You're Never Too Young (1955)

disgusting, overrated, pointless

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The best Martin-Lewis collaboration is, to me, Hollywood OR BUST, but this one is not so far behind. It has some hilarious spoofs of Chaplin's GREAT DICTATOR (the sequence where Mussolini and Hitler are on a barber's chair); NORTH BY NORTHWEST (the sequence in the train where Lewis is in Lynn's room), and of THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR, but, above all, Lewis is in great form playing an 11-year-old kid on the run from murderer and diamond thief Raymond Burr (fresh from playing the evil Thorwald in Hitchcock's REAR WINDOW the previous year).I reckon Martin was a better actor than Lewis, but his part is less eye-catching. He sings two or three songs, but they are not the best in his career repertoire - quite forgettable, in fact - which does not do him any favors. One sequence where he is supposed to conduct a choir and Lewis takes over pretty much symbolizes Lewis' upper hand throughout YOU ARE NEVER TOO YOUNG.Diana Lynn is attractive enough in her part, Burr is quite good as the heavy, and the rest of the cast is hardly perceptible.Taurog's direction is purely commercial with some great action sequences, especially the final ski and boat chase; color photography is quite good for a 1955 low budget movie; and the script is good enough to keep you interested.A well deserved 7/10.

Copyright 1955 by Paramount Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Criterion: 25 August 1955. U.S. release: August 1955. U.K. release: 14 November 1955. Australian release: 30 December 1955. Sydney opening at the Capitol (ran one week). Nationally re-issued by Paramount in the U.S.A. on a double bill with "The Caddy" in 1963. 9,250 feet. 102 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Escaping a pursuing gangster, an adult poses as a 12-year- old in order to travel half fare on the train.NOTES: The original movie starred Ray Milland and Ginger Rogers in the roles now played by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, respectively.As a team, Martin and Lewis never achieved anything like the success overseas that they enjoyed in the United States. Their most successful features in foreign shores were in order: Sailor Beware (1952), Hollywood or Bust (1956 — their last movie together), My Friend Irma (1950), Living It Up, Three Ring Circus (both 1954), Pardners (1956), Money From Home, Scared Stiff (both 1953). Even these were only moderately popular at the box-office. My own favorite is Artists and Models (1955), which like The Stooge (1953) and You're Never Too Young failed miserably outside America. That's My Boy (1951) and The Caddy (1953) barely recovered overhead and advertising costs, while My Friend Irma Goes West, At War with the Army (both 1950) and Jumping Jacks (1952) returned a modest profit.COMMENT: Thanks to the presence of Raymond Burr, this one is a fair deal funnier than the average Martin and Lewis vehicle. Fans will enjoy the slapstick chase ski finale despite the use of obvious doubles in which Lewis (real name Joseph Levitch) has one good joke when he discovers his picnic sandwich is ham. The color photography is always nice, there are lots of girls milling around (who join Dean and Jerry in one high-stepping production number). Dean also has the usual number of obligatory songs which he renders in his usual pleasant style.Unfortunately it is just impossible to accept Lewis as a child which undermines a lot of the comedy, especially when Diana Lynn tries so valiantly to play it straight. Nina Foch (pronounced "Forsh') has another of her characteristically acidic, other-woman roles and Veda Ann Borg makes her usual effective moll. Hans Conried has some moments as a French barber. Lewis mugs away with his usual abandon but thanks to the script and Mr. Burr is occasionally amusing. Taurog's direction rates as a great deal livelier than usual.

The Paramount library was a good place for source material for the Martin& Lewis team while they were making big bucks for the studio. You're Never Too Young was a gender reversal remake of the Billy Wilder classic, The Major And The Minor. Not that anyone would confuse Ginger Rogers and Jerry Lewis.Just as Ginger Rogers was pretending to be a juvenile in the Wilder film, Jerry is pretending to be a little boy because there's a killer after him. The killer is Raymond Burr and he's killed a man to obtain a very valuable diamond. In trying to escape the hotel where the crime happened Burr palms off the diamond and eventually it winds up with Lewis.On the train to Blitzen, Washington (is there such a place) Jerry meets up with Dean Martin and Diana Lynn going back to a girl's school. Also on that train is Burr forcing Jerry to adopt that disguise. Jerry takes shelter with them and boards at the girl's school. Lucky dog.Arthur Schwartz and Sammy Cahn teamed to write the score for You're Never Too Young of which the number Simpatico done in a nice Latin tempo by Dean is the best. There's Nina Foch in the cast playing a designing woman whose designs are on Dean and her mother runs the school. And we can never forget Veda Ann Borg who always adds something to any movie she's in. Watch her try to vamp the diamond out of Jerry.Even missing some of the Billy Wilder bite, You're Never Too Young is a funny enough film that will please more than Martin&Lewis fans.

I have watched Billy Wilder's "The Major and the Minor" twice--not because I liked it but because my impression was so poor compared to the film's very good reputation. Here in "You're Never Too Young", the same terribly flawed plot is recycled but with no originality and A LOT of Jerry (whether or not this is a good thing depends on your feelings about his style of comedy). I actually think I am generous in giving this disappointing film even a 4. Here are some reasons I disliked the film: 1. The plot has to get the viewer to suspend disbelief to the point where the viewer has to be stupid! Who would believe that the almost 30 year-old Jerry could successfully pose as a 13 year-old?!? Not only did he sport a 5 o'clock shadow, but he was 6 feet tall!! And his version of a kid is loud, shrill and annoying.2. Jerry is loud, shrill and annoying. I frankly wanted to see him shut up and stop overdoing every scene. Subtle he wasn't--which is a shame, as Lewis could be subtle and funny if properly directed.3. There is no originality at all about the film. It's simply a copy of "The Major and the Minor" and does not improve on it in any way. Dean Martin's songs are pleasant but do not make up for this deficiency.So, if you love Jerry Lewis films and think he's a genius AND can believe he can pass for a kid, you'll probably enjoy this film. Otherwise, beware!