User reviews

A truly charming film from the Master of Suspense. Being a rather huge Hitch fan, I recently sought out some lesser known films from his early period. Of those I viewed ("Number 17," & "Murder!" among others) this one was my favorite--among the best of his Pre-Hollywood films. There is the usual mixture of humor and suspense, some nice camera work (including a wonderful precursor to the "key-in-hand" shot of "Notorious"), and most importantly, Nova Pilbeam. I'm not sure how this actress managed to play her scenes SO appealingly, and yet managed to have fallen SO completely off the acting radar. How many people today have her name rattling about their cerebral attic? Virtually none, I'd hazard, and yet she is terrific here--worth the effort of finding the video for her performance alone.

This film certainly is not in the same league as Hitch's best, but still is vastly superior to the average suspense film coming out of Hollywood today--or any other day, for that matter.

I hold with what seems to be the majority opinion here, i.e. that this early Hitchcock effort is a neglected gem. Though certainly not as well-done as some of his more noteworthy movies, I found it to be thoroughly captivating and entertaining, with the blend of suspense and humor that one finds in, say, "To Catch a Thief" or "Family Plot". Derrick deMarney as the romantic lead does a particularly fine job; sort of a foreshadowing of the kind of thing Cary Grant later did so well.

One thought is that the title is perhaps a bit of a double entendre; we always associate the phrase "Young and Innocent" with a female, but the story is really about the attempt of the lead character - a young man - to prove his innocence. Then again, is he really the lead, or is the story about the girl after all? I'm sure Hitch intended this touch of ambiguity.

Once again I have to thank American Movie Classics for bringing us another worthy movie from the past. Hitchcock fans should not miss this one (come to think of it, the only dog that I have seen from Hitch is "The Paradine Case").

Sort of a blueprint for any number of later, more bloated Hitchcocks: The man falsely accused of murder; the sympathetic miss who helps him, the set pieces in creepy places. This one has a lighter, more picaresque feel than most of the Master's movies, with irrelevant but diverting supporting characters, Maguffins, an unstarry cast, and an unusual dollop of humor. It's also blessed by a screenplay that leaps nimbly from improbability to improbability, as much as its more famous contemporaries, like "The 39 Steps" or "The Lady Vanishes."

The light tone throughout tips us off that everything's going to turn out all right, so there's less suspense than we associate with Hitchcock. Still, it's beautifully photographed (with one really stunning crane shot), beautifully paced, and enjoyably acted. The unstoried Nova Pilbeam is a standout: She's the ideal Hitchcock heroine, blonde, slender, and spirited.

"Young and Innocent" is one of the best of Alfred Hitchcock's pre-Hollywood movies. It contains all of the features that characterized the finest of his British movies, and is (as many others have commented) a film often undeservedly overlooked amongst Hitchcock's large collection of classics.

The actors would all be unfamiliar to most contemporary American viewers, but it is a fine cast that does full justice to a good story, and that responds well to Hitchcock's expert direction. Derrick de Marney is engaging as the unjustly accused hero Robert Tisdall, and his character is balanced nicely by good performances from the rest of the cast (several of whom appeared in more than one of Hitchcock's British movies).

As is often the case with Hitchcock's British pictures, the title is capable of multiple interpretations. At the least, it could refer either to the hero, to the heroine, or to the overall atmosphere and themes of the movie. Young Tisdall is being chased by the law, but we know from the beginning that he is innocent, and his knowledge of that innocence enables him to remain upbeat and even playful despite the dangers and complications he faces. Erica (Nova Pilbeam), his reluctant friend and helper, is innocent in a different sense. In the story she finds her youthful naivete, especially the assumptions she has acquired in growing up as a chief police constable's daughter, challenged by the real world - perhaps for the first time in her life. Pilbeam is not a glamorous heroine (and this may be one of the reasons why "Young and Innocent" is unjustly neglected), but she was a good choice to portray the youthful earnestness and resulting moral dilemmas of her character.

