User Reviews

What a delightful treat this little movie turned out to be! Not daffy enough to be considered a screwball yet too amusing to be regarded as anything but a comedy, "The Young In Heart" (1938) shows us what happens when an entire nuclear family of con artists finally gains a conscience, while living with a sweet, rich old lady who they are trying to bilk. And what a bunch of performers have been collected to portray that family! Roland "Topper" Young (in heart) plays the father, Sahib; everyone's favorite twittery witch, Billie Burke, is the mom; Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. is the son; and Janet Gaynor, here in her last role before her comeback 20 years later (in "Bernardine"), plays the daughter. All give delicious comedic performances, and are ably abetted by former stage actress Minnie Dupree, excellent and understated as the little old lady, and Paulette Goddard, who Dougy is trying to woo. This is a David Selznick picture--it came between the previous year's "A Star Is Born" and the following year's "GWTW"--and is yet another class production for the legendary showman. But the real operative word for this film is "charm," which it exudes more than any other single ingredient. And my goodness, just how pretty is Janet Gaynor here, right before her retirement? Well, she makes even the yummy-looking Paulette Goddard look second best, and that should tell you something! Anyway, all in all, this picture is a real joy, and the crisp-looking DVD offered here only adds to the pleasure.

..., the Carltons, who meet a rich, lonely old lady and move into her lavish London home to keep her company while hoping to get written into her will.

Roland Young and Billie Burke play the parents, with Janet Gaynor and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. As their charming offspring. A monocled Young passes himself off as a former member of the Bengal Lancers, a role he had actually played in a Toronto stage presentation. Richard Carlson, in his film debut, plays a young Scotsman in love with Gaynor, while Paulette Goddard plays Fairbanks' boss of an engineering firm at which he is hired who takes an interest in him (and vice versa). Stage veteran Minnie Dupree plays the old lady, ironically named Miss Fortune.

This handsomely mounted Selznick production remains a charming delight throughout, with engaging performances from the entire cast. Scenes of sentiment that could easily have turned mawkish are rescued from that fate by the sincere performance of Miss Dupree as a kind, trusting soul. Also the love interests (Carleton, Goddard) of the fortune hunting offspring are both in on their schemes fairly early so there's no later nastiness in the film. It may be predictable where sentimental material of this nature will be headed but the charm of the writing and cast helps to maintain our interest.

Roland, by the way, gets hired as a salesman for a sleek lined, futuristic car called The Flying Wombat, which had car enthusiasts excited. The car in the film, a Phantom Corsair, cost $12,000 to make and can be seen speeding down lane ways in the film. It was going to be produced in limited numbers but those plans ended when its inventor died suddenly. Still, the Phantom Corsair or "Flying Wombat" can, at least, be seen in the film today.

Janet Gaynor, won the first Oscar for 3 silent films but had a considerable talkie career in the 1930s. At 32, she retired from films, and The Young in Heart was her final film. She mad once more film appearance in the 1950s. This is a subtle little film, and Gaynor plays against type as a con artist. Actually her brother and parents are con artists also. They happen upon a little old lady and move in with her in high hopes of getting her money. Sweet little comedy also boasts Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Billie Burke, and Roland Young as the family members. They are all terrific. Minnie Dupree is quite wonderful as Miss Fortune, and Richard Carlson, Paulette Goddard, Henry Stephenson, Billy Bevan, Eily Malyon, and Lucile Watson co-star. Not a screwball comedy, but more a comedy of manners, this is nonetheless a delightful if rarely seen little gem. Gaynor was so awful in her early talkies (like Sunnyside and Delicious) but somehow she learned the new medium and became a solid actress. She is wonderful in A Star Is Born, Three Loves Has Nancy, Small Town Girl, and The Farmer Takes a Wife. Too bad she quit films at such an early age. Fairbanks was always underrated. Goddard makes a nice impression here as well. And what about those Flying Wombats!

I.A.R. Wylie's serialized story "The Gay Banditti" becomes a heart-warming sentimental-comedy from producer David O. Selznick. A family of con-artists on the Riviera, about to bilk a former Senator out of some three million dollars, are asked to leave the country by the authorities; they're penniless, but luckily they meet a kindly old lady on the train to London and are asked to stay as guests at her mansion. The screenplay curdles with cuteness now and then (and certainly that unmemorable title hasn't enhanced the film's reputation), yet an enjoyable time is had by all. The first-rate cast (headed by Janet Gaynor as the "rotter" daughter) works the material fabulously, and there's a sweetheart of an automobile (the Flying Wombat). Also, a butler who adores Dominoes, a suspicious lawyer, a sharp working girl (Paulette Goddard, naturally stunning), and some satiric laughs while gently poking fun at the working class. *** from ****

Made in 1938, and starring Janet Gaynor and Douglas Fairbanks Jr, THE YOUNG IN HEART also introduced two newcomers, notably Paulette Goddard and Richard Carlson. It also featured Bille Burke and Roland Young. The story is about a clever family of spongers who latch onto an older rich lady who lives alone and is need of companions. Their intentions are to make her like them, which she does, and eventually get her to leave everything to them in her will.

