Advertisement for Young American in The Vidette-Messenger, 1932
By Jeff Schultz
Perhaps the most significant innovation in going to the movies 90 years ago was not the ability of motion pictures to have synchronized soundtracks so they could talk, but rather the invention of air conditioning. If you have ever sat in a theater whose A/C has gone on the fritz, you’ll agree that comfort is a crucial element in enjoying a movie. This hadn’t gone unnoticed in the early 1930s, as many movie theaters spent megabucks on turning their auditoriums into commercial igloos. When the temps went up outside, so did ticket sales.
It was such an event when the Shauer family installed “the most modern washed-air cooling and ventilating system” to its Premier Theatre in June 1932, it made the front page of the Vidette Messenger, touting “the coolest spot in town” and offering “entertaining relief from the worst that the weather man has to offer.”
To pay homage to the 90th anniversary of the Premier Theatre’s so-called summer of cool, I looked up what shows were included in this “entertaining relief.” Being that one of the biggest weekends for moviegoing is the Fourth of July, this selection of Going Back to the Movies will look at the Premier’s offering for its special holiday matinee, “Young America.”
The title refers not to the early days of the U.S. as one might have guessed for a holiday but instead to juvenile delinquents. While 1930s cinema is known for its gangster films and lavish musicals, there was a popular genre in the progressive vein that yearned for audiences to take another look at the ills of society.
The story introduces us to Edith Doray who has been given the assignment by her women’s club to report on the state of troubled youth in the community. A gracious juvenile court judge invites her to sit in on his proceedings where we hear of crimes such as running away from home seven times in one month, leading dangerous gangs and stealing a vegetable wagon.
Later, one of the boys saves Mrs. Doray’s dog from getting hit by a car and with gratitude she offers the young man, named Art, a job at her husband’s drug store. The husband says he can have it if he comes to work on time but is fired for being late on the first day after he gets caught up in a fight with a schoolyard bully. After being scolded by his aunt, Art spends time with his best friend Nutty and his grandmother, who he looks up to. The grandmother is unable to buy medicine she needs so Art breaks into the drug store and gets arrested. Having no legal guardian to claim him, Mrs. Doray takes Art in as an act of charity, although her husband pooh-poohs it. An unselfish deed in the end proves Art is not the bad kid Mr. Doray or anyone else thinks of him.
The Premier billed “Young America” as a “charming production” in its ad, which may have been the case 90 years ago, but today’s standards make it seem dull. There could have been more charm in the scenes between the Dorays and Art as there have been many movies where a curmudgeon finds his cold heart warmed by the sweet kid (take “Dennis the Menace” for example) but the movie doesn’t do much here besides a humorous scene where Art plunges his spoon into a grapefruit at dinner and inadvertently squirts juice into Mr. Doray’s eye. Most of the time, the movie exhibits sentimentality that often feels forced.
“Young America” is still notable for a number of reasons. Playing Mr. Doray is Spencer Tracy, one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, and the judge is played by Ralph Bellamy, who fifty years later starred as one of the millionaires in “Trading Places” with Eddie Murphy. This is one of Tracy’s earlier films, and although he is impressive here, it pales with his more famous roles. The kids in the film do a good job but I’d say Beryl Mercer is the best as the grandmother.
My rating for “Young America” is 2 out of 4 stars. The film is directed Frank Borzage, the first person to ever win an Oscar for Best Director. That was for the superior “7th Heaven” in 1929. His follow-up film, “Street Angel,” is also worth checking out. Both are available on YouTube to enjoy in the cool comforts of your home.
This article originally appeared on the front page of The Vidette-Messenger on June 3, 1932.