kind of a dark, melodramatic sort of "American Graffiti" movie experience. I would love to see it again after all these years! Please, Sony Pictures, put this one on your DVD-to-do list!!! I'd love to see an interview with Dick Clark about this movie. I wonder if he's up to that challenge now?