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6.5/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.5/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Young America remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for pre-Code era dramas that try a little too hard to be wholesome, sure. It’s definitely for people who enjoy watching Spencer Tracy before he became the absolute titan of the screen, here playing a small-town druggist who is mostly just exhausted by life. If you hate movies where the 'troubled youth' trope feels a bit stage-managed or you find 1930s morality plays to be a total drag, skip it. You probably won't find the plot twists all that surprising.
There is this moment about halfway through where Arthur and his friend are just sitting there, looking completely defeated, and you can tell the actors are actually feeling the humidity of the set. It’s 1932, and the whole thing has this dusty, lived-in quality that feels more real than a lot of modern period pieces.
The whole premise of breaking into a drugstore for grandma’s medicine is classic, almost like a riff on The Woman of Lies in terms of how it handles social desperation. But here, the movie pivots into this weird custody battle situation. It’s less about the crime and more about these two adults arguing over a boy like he’s a piece of furniture.
Watching Spencer Tracy try to play a 'good citizen' is interesting. He doesn't have that jagged edge he’d pick up later in his career. He’s just a guy trying to keep his shop from being robbed while dealing with a wife who has way too much patience for neighborhood kids.
The ending feels a bit rushed, like the studio realized they hit their runtime quota and just slammed the door shut on the story. It doesn't have the grit of The Stranglers of Paris, but it isn't trying to, either. It’s just a small, quiet story about a kid who needs a break.
I found myself zoning out during the courtroom bits—everyone always talks too much in these old movies when they get into a judge's chambers. But then, the camera catches a look on the kid's face that changes the whole mood. It’s that raw, unpolished stuff that keeps me watching these ancient flicks. 🎞️
IMDb —
1926
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