Despite the film's short length, it is filled with classic Hitchcock touches of detail, artistry, and humor, many of which are more low-key than those in his more familiar Hollywood films. It is worth watching several times in order to catch and appreciate all of the details. Three sequences are especially worth noting: (i) the renowned tracking shot at the climax of the film, which is not only a fine technical achievement but also an ideal way to set up the suspenseful conclusion; (ii) the birthday party in the middle, which encapsulates in very subtle ways most of the themes and contrasts of the movie, and (iii) the sequence towards the beginning involving the hero's conference with his lawyer, his court appearance, and his escape, a sequence which is filled with comic details too numerous to catch all at once (including one of the director's most humorous cameos).

Any Hitchcock fan should thoroughly enjoy "Young and Innocent". Beyond that, any fan of thrillers who can look past an unfamiliar cast, and who is willing to look for the subtle touches that characterized the great director's British work, will also find the film a satisfying experience.

Young and Innocent (1937)

The title is appropriate to the point of being redundant, because in nearly every Alfred Hitchcock film the key theme is an innocent man accused. In this case, accused of murder, and the young man is a charming English actor, Derrick De Marney. As the police begin their hunt, he runs into the police chief's daughter, played by Nova Pilbeam, a tomboyish answer to Katherine Hepburn, and the real star of the movie.

This is a late British Hitchcock film, and it feels slightly raw around the edges, but it's so fast and likable and well constructed, you have to love it. In fact, the suspense of getting caught is balanced by some downright slapstick scenes that are brief and hilarious. And a reminder that this is a romp, the whole thing a beautiful, spritely entertainment. Never mind a killer is on the loose, because if one man is innocent of murder, another, out there somewhere, it not.

This is 1937, and by 1939 Hitchcock has moved to the U.S. to do Hollywood movies (including the amazing Rebecca in 1940), and so Young and Innocent and The Lady Vanishes (which has a similar quaint feel) wrap up his long British period. It says a lot for a movie to say I could watch it again, not because it's technically astonishing, but because it's just a joy, and very sweet. Never mind a little corniness or an inevitable ending, it's good!

Another wrongfully-accused-man-on-the-run tale from Hitchcock, this time starring Derrick De Marney as a singer accused of murder. He escapes custody with hopes of clearing his name, and gets some unexpected help from Erica (Nova Pilbeam), the daughter of a police inspector. With Percy Marmont, John Longden, Edward Rigby, Mary Clare, Basil Radford, George Curzon, George Merritt, Bill Shine, and Torin Thatcher.

This was becoming well-trod territory for Hitchcock even back in '37, and De Marney & Pilbeam don't quite have the screen charisma of Donat & Carroll, but this is still enjoyable if one keeps their expectations in check. There's some miniature work featuring some trains and cars, and suspenseful mine collapse. The finale, with a band in blackface, may keep this one on the lesser-shown list. Pilbeam was 17 when this was filmed, while her romantic onscreen partner De Marney was 31.

This is a good Hitchcock film, but on the lighter side. The acting may be disputed (certainly many dispute about it!), but in my opinion it is a very solid, entertaining, and well-acted picture. It does have much of Hitchcock about it (not surprisingly) and is well worth watching. All of the classic Hitchcock elements are there, and they fit together wonderfully: the musical score, the camera work, the twists and turns in the plot, the thrilling scenes, the build-up, the director himself ... and not to forget the story! This is built up very carefully, and contains many, many interesting side-glances and elements. But one needs to watch the film very carefully, or more than once, in order to find these. It is indeed a sort of '39 Steps', and a precursor to several later Hitchcock films, but in its own way it occupies a place rather different than any other Hitchcock film. I am referring to a certain 'bucolic' atmosphere, which is perhaps only equalled by 'The Trouble With Harry'. The parallels to this film have perhaps not yet been adequately explored.

Hitch GIves You Another Great Mystery Thriller dealing with a romantic murder-thriller drama in which a film star is killed by her estranged husband, who is jealous of all of her young boyfriends. The next day, writer Robert Tisdall (Derrick de Marney) who happens to be one such fianceé discovers her body on the beach . He runs to call the police, however, two witnesses think that he is the escaping killer, as he goes on the run . Robert is detained , but owing to a mix-up at the courthouse, he gets aways and goes on the run again , with a Police Constable's daughter named Erica (18-year-old Nova Pilbeam) , proving he didn't strangle the actress .Their only lead is provided by Old Will, who can identify the murderer, a man with noticeably twitching eyes.If they are able to discover the truth, they will find that Robert being incriminated for the murder is no accident .

