Going Steady

One of my favorite things about these 1950's movies showing family life, high school students and so forth, is getting a feel for what things were like back then. I've seen so many movies that did a decent job of portraying that scene, but this movie is just a total flop. I don't even know where to start. I could have sworn that Alan Reed Jr. (Calvin) and Molly Bee (Julie Ann) were pushing 30 by the time they made this movie; I was more than surprised that Reed was 22 and Bee was only 18. (I have to say, if she looked like that at 18, she was HOT. But she didn't look like a real 18 year old in the film.) The Julie Ann and Calvin characters look and act like the world's oldest teen-aged couple you ever saw, like 18-year-old 40 year olds (or is that 40 year old 18-year-olds?). Oddly their school friend Woody looks more suited to a high school role than they do, and he was 27 at the time of the filming. This would have made a lame situation comedy for TV, and it's nowhere near up to being a credible feature film of even 'light fare'. The story is shallow, the 'funny' parts are not amusing, the annoyed father is clichéd, the mother makes TV's Donna Stone and June Cleaver characters look downright intense. The actor who played the father, Bill Goodwin, died a few months after the movie was released - IMDb says he had a heart attack but I suspect it was from embarrassment at having been in this turkey.

If you want to see a 50's story with more realistic characters, Blue Denim is but one example of an engaging film where you actually believe that the characters could exist. Granted, Blue Denim is much more a drama, but it also gives a believable portrayal of life with engaging characters. Nobody however could be so dull and dreary as anyone in this movie, nor could anyone's life be so boring and tedious as this. Watch as Julie Ann's mother talks her husband into letting their daughter go to to a basketball game in Reno! Watch as Julie Ann's father complains about Calvin spending an hour in the bathtub! Watch as Calvin freaks out over the fact that their honeymoon cottage has a BED! Watch as Julie Ann's mom offers to show her daughter how to cook a ham! Get the picture? I can sit through a lot of flotsam to get a nice view of the 1950's but this, well, this is just too much to survive. I'll be honest, there's about twenty minutes left and I can't make myself watch it, however fascinating it may be for Calvin to become an apprentice clerk at his father-in-law's hardware store. I just can't find enough of an excuse to finish it, and that is saying something. This movie lacks even the depth of a 1950's Dick York 'How to Be Popular' high school film. ZZZZzzzzz.

I love this flick! I bought a 16mm print of this picture some years ago, and I project it every year! The black and white 35mm motion pictures made from the late 1930's until the mid 1960's speak for themselves! By the time "Going Steady" was photographed the crew were all season professionals and these men and women made the finest motion pictures ever! (That includes the television shows also shot on 35mm film!) The subject matter of two high school kids getting married in Reno and the girl getting knocked up on the honeymoon night, while her father can't stand the guy, cracks me up! Molly Bee was so attractive in this picture it's hard to take your eyes off of her when she's on camera! The interaction between Alan Reed Jr and Bill Goodwin is hilarious! Goodwin's character Mr. Turner is ready to bust a gut at any moment! Ken Miller was perfect as Woody! Everybody in this cast Rocks! Sadly after the 1970's was over, teenagers graduating from high school, never seem to grow up anymore! It's like we're surrounded by stupid adolescence idiots running around with colored hair and covered with dumb tattoos (the only reason they all got tattoos is because of the even dumber celebrities who have them, and that includes the over paid sports guys, singers, actors, etc.) Back in the 1950's young people were expected to grow up and take the reins of society, today I shutter to think what will happen when the current crop of teenagers in 2020 take over the world! This movie is a comedy if course, but it is also about growing up! Love the opening song that Molly Bee sings over the credits! If they made this movie today in 2020 it would suck! They would show the teenagers having sex, and ruin it! They would all be on their smart phones, they would have computers in every scene. Thank goodness we can escape back in time with a motion picture and be entertained - and forget about how horrible our country is now! The T & B presidential debates last night made me want to vomit! But I didn't 'cause I am running out of Covid-19 masks! Forget these other negative reviews, they are jaded - they wish they could have sex with a beautiful girl like Molly Bee was in this flick.

yes, it is far to be remarkable. good cinematography, poor story. but not so bad . because it is an almost credible portrait of the social rules from a period. and preserves the flavor of its time. because it has few nice scenes. and a speech who change all. and for the status of refuge of a film from 1958 , predictable, simple, nice, remembering apple pie and start of mature life for our grandparents.almost a docudrama.

sure, it is not real credible but it has the familiar mark of sitcoms and that does it not real strange. it is one of many instruments for education for young people and that is so obvious than it is not easy to imagine other purpose of it. so, a didactic film. nice. and, maybe nothing more.

This occasionally interesting story about a high school couple who get married and pregnant is written, directed and acted like a TV sitcom, with a supporting character who looks like a clean-cut Maynard G. Krebs, a father who does everything but pour steam out of his ears and lots of double takes and loud reactions. In the middle of this the highly professional cinematography of Benjamin Kline is occasionally jarringly beautiful and dramatic, particularly when he moves the camera to preserve composition. The net effect is neither funny, compelling or educational, but is a near-total misfire. Not bad enough to be interesting, not good enough to be watchable, no talent with a past or future except for Mr. Kline and Byron Foulger.

After arduously searching for a copy for years, I'd finally found a copy of this terrific film classic on Ebay, recently. I wasn't disappointed! This is a great movie about a newlywed couple who procrastinate telling their folks that they'd eloped! Julie's father thinks Calvin is a scatterbrain & not mature enough to be a husband to his daughter, so there are a comedy of errors & miscommunication. The Turners consequently learn Julie is preggers & so they decide to try & make the best of things.

Julie's mom is more accepting & eventually Mr. Turner warms to the idea of having Calvin for a son-in-law. The set looks as if it had been shot on the same set as Father Knows Best. The house looks identical to the Andersons! Very homey & warm, which adds to the film's charm.

This film boasts a fine cast who portray their parts well.

Bill Goodwin was one of the most attractive supporting actors of his time, & left us way too early, alas. He stole the show in Going Steady, as the curmudgeonly Dad who endeared himself to us. He was undoubtedly a first-rate talent whose legacy of films will be around for a long time to come to continue to delight his fans.

Molly Bee & Alan Reed Jr. were cast well, too! As were Irene Hervey & Ken Miller.

The videobeat has made the film available finally, in both VHS & DVD formats, so if you like wholesome, 1950's comedy-romance films, get yourself a copy, as I said, it took me ages to finally locate a copy on Ebay. All I could find was a copy in VHS, so I'll also be getting a copy on DVD through the VideoBeat. Too bad the values & clean entertainment portrayed in these films are so rare. Makes us appreciate films like this more. I will treasure my copy of Going Steady & am over the moon to have it among my collection.