Along the way, to impress her doubting attorney, Young and Fairbanks go out to find a job, something they have never done in their entire lives. Fairbanks runs into Goddard, as he applies for a job, and is smitten (who wouldn't be), and Young learns his trade as a car salesman very well, beginning to take pride in his endeavors.

This is a lovely film with performances simply stated. It was produced by David Selznick and directed by Richard Wallace. Selznick was, at the time this picture was being filmed, looking for a cast for his up and coming production of GONE WITH THE WIND. A bit of trivia: Paulette Goddard was the first choice for Scarlett O'Hara beating out other outstanding stars trying for the coveted role. That is until Vivien Leigh came along. Leigh got the role Goddard was after. Leigh auditioned for the role in THE YOUNG IN HEART that Goddard got.

Although I once was a sucker for any romantic comedy, especially from the 30's, I have become jaded over the last few years. with the preponderance and availability of so many, thanks to TCM, I have been disappointed time and again. The plots are more often than not cliché'd and predictable. The acting is, although good for the time, usually, very different from the style we are used to today. The chemistry between actors is usually nil. The quality of the production second rate.

What a treat and a surprise this film was! It deserves to be as highly regarded as The Awful Truth, it Happened One Night, and any top notch Romantic Comedy of the 30's. It had me laughing and tearing up. The quality of the production was top tier. Imagine using a clip from the train wreck (which was just a minor plot device) in a 1960's popular TV series. That is just one example of how 1st class this film is. Some of the scenes, particularly the father and son speculating over the construction site over how the workers could possibly be having any fun, and the father's horror at actually having to get a job along with the funeral procession to the door of the Flying Wombat dealership to take his position as a car salesman, are absolutely hilarious. (and not just hilarious "for its time.")

I won't add to the the praise of the actors from other reviewers. Just that I agree wholeheartedly.

It's not just another Romantic Comedy. It has drama and heart as well.

This is a movie which makes you want to sigh 'Aaaah' at the end when you first see it and look for it's faults later.

True, it's often over sentimental and contains a performance from Minnie Dupree as the old lady, which may invoke the occasional murderous thought, but it's a nice film, which leaves you completely satisfied and at peace with the world.

The splendid cast includes Janet Gaynor and Douglas Fairbanks Jnr, neither of whom were renowned for playing comedy but they are both excellent. Best of all is Roland Young as the father in possibly the finest performance of his distinguished career. A word also for Billie Burke, as the scatty mother, although I tend to find her performance a little irritating. Perhaps that's how it should be?

The support cast includes Richard Carlson in his first screen part and the lovely Paulette Goddard who do well in the limited roles they are playing. And of course Minnie Dupree.

All in all, a great little film that only the hard of heart could possibly dislike.

Aaaah!!

Highlights:

• The casting for the family of grifters. They're played by Roland Young, Billie Burke, Janet Gaynor, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., an interesting group of actors, and each are allowed to have their moments. Afterwards, Gaynor would retire from films at just 32, making this her last major part, and that alone makes it worth seeing.

• The old woman they try to bilk after latching on to her on a train, played by Minnie Dupree. We feel a tinge of sadness in her character, but mostly kindness and wisdom. She's travelling alone when they meet her, and says "Oh, I've seen many lovely things on this little jaunt. But I've had to see them alone. And after all, we see them best, really, through the eyes of those we love. Wasn't it Rossetti who said something like that somewhere? Beauty without the beloved is a sword through the heart." And yet, she's not a sad or pathetic character at all, on the contrary, she's dignified, and seems to accept life. Later she'll say "I've learned not to judge people. I've learned to take them as I find them, not as others find them. And most of all, I've learned to give complete and unquestioning faith to the people I love." She's wonderful.

• The futuristic 'Flying Wombat' car in the film, the prototype 'Phantom Corsair' in real life, is fantastic. What a fun touch this was.

• Several cute dog moments, including the little pupper tripping while trying to get up a couple of stairs.

