In upscale Beverly Hills, angst-ridden 16-year-old James MacArthur (as Harold "Hal" Ditmar) wants to borrow his father's car to take pal Jeffrey Silver (as Jerry Doyle) out to the movies. Successful movie producer father James Daly (as Thomas "Tom" Ditmar) jerks young MacArthur around, teasingly. The lads wind up going out in MacArthur's battery-challenged jalopy. Obviously having problems relating to his dad, MacArthur acts bratty at the movies. He talks during the film and sticks his feet up over chairs in front, which especially annoys a man trying to get chummy with his female companion...
MacArthur and his young pal are told to leave the cinema, which seems like the best outcome. Then, oddly, MacArthur is asked to visit theater manager Whit Bissell (as Grubbs) in his office. Declining this invitation, young MacArthur gets in a scuffle and is taken to the police station. MacArthur claims he hit Mr. Bissell in self-defense, but Mr. Daly doesn't believe his son. While the action shifts to the police station, cops ticket Macarthur's jalopy. Having gone out to the movies in Westwood recently, note that it's still easy to get a parking ticket in Westwood. But, hardly anyone puts their feet up on the seat anymore...
Neatly-written by Robert Dozier, this is a feature-film re-make of director John Frankenheimer's "Climax!" TV series episode "Deal a Blow" (1955), which also starred young MacArthur. A few others reprised their parts, as well. In a tailor-made introductory role, MacArthur was very impressive. The son of acclaimed actress Helen Hayes and successful writer Charles MacArthur, James Macarthur became most well-known for his supporting role in the classic TV series "Hawaii Five-O". In a re-cast role, Daly is extraordinary as the father; his alienation from son and wife Kim Hunter (as Helen) is unexpectedly heart-rending...
An older teenager, herein, MacArthur and Jeff Silver (also from the original TV episode) give off more of a gay vibe than may have been intended. How the young men sit when driven home from the police station and what can be described as "the lawnmower scene" are our best evidence; moreover, there are no female interests to contradict speculation. That doesn't adversely affect the basic story, but the incidents where MacArthur punches Mr. Bissell look more violent with a slightly older teenager. In fact, the second altercation made this viewer think MacArthur killed the movie manager. And, it didn't look like self-defense...
****** The Young Stranger (2/1/57) John Frankenheimer ~ James MacArthur, James Daly, Kim Hunter, Jeffrey Silver
MacArthur and his young pal are told to leave the cinema, which seems like the best outcome. Then, oddly, MacArthur is asked to visit theater manager Whit Bissell (as Grubbs) in his office. Declining this invitation, young MacArthur gets in a scuffle and is taken to the police station. MacArthur claims he hit Mr. Bissell in self-defense, but Mr. Daly doesn't believe his son. While the action shifts to the police station, cops ticket Macarthur's jalopy. Having gone out to the movies in Westwood recently, note that it's still easy to get a parking ticket in Westwood. But, hardly anyone puts their feet up on the seat anymore...
Neatly-written by Robert Dozier, this is a feature-film re-make of director John Frankenheimer's "Climax!" TV series episode "Deal a Blow" (1955), which also starred young MacArthur. A few others reprised their parts, as well. In a tailor-made introductory role, MacArthur was very impressive. The son of acclaimed actress Helen Hayes and successful writer Charles MacArthur, James Macarthur became most well-known for his supporting role in the classic TV series "Hawaii Five-O". In a re-cast role, Daly is extraordinary as the father; his alienation from son and wife Kim Hunter (as Helen) is unexpectedly heart-rending...
An older teenager, herein, MacArthur and Jeff Silver (also from the original TV episode) give off more of a gay vibe than may have been intended. How the young men sit when driven home from the police station and what can be described as "the lawnmower scene" are our best evidence; moreover, there are no female interests to contradict speculation. That doesn't adversely affect the basic story, but the incidents where MacArthur punches Mr. Bissell look more violent with a slightly older teenager. In fact, the second altercation made this viewer think MacArthur killed the movie manager. And, it didn't look like self-defense...
****** The Young Stranger (2/1/57) John Frankenheimer ~ James MacArthur, James Daly, Kim Hunter, Jeffrey Silver