Twice Blessed

There are several sequences that are offensive to the 21st century viewer, but remember the era and remember all of this was normal, and, at least, no group was ridiculed or put down.

The dance sequences alone are so "precious" (meaning unique and interesting) that to have them on film is a joy. The teenage language and the parents' fight against juvenile delinquency shows this started in the mid-40s and not in the 50s as is common belief. James Dean, the "bad" boy, is considered a juvenile delinquent, and we've all seen the anti-reefer films that promised communism if we inhaled.

But this is the swinging 40s, an era our parents said was tame and in which there was no such thing as juvenile delinquency. The 40s. to them, was nirvana. It was Elvis and the evil 50s that brought in juvenile delinquency and the society-rotting influence of the communist-inspired rock and roll. How many of us were punished for listening to Bobby Vee and Lesley Gore?

The 40s youth culture is a sight to behold and this film plants it into its eternal position. There are a multitude of adult swing movies from this