Lowlights:

• A little too sugary and light, at least for my taste (though hey, it's a comedy). I never felt that this family of grifters was truly real, and I wish there had been at least an element of menace. There is a niceness to them even when they're scheming, and it doesn't feel like they're as underhanded as they should be. Part of that may be the likeability of the cast working against them (Gaynor is as angelic as ever), but I think it has more to do with the script (e.g. their unlikely honesty and forthrightness about their plans) and the tone the film took. I think the film's payoff would have been more powerful had it been otherwise.

• The love interests for Gaynor and Fairbanks, played by Richard Carlson and Paulette Goddard, are tepid and mostly wasted in the roles of consciences for the pair.

• The ending. I won't spoil it with a description or even an adjective, but will just say it felt kind of glued on there.

Janet Gaynor, Roland Young, Billie Burke, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. meet Minnie Dupree, who is "The Young at Heart" in this 1938 film. Gaynor et al are the Carltons, a family of con artists. When we first meet them, Richard Carleton (Fairbanks Jr.) has nabbed a live one, an unattractive albeit wealthy young woman, and George-Anne (Gaynor) has met a Scottsman (Richard Carlson), who is broke. However, they're found out and have to go on the lam. On the train, they meet an old lady, Miss Fortune, and when the train crashes, they get her outside. She credits them with saving her life. Realizing she's lonely, they move in with her for two weeks while they figure out their next destination. When they realize she has money, they decide to make their living situation permanent, figuring she'll put them in the will. Well, a funny thing happens on the way to the con.

This film might not be to everyone's taste - some will find it overly sentimental - but it is definitely to my taste. Vivid characters, funny scenes, and with good performances, "The Young in Heart" is a warm film. Paulette Goddard plays the young woman whom Fairbanks Jr. meets, and she's lovely.

Without this fine cast and the direction by Richard Wallace, this might have been a sappy movie. Janet Gaynor looked sweet, but she was also a very good actress. Here she's smart and believable. Fairbanks Jr. is always wonderful, as are Billie Burke and Roland Young. Minnie Dupree is delightful as Miss Fortune.

A very satisfying film, a nice ending - highly recommended.

The Young In Heart (1938) : Brief Review -

The Silent Cinema Legend Janet Gaynor gets her most loved talkie in her final lead role, and that's not a coincidence. That's what God planned for her. Janet Gaynor and silent movies are a different equation altogether. She is definitely among the top 5 silent era actresses ever, but her talkies weren't that great. The Young In Heart gives that most lovable talkie she deserved and interestingly it came with her final lead role movie. That can't be a coincidence, but I believe even God wanted her to get one solid film in the talkie era that people will remember, and she gets it. Thank you God for giving a memorable farewell to the legendary actor, and thank you Janet for the lovely entertainment. So, The Young at Heart is a moving film with some life lessons. The film is about four cons, but it does not con the audience. Rather, it educates you. Thrown out of the Riviera, a family of grifters meets a lonely, vulnerable, rich old woman and insinuates themselves into her life while they sponge off her. They plan to get her property after her death, but instead they learn to live, and how. Life is not life without work, kindness and love, and money isn't everything. You may earn money by doing the wrong things, but you'll never earn trust and friends with whom you can share your happiness and sad moments. Without them, you will remain lonely, with money in your pockets that just doesn't help. These are the points this film tries to make clear in heart-touching manners. Janet Gaynor gives a substantial performance with different shades, and even her accent is very pleasant. Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Paulette Goddard, Billie Burke and Roland Young are good, but Minnie Dupree deserves a special mention. Richard Wallace's idea of making misfortune meet Miss Fortune works big time as you take home some great thoughts as the film ends. Just a few minor faults here and there, but otherwise a perfect piece of thoughtful entertainment!

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

The Young In Heart is the story of the Carleton Family an civilized and amiable a group of grifters that the screen ever portrayed. The members are Roland Young and Billie Burke and their children Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Janet Gaynor.

On one train trip where Janet's caught the eye of earnest Richard Carlson and Doug is maybe getting in over his head with southern belle Margaret Early, the family makes the acquaintance of an ingenuous old woman played by Minnie Dupree. They seem to hit it off, even more so after a train wreck and the Carletons look after her.

Dupree's family is long gone and she lives in genteel splendor in a very big house in London. In a burst of generosity she invites the whole family to stay with her. It's an opportunity to good to pass up, I know I wouldn't pass up free lodging even for a short spell.

But in order to keep up appearances and maybe she'll leave them the place in a will, they have to get jobs to appear on the up and up. At least the men folk do. Doug gets a job in an engineering firm, he charms Paulette Goddard into hiring him in an entry level position. And Young gets a job selling a brand new state of the art British car, the Flying Wombat. Both the guys especially Young prove really good, although you have to admit that selling cars should be something an accomplished grifter could take to right away.

