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Actors: Paul Newman, Barbara Rush, Alexis Smith, Brian Keith, Diane Brewster, Robert Vaughn, Otto Kruger, Adam West
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Young Philadelphians |
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Directed by Vincent Sherman in 1959. The setting is the city of Philadelphia. Today, Kate, a rather poor young girl, fulfils her dream : she marries William Lawrence who belongs to the high bourgeoisie of the city. Unfortunately, William commits suicide during the wedding night after having revealed his homosexuality to his wife. Kate spends the rest of the night in the arms of her old friend Mike Flanagan. Nine months later, she gives birth to their son, Anthony Judson Lawrence. 20 years later, Anthony is a brilliant law student at Princeton and, unaware of the liaison between his mother and Mike Flanagan, uses to work during his spare time in Mike's society.
Anthony makes the acquaintance of Joan Dickinson, the daughter of the wealthy lawyer Gilbert Dickinson, and both want to marry but Gilbert manages to postpone the marriage by convincing Anthony that her daughter won't bear the kind of simple life he can only offer her as long as he studies. He promises to Anthony a job in his law firm as soon as he will have finished his studies so that he could marry his daughter at that time. The naive Anthony accepts the proposition and Joan, who believes that Anthony is more interested in the promise of his future job than in her, leaves for Europe and marries there Carter Henry, an old friend of the family.
Anthony finally understands that it won't be easy for him to enter the upper social circles of Philadelphy and becomes more and more cynical. He manages to be hired by George Archibald, a well-known lawyer, as his personal assistant by seducing Archibald's young wife and setting aside at the last minute his friend Louis Donetti who shoud have got the job. At the end of his studies, he's hired in Archibald's lawfirm, specialises in tax matters and manages to bring an important client to the firm. Later, when his old friend 'Chet' Gwynn, a member of the influential Stearnes family, is arrested and accused of murder, Anthony accepts to defend him. Then, the head of the Stearnes family, Doctor Stearnes, who would like Chet Gwynn to be condemned without publicity, visits Anthony's mother and threatens her to reveal to her son the name of his real father if Anthony, during the trial, tries to implicate the Stearnes family. Anthony will finally win the case by prooving that all the evidences against his client are irrelevant.
--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Young Philadelphians |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Getting ahead in:
- business
Job/Profession/Poverty Story?
Yes
Job:
- lawyer creature
Training/apprentice story
Yes
Strong "rags to riches" component?
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 20's-30's
Hair type
- (man) short/standard wavey
Body type
- (man) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair style
- (woman) short/butch/lez
Body type
- (woman) ample bosom & buttocks
How much in movie?
- 20%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 60's-90's
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
Body type
- (man) fat
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Midwest
City?
Yes
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- thoughtful
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- kissing
Check here if B&W
Yes
Is this movie based on a
- book
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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