Somewhat uneven mystery/suspense movie considered to be the successor to "39 Steps" about a Police constable's daughter who helps a fugitive and determined to prove his innocence . This is a rarely seen Hitch movie , being adapted from Josephine Tey's novel titled ¨A shilling for candles¨. Not awesome Hitchcock film but engrossing enough . There are at least three magnificent sequences with suspense and menace hovering in usual Hitchcock fashion , including some crane shots , as first scenes about murder , the car running into a mine that throws down itself , and finally at a hotel with a orchestra playing while camera watches and where everything finally jells . An set-pieces in which fugitives attempt to get away from a party are priceless . It was made at the newly opened Pinewood studios with adequate and appropriate set design . Both protagonists give an average acting , Marney has a most odd of a voice and Pilbeam is too gawky . As their parts and their relationships aren't very credible , at the same time in the movie happen some incidents with no much sense with the result that most of movie is a bit loose and disconcerting .The film belongs to Hitch's first British period , Alfred himself makes his usual cameo appearance : watch out for him in the crowd outside a courthouse . The main cast is well supported by some good actors by the time such as : Percy Marmont, Mary Clare , Edward Rigby , John Longden and Basil Radford .

The film belongs to first Hitch period shot in Great Britain , including silent and sound films ; when he directed silent films such as ¨The lodger¨ (1926) , ¨The ring¨(1927) , ¨Easy virtue¨ (1927) , ¨The Manxman¨(29) ; being ¨Blackmail¨(29) made as a silent , this was reworked to become a talkie . Other films are the following ones : Murder , Juno and the paycock , Skin game , Number 17 , The farmer's wife , Champagne , Rich and strange , The secret agent , Sabotage , The man who knew too much and 39 steps . Following other hits as ¨The lady vanishes¨(38) , ¨Jamaica Inn¨ (39) until he is hired by David O'Selznick to shoot ¨Rebecca¨(40) in the US . Rating : 6.5/10 . Decent and acceptable Hitchcock movie but not extraordinary .

In this near classic from director Alfred Hitchcock, a police detective's daughter and a writer get tangled up in a murder case, and the chase is on! While they are being pursued by the authorities, they themselves are searching for clues that might prove the writer is innocent. Nice Hitchcock touches elevate this film above your usual mystery romance. Nova Pilbeam and Derek DeMarney deliver charismatic performances as the two leads in the film. As usual, Hitchcock has paid careful attention to detail, continuity and pacing of the story, and the result is still entertaining decades later. This is a film which has aged rather well. There are so many delightful scenes in this movie that it is hard to pick a favorite. This film reveals all of the signs of genius that Hitchcock would continue to display for many years after this 1937 outing. "Young and Innocent" is said to be one of Hitchcock's personal favorites from the films that he made in Great Britain before his "Hollywood" era began. In my estimation, "Young and Innocent" is just a hair's width from being as good as the other two early directorial triumphs made by him in his British era which are considered classics: "The Thirty Nine Steps" and "The Lady Vanishes." For Hitchock fans, this is one of his must see films. 86/100.

It seems that every day THE 39 STEPS is on TV. Someone at the BBC seems to think that before he went to America, Hitchcock only ever made that and LADY VANISHES but this lesser known gem very nearly is just as good .....in fact it's very similar in style, story and feel.

If you like THE 39 STEPS you've probably watched this already but if you've not, watch it now!

Although this is so typical of 30s Hitchcock, it's also typical of his 40s and 50s output as well - all the tell tale signs are there but what comes screaming across more so is that subtle dark humour he infused into every scene. Quentin Tarantino did not invent subversion! Without being silly or comedic, this is a lot more fun than your usual murder mystery.

This is also a wonderfully joined up film where everything doesn't just get tied up at the end but you get clues masquerading as symbolism of how it will get tied up as it goes along. Such as up the scene near the beginning with the raincoat belt on the beach in the shape of a question mark to its big reveal at the end. Spotting things like this are very satisfying!