In order for The Young In Heart to work the part of the old lady must be carefully cast and played. Minnie Dupree in one of her very few screen appearances is great in the part, bringing the right amount of charm to the role without it becoming maudlin. When you think about it, her's is the most important part, the whole film is structured around it.

Next to Dupree, I like Young the best. He's got a great scene when instead of being fired because they've found out he's a crook, he's offered a promotion to general manager, he's done that well.

I've known a few people in my life, one in particular who was one of the brightest people I've ever met, but who spent his whole short life of some 31 years on earth, running one big revolving con game. He was hard to dislike like the Carletons are, but you could never really get close to him. And if he'd ever applied himself honestly, he could have been a success in any field that interested him.

That's the charm of The Young In Heart, the thought that some people like this can be redeemed. Or maybe that in itself is a big con.

The Young In Heart got Oscar nominations for musical scoring and cinematography. Certainly one talented and charming cast gave it their best and the film is a delight.

This movie has a truly stellar cast, and they all give wonderful performances - to the extent that they can with a promising but in the end very unsatisfying script.

The idea behind this movie - that dishonest, "bad" people can be won over to honesty and goodness by goodness - isn't a very interesting one. Nor is it helped by the one weak spot in an otherwise very strong series of performances, Minnie Dupree's Miss Fortune. She is so treacly nice that any adult would have a problem not dismissing her a simple-minded. Whether this is because the role was poorly written or because Dupree did a poor job of performing it, I can't say. She comes across as more pitiful than good, and it creates something of an empty hole at the center of the movie.

Despite that, Gaynor, Fairbanks, and Young give stellar performances as cads who are eventually converted to caring kindness. For Gaynor's character that isn't a big change, but it takes time for the other two. In the process, the three actors, all first rate, give wonderful, engaging performances.

Goddard was also a first-rate actress. In her case, unfortunately, the script offers little to work with.

This is in no sense a bad movie. It's just frustrating, because it features some very wonderful actors in their prime trying their best to make something wonderful out of a script that just doesn't give them much to work with.

Never heard of this film and I was very surprised that Janet Gaynor, (George-Anne) performed in this film which seemed to have been forgotten in the vaults over the years. The story deals with a family called the "Carletons" who are professional con-artists who look for wealthy widows in need of friends and comfort or even card games and gambling. As time moves on, these crooks discover a little old lady they met on a train who is very lonely and very rich and the crooks hope they can con this lady to change her will which will allow them to retire from the rackets. However, this little sweet old lady changes the direction of this entire film. There are great performances by Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks,Jr., and the introduction of Richard Carlson to his first role in a picture. Enjoy

A family of con-artists trick their way into the confidence of lonely old lady Minnie Dupree (Miss Fortune) whilst on a train out of Monaco, having been thrown out of the country. Daughter Janet Gaynor makes the initial contact and they are invited to stay at the wealthy lady's house with a plan to work their way into her will and inherit her fortune. They have to work together as a family to pull off the scam and put on an act before the old lady is taken ill and their plan can be realized. It's a comedy, so there is a twist - it's not completely ruthless.

The cast are all likeable with the exception of Dupree. Whilst she plays the frail old lady as just that - a frail trusting old lady, her character is a turn-off to me. I just can't stand sickly sweet and I'm not keen on any sentimental garbage that goes along with this style. I'm afraid this loses marks for me. The film could have developed further amusing scenes instead of giving way to sentimentalism but it still has funny moments.

Con-artists like this do exist and I encountered one such person who was passing himself off as a member of the British royal family. We were all taken in by him, accepted him into our crowd for several weeks but it was all a sham and he was stealing money from us and sponging his way into our social scene as he looked for his next victims to lie to. Extraordinary.

Light, forgettable comedy that has a few laughs but is painfully predictable from first scene to last.

I was ten years old when this movie was first released. I'm now ninety. There were scenes that stayed with me through the years, though I'd not seen the movie again--till now. I was thrilled to catch it on a movie channel in December of 2018. I'm a big fan of Roland Young, and his performances reward me in every movie he's appeared. Please, if you're reading this, don't miss the opportunity to watch The Young in Heart. It will give you boundless satisfaction and delight. Watch also for Billie Burke's claim during a dinner conversation about India. That's not a spoiler. Just a tip.

