You're Only Young Twice (film)

You're Only Young Twice is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Terry Bishop and starring Duncan Macrae, Joseph Tomelty, Patrick Barr, Charles Hawtrey and Diane Hart.[1] It was based on the play What Say They? by James Bridie. The film was produced by the government backed Group 3 Films and shot at Southall Studios with sets designed by the art director Ray Simm.

You're Only Young Twice
Directed byTerry Bishop
Written byReginald Beckwith
Terry Bishop
Lindsay Galloway
Based onWhat Say They? by James Bridie
Produced byJohn Baxter
Barbara K. Emary
StarringDuncan Macrae
Joseph Tomelty
Patrick Barr
Charles Hawtrey
Diane Hart
CinematographyJo Jago
Edited byBernard Gribble
Music byCedric Thorpe Davie
Production
company
Distributed byAssociated British-Pathé (UK)
Release date
  • July 1952 (1952-07) (UK)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Premise

edit

A young woman visiting a Scottish university in search of her uncle, who is in hiding from the authorities, is mistaken for the principal's secretary, so she pursues the impersonation.

Cast

edit

Production

edit

John Grierson, head of Group 3, thought it had "some of the fastest and best dialogue in a generation."[2]

Critical reception

edit

The Radio Times has described it as a "theatrical comedy," which was "shakily brought to the screen...the story involves mistaken identity, Celtic poetry, horse racing and the rigging of Rectorial elections. Blink and you'll miss Ronnie Corbett in what, of course, can only be described as a small role."[3]

References

edit
  1. ^ "You're only Young Twice! (1952) - BFI". BFI. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
  2. ^ Grierson, John (27 September 1951). "Three's Company Adds Up". Kine Weekly.
  3. ^ Adrian Turner. "You're Only Young Twice". RadioTimes.

Bibliography

edit
  • Harper, Sue & Porter, Vincent. British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference. Oxford University Press, 2007.
edit