It's not 100% as good or as flashy as LADY or STEPS but it's still a big budget Gaumont-British production. If this had been the only film Mr Hitchcock ever made, I'm sure he'd still be famous just because of this.

What about the relatively B-list cast? A good director makes good actors and this is no exception to that rule. 17 year old Nova Pilbeam and 21 year old Derrick de Marney are both brilliant - they make acting look so easy which for us fans of 1930s films, we know is not always that easy!

Hitchcock is in a class by himself. I'll give any of his films multiple viewings. The story and structure of "Young and Innocent" resemble "The 39 Steps," with a young woman helping a young man on the run thwart the police and prove his innocence. This film is a standout, though, not because of the story or acting (both charming), but because of a virtuoso bit of directing by the Master, in which the location of the killer is revealed. As I watched the scene unfold for the first time, I remember thinking, "This is what makes Hitchcock Hitchcock." I wish I had never seen any Hitchcock films so I could watch them all again for the first time. His is a brilliant body of work, and this is an often overlooked example of his mastery of the film art.

When this film was released in the U.S. its title was altered to "The Girl Was Young", which implies that somebody in America misunderstood the significance of its British title "Young and Innocent". The word "young" in the title refers not to a girl but to a young man, and he is "innocent" not in the sense that he is naive (which the phrase "young and innocent" normally implies) but in the sense that he is not guilty of the crime of which he is suspected.

The theme of a man wrongly accused of a crime was to become a familiar one in the works of Alfred Hitchcock, and he had already used it in another film from his British period, "The 39 Steps" from two years earlier. The two films, in fact, have many similarities, although "Young and Innocent", unlike "The 39 Steps" or "The Lady Vanishes", does not deal with espionage.

The body of a young actress named Christine Clay is washed up on a beach somewhere on the English coast. It is discovered by a young man named Robert Tisdall, a friend of the dead woman, who runs off to get help. Unfortunately, he is seen doing so by two girls, who assume that he is the murderer and call the police. Robert is arrested and things begin to look bad for him when it is discovered that Christine was strangled with the belt from an overcoat similar to one he once owned. To make matters worse, it comes to light that Christine has left Robert a large sum in her will. (Why she should have done this is never made clear, given that the two were friends but not lovers. Presumably this detail was inserted to supply a plausible motive).

Of course, Robert is not the real murderer. Hitchcock, generally, did not deal in Agatha Christie-style whodunits in which the identity of the killer is kept from the audience until the very end. Here it is made clear from the beginning that the real culprit is Christine's obsessively jealous husband who, for some reason, is not suspected by the police. The police, in fact, are here shown as bumbling and incompetent, as they often are in Hitchcock's films. Robert's barrister proves to be equally inept, so Robert decides that his best course of action is to go on the run in an attempt to find the evidence which will prove his innocence. Like Richard Hannay in "The 39 Steps" he goes on a cross-country odyssey accompanied by a blonde young woman, in this case Erica Burgoyne, the daughter of the local Chief Constable whose men are searching for Robert. In both films the fugitive's female companion is initially forced to go with him against her will, but later comes to believe in his innocence and falls in love with him.

Like a number of Hitchcock's films, Young and Innocent" combines a basically serious theme- Robert is, after all, accused of a crime which in 1937 could have sent him to the gallows- with a good deal of humour. Some of this humour is satirical, aimed at the incompetence of the police force and court system, although there are other humorous scenes, such as those involving Erica and her three younger brothers or the one at the children's party.

Derrick De Marney is not a very charismatic hero, not in the same class as Robert Donat from "The 39 Steps" or Michael Redgrave from "The Lady Vanishes", although the young Nova Pilbeam, only eighteen at the time, makes a fresh and charming heroine. Nova also played the kidnapped teenager in Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" from three years earlier, although her acting career seemed to fizzle out in the forties, and I often wonder what happened to her. (She is, apparently, still alive).

The film does not contain any great Hitchcock set pieces except perhaps for the finale in the Grand Hotel when the murderer is eventually unmasked. (This scene has caused some controversy in recent years because of the presence of a dance band performing in blackface, although this would not have been seen as controversial in thirties Britain). Overall, I would not rate "Young and Innocent" as Hitchcock's greatest film from his British period, but it is still a fast-moving and enjoyable light thriller. 7/10

This early talkie from Alfred Hitchcock would stand a little taller in his catalog had it not come two years after his greatest "wrong-man" chase story, "The 39 Steps".