THE YOUNG IN HEART (Selznick International, 1938), directed by Richard Wallace, stars the Academy Award winning Janet Gaynor in her final starring role during her "golden age of Hollywood." Not to be confused with an earlier Gaynor film, CHANGE OF HEART (Fox, 1934), nor a latter movie bearing a similar title, THE YOUNG AT HEART (Warner Brothers, 1955) starring Doris Day and Frank Sinatra, this production is a light comedy taken from the novel by I.A.R. Wylie. Coming at a time when comedies, especially those "screwball" themes, were in vogue, THE YOUNG IN HEART, although predictable in a sense, offers enough humor and originality to stand on its own. With introduction credited to Richard Carlson, making his screen debut, and the third-billed Paulette Goddard, a promising young actress on the rise, honorable mention goes to a prominent theatrical actress, Minnie Dupree, in a very rare screen performance.

The story concerns the Carleton family: Saltin, alias Colonel Anthony (Roland Young); his wife, Marmy (Billie Burke); and their adult children, Richard Carleton (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) and George-Anne (Janet Gaynor), who are given an open introduction: "The Riviera! Coney Island with a monocle – when the beach twinkles like a Gold Piece and the Moon comes rolling out of a slot machine. Here millionaire Mama seeks a glamorous son-in-law, while tired Papa looks for new ways to get trimmed – and here came the Carletons, a merry streamlined family excluding charm and a touch of larceny with every fortune-hunting smile." At Monte Carlo, Richard Carleton is set to marry Adela Jennings (Margaret Early), a homely daughter of former Georgia senator, Albert J. Jennings (Irvin S. Cobb) and his wife, Melna (Lucile Watson), for her money. After being discovered and exposed as fortune hunting con-artists, the prefect of police (Walter Kingsford) sets the now destitute Carletons on their way with paid train tickets bound for London, England. The Carleton reputation, however, doesn't phase Duncan McCree (Richard Carlson) from wanting to marry George-Anne, who feels it be better for all to break off their engagement while in reality not being rich enough for her. While on board the train, George Anne makes the acquaintance of Miss Ellen Fortune (Minnie DuPree), a sweet little old lady with lots of money but no friends nor living relatives. Inviting George-Anne and her family to her compartment, Miss Fortune takes the family into her confidence. After an unexpected train wreck, the lonely spinster fights loneliness by inviting the Carletons to her luxurious but empty mansion where she'll have the companionship of good friends. Plotting to remain with Miss Fortune with the hope of being named as correspondents in her will and inherit her home at the time of her death, George-Anne feels it best for the family to act legitimate by having outside jobs so not to cast any suspicion from Miss Fortune's lawyer, Feliz Amstruther (Henry Stephenson). During the course of time, Mr. Carleton becomes salesman for the Flying Womart Motor Car while Richard works as a clerk at an engineering firm where he finds a romantic interest with Leslie Saunders (Paulette Goddard). Complications arise as Duncan returns to George-Anne's life, feeling he might spoil the family plot to what may happen if Miss Fortune should ever learn the truth about the Carletons.

A delightful story with an interesting cast of fine performers and character types. While Paulette Goddard had few screen credits to her name, her most famous being opposite Charlie Chaplin in his final silent comedy, MODERN TIMES (1936), her screen introduction here plays like a movie debut. For Janet Gaynor's second and final film for producer David O. Selznick, THE YOUNG IN HEART is certainly a worthy follow-up to her initial Selznick production of A STAR IS BORN (1937). One wonders had Gaynor not retired upon this film's release how far her movie career might have gone or developed if extended into the 1940s and beyond. Though Gaynor made a return engagement to films opposite Pat Boone in BERNADINE (20th-Fox, 1957), and occasional television appearances later on, her glory days of Hollywood were behind her. While it may be a little hard to accept Richard Carlson as the accented Scotsman, Roland Young and Billie Burke, most remembered for their trilogy "Topper" movie series, once again prove themselves a fine screen team. Regardless of how they present themselves, THE YOUNG IN HEART comes close to belonging to the now unfamiliar face and name of Minna DuPree, who gives both warmth and sincerity to her character that should have at least earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Animal actors featuring a dog and penguin provide some very cute moments as well.

Of the many comedies of this nature produced in the 1930s, it's now hard to imagine THE YOUNG IN HEART as an overlooked item long forgotten through the passage of time. Not every movie is destined to have a lasting legacy, but does deserve a look to determine whether or not this to be a regarded a rediscovered classic. Unseen on broadcast television since the early 1960s, my introduction to THE YOUNG IN HEART actually came when given a then rare television showing on New York City's WNBC, Channel 4, in mid 1982 where it was with an background commentary by non-other than Bette Davis. Over the forthcoming years, THE YOUNG IN HEART has turned up on some cable/public television channels and/or video cassette, often in colorized formats. In recent years, it's guaranteed original black and white form either on DVD or whenever presented on Turner Classic Movies. (***1/2)