The Age of Consent
First film for Dorothy Wilson, who was "discovered" working as a secretary at RKO.,At about the 28 minute mark when Betty lays back after Mike kisses her you can see the ground moving under her head when she moves.,Dora Swale: [as Mike enters the restaurant where she is a waitress] Hello, pollywog.
Michael 'Mike' Harvey: Hello, Dora.
[while looking for an empty booth to sit in, he overhears a couple talking loudly]
Unseen Female I: Whaddyou care if they're sharp or not? You can rub your beard off with a towel.,Paradise
(1931) (uncredited)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics by Nacio Herb Brown and Gordon Clifford
Played at the dance and danced by Dorothy Wilson and Eric Linden and other couples,This little precode film deals with the unfortunate fact that hormonal activity peaks at the same time in life that critical decisions must be made. In this case we have a couple half-way through college - Betty and Mike - that are starting to suffer certain "urges". Mike wants to get married, but Betty thinks that if Mike drops out of college to marry her, he'll regret it someday and she wants them to wait. In the meantime, popular coed Duke Galloway sees an opportunity in this romantic intermission and starts to put the moves on Betty.

All of this angst leads Mike to drink heavily one night and fall for the charms of local waitress Dora Swale. Dora is OK with the fact that this is a one night stand, but just as Mike is getting ready to leave her house, Dora's dad appears, and he is not at all happy about the situation.

If this seems very frank and daring for 1932, it is. There are no big name stars in this film. The biggest name is John Halliday as Professor David Matthews who acts as a father figure to Mike, even though he is given to handing out confusing advice. He and Barbara act as an analog for the possible future Mike and Betty - they were in love and waited to finish their education. After graduation they found that there was nothing to pick up where they had left off, and are now heading into middle age alone. The best lines go to Arline Judge as Dora. She doesn't look like her, but Arline's voice, her movements, and definitely her attitude are precode Stanwyck.

I've already mentioned how things stay the same - the hormonal challenges of late adolescence/early adulthood. How things have changed is the lesson this film seems to teach - that college is optional and even a possible obstacle in seeking true happiness, and maybe it was in 1932 when people married earlier and needed less skill to make a living wage. Today, however, it is an essential rite of passage to a middle class lifestyle, and even then there are no guarantees.,