This time the wrong man is Robert Tisdall (Derrick De Marney), in trouble when a female acquaintance washes up on a quaint English beach while he is walking by - along with a coat belt which choked the life from her and apparently belonged to him. Rather than trust John Law to sort things out, he runs off to find the story behind the belt, taking with him Erica (Nova Pilbeam), the young and innocent daughter of the village police chief.

If "The 39 Steps" is about the man running away, "Young And Innocent" a.k.a. "The Girl Was Young", is about the woman helping him. Young Pilbeam (as of this writing the earliest Hitchcock heroine still alive) radiates unusual low-key beguilement for a Hitch blonde with her strong Martha Plimpton cheekbones, trim build, and fetching eyes. Unlike Madeleine Carroll in "The 39 Steps", she's never not on Tisdall's side in some way, and the suspense of "Young And Innocent" is less for that. But she keeps you watching her.

Poor De Marney is more like a stick of wood, though, reminding me of a grown-up Freddie Bartholomew and not surprisingly called "a boy" a few times. He distractingly treats the whole ordeal as something of a lark.

"I can laugh because I'm innocent," he tells Erica. "You don't believe me. I wish you did." Eventually, of course, she does. There's a fun scene at a children's party the two fugitives are trying to escape, where Basil Radford in a wimple offers unlikely aid. J.H. Roberts' defense attorney gets his client off despite his ineffectuality - easily the funniest incompetent solicitor until Henry Winkler's in "Arrested Development". Hitch's cameo here is rather more fun than most - it's one of his longer bits, and involves some animated expressions.

Hitchcock finds the funny and sets a steady pace, but allows a dodgy story to get away from him more than usual, averaging one contrivance every five minutes. The anti-cop animus is heavier than usual, for example when he sticks a pair of friendly constables in a pig truck. He even allows Erica's dog Towser to disappear mid-scene without explanation. "The Scottie Vanishes"! The finale is the one trick Hitch pulls out of his hat, an utterly masterful one, probably working even better today because of its in-your-face South Parkean political incorrectness. Not going to ruin it, just bemoan the fact that after the big reveal, the resolution itself is another one of "Y&I"'s underdone moments.

But this is a good opportunity to observe Hitchcock's early mastery of the setpiece, and his mingling of suspense and comedy. Just don't ponder the holes too much - Hitch sure didn't!

Apart from being a decent crime thriller, "Young and innocent" functions as a character study of its protagonists as Hitchcock shows viewers their presence of mind and ability to understand each other's sentiments. They are perfectly aware of risks they are taking as they are running from police. It is the risk which brings them closer to each other. Their innocence also speaks a lot about their backgrounds as the girl puts her father's reputation in danger as she decides to help a man who has been unjustly accused of killing a famous actress. Mystery and suspense become a key component of this film's scenario as viewers are immediately led to witness what happens after a crime has been committed. This film has been listed under great director Alfred Hitchcock's filmography as "The girl was young" but it is better known to some of his inveterate fans as "Young and innocent". This title makes perfect sense as a guilty person is punished only once for evil deeds. This is not the same in the case of an innocent person who is punished more than once as the threat of having been framed unjustly looms large over his/her head.

Because the Master of Suspense made so many memorable films it's easy to overlook some of his earlier, embryonic gems. But for anyone except a Hitchcock completist this rarely seen relic from the director's English period will hold only academic interest, anticipating (in some cases by several decades) specific highlights from later classics. The film may lack the trademark perversity (and occasional Freudian overkill) of his Hollywood features, but it still shows plenty of humor, suspense, and (by then already a signature) at least one astonishing camera move. The plot itself is pure Hitchcock, with a typically unexpected MacGuffin: the belt of an incriminating raincoat sought by a fugitive wrongly accused of murder. When seen today the only real liability to the film is its absurdly low pre-war budget. Hitchcock was always a thrifty director, but some of the miniature model work shown here is laughably unconvincing.

