The Age of Commercialism

Must See Movie...

Awesome Movie

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Watching As Young As You Feel I got the impression that this was a film originally meant for that other Fox contract player Clifton Webb. It seems like just the kind of material that Webb would be doing throughout the 50s.Woolley plays a 65 year old man who is mandatorily retired from his job at a large company as a printer. He lives with his son Allyn Joslyn and his wife Thelma Ritter and their daughter Jean Peters. Woolley works with David Wayne at the company who is going out with Peters.Other than job and family Woolley's only other diversion is playing the piccolo in an orchestra. Feeling he still has a lot to contribute he decides upon an audacious plan. Putting some dye into that famous beard of his, Woolley gets some expensive threads and masks himself as the visiting head of Consolidated (General) Motors which owns the small firm he's employed at. He makes the boss Albert Dekker really jump to his attention and Dekker's wife Constance Bennett start looking in Woolley's direction. OK because Dekker has been looking at his secretary Marilyn Monroe quite lasciviously. Marilyn has only a couple of lines, but she's dressed to accent her best features.The whole thing is kind of silly, but entertaining. Good thing the real head of the firm Minor Watson has a sense of humor because Woolley was flirting with some fraud charges.Either Clifton Webb was not available or he passed As Young As You Feel By. What he passed on Monty Woolley makes adequately amusing.

Monty Woolley believes you're as "Young as You Feel" in this 1951 film also starring Thelma Ritter, David Wayne, Jean Peters, Allyn Joslyn, Russ Tamblyn, Albert Dekker, Constance Bennett and Marilyn Monroe.Woolley plays John Hodges, who at the age of 65, is fired from his job in a printing company due to corporate policy that no one can work past 65. Many baby boomers wish that were the case today, because in fact, they'll be working way past 65. He finds out that the company he works for is a subsidiary of a huge company that is owned by a huge corporation. Finding out the name of the President of that huge corporation, he dies his hair and whiskers and poses as the man, comes to town, tours the plant, and makes a speech in which he declares that the knowledge of our elders is critical in printing, and changes the policy.And there the fun begins. The boss' wife (Constance Bennett), feeling unloved by her husband (Dekker), falls for Hodges; his granddaughter's boyfriend (Wayne) recognizes him and tells someone else at the plant; and the corporation doesn't know what to do. This fake president has raised their stock and given them a fabulous profile, so much so that the labor union has settled their grievances with them. How can they call his bluff? I seem to have enjoyed this film more than some of the other posters. Thelma Ritter, as John's daughter-in-law, is a scream. An ex-singer who gave up her career to marry George (Joslyn), John's son, sings "Temptation" while in the kitchen - she's hilarious. Woolley is great as an older man not ready to be put out to pasture, and it's wonderful to see one of the great stars of the '30s, Constance Bennett, in a later role.This film is remembered today as early Marilyn Monroe. She plays the boss' sexy secretary, and she does a wonderful job. It's a small role, but you can definitely see that she, Peters, who plays the granddaughter, and David Wayne are all getting the star buildup and are each at different stages of it. Monroe was just about to break through, and she and Wayne would appear together in "How to Marry a Millionaire" (where he says, "I already think you're quite a strudel.") Entertaining and definitely worth seeing.

This is a likeable little comedy/drama. It has a good cast, and a fairly interesting plot. One thing, though. The movie jacket for "As Young As You Feel" has a large photo of Marilyn Monroe and her name is printed on the top. Don't let that fool you, though. Marilyn only has a small part in this movie, portraying a secretary, although she makes the most of her scenes.

Seeing that this was adapted from a story by Paddy Chayefsky, I expected a little more venom. But I guess this is before Chayefsky started sharpening his pen. At the end of the film when a good jab at big business could be given, all we get was something along the lines of make sure you enjoy your work. It didn't quite convince my wife as she was rooting for Monty Woolley to do the opposite. Woolley does a splendid job as John Hodges but truth be told, he played these type of characters many times before. Also notable is Marilyn Monroe in a small role but already stealing her every scene.