I believe that this movie is very underrated Hitchcock. Young and Innocent is about another seemingly docile situation that blows up in a young man's face. While wandering the beach, he comes across the dead body of a woman he knew (we saw the brief fight the woman had with her husband at the very beginning of the movie). As he runs to go get help, two ladies think he is running away from the body. As his trial proceeds, he is able to duck out and go on the lam with the daughter of the chief of police. With her help, they go to prove his innocence.

One can't help but feel for the young couple as they go on their adventure. Mainly, Hitchcock really works the camera on this one. There is one scene in particular, a great panoramic shot that comes to focus on a single pair of eyes, those twitching eyes from the very beginning of the movie.

Maybe it is because it doesn't have a big name or didn't have any real "jump out and get you" moments that it is forgotten. It is worth a look and I recommend seeing it, especially if you like old movies.

Sir Alfred Hitchcock was coming into his own as a film director and genius visionary. Thank God for sound and voices instead of soundtrack. In this film, Nova Pilbeam does a fantastic job as Erica who gets caught up in the murder mystery of actress Christine Clay. The prime suspect suddenly appears to be innocent and wrongly accused of the crime. Erica plays detective despite being young and female. She searches to exonerate the suspected killer. This film may not be one of Hitchcock's classic films but it's fine to watch. I especially enjoyed the scenes with Erica's Aunt (played by the wonderful Mary Clare, a British stage actress). I don't recognize many of the cast members and this film was done in London, England before World War II. This film is fine if you want to view Hitchcock's range of film directing.

The characteristics of British cinema back in the classic days tended towards a self-referential sense of playfulness. There was exaggeration, but not with the baroque weirdness of German Expressionism, and Pinewood seemed to take itself a little less seriously than Hollywood. Take the thriller. All thrillers, regardless of how high-mindedly they ostensibly dealt with death and danger, are essentially excuses for excitement. The British thrillers of Alfred Hitchcock are simply an open acknowledgement of that fact, and no matter how gruesome or twisted their subject matter are always rolled out with a disrespectful sense of fun.

Young and Innocent is a bit of an odd hybrid for the Master of Suspense™. As with nearly all of his later British works it takes the form of a fast-paced adventure, in which a male and female protagonist are thrown together by circumstance, and is typical of the screenplays of crucial collaborator Charles Bennett. However it differs in that, rather than being about spies and international intrigue, the catalyst for the adventure is a murder, something Hitch would have far more dealings with in his Hollywood career. This aspect makes Young and Innocent a very visually dynamic picture, as the director gets to indulge his streak of morbid sensationalism. The picture opens with a series of startling sounds and images; a couple arguing, faces moving into the frame, a close-up of seagulls screeching as the body is discovered. It's a classic Hitchcock murder – grisly, fascinating but never tragic. This attention-grabbing prelude pays off later on, because once the adventure is underway the details of the slaying fall by the wayside, and yet because of those close-ups we are able to recall them easily when they become important again at the end of the picture.

As the title would suggest, youth and innocence are written upon the faces of the two leads. Fresh-faced Derrick De Marney is both charming and trustworthy in one of his earliest lead roles, making a likable if not exactly rugged hero. The one to watch here however is Nova Pilbeam, who at eighteen genuinely was a youngster. Perhaps because of her youth, she really embodies the sense of adventure, and makes it seem completely plausible that she would gladly run off with a man accused of murder. In her one emotional scene she does not resort to the hysterics of many actresses of the time, and her believable breakdown into tears reminds me very much of similar performances by Judy Garland. De Marney and Pilbeam are accompanied by Edward Rigby as a lovable old tramp. Rigby is not a bad substitute for Edmund Gwenn (who normally got these roles), and his appearance as British-stock-character-turned-unlikely-hero is really a joy to watch.

And it is things like this Rigby character that are at the heart of Young and Innocent. You just wouldn't get that in an equivalent picture from the US. In Hollywood, a bum is a bum, and he wouldn't just start running round helping the good-looking young leads (unless of course he smartened himself up a bit like William Powell in My Man Godfrey). It's that good-natured willingness to make your "serious" picture slightly undignified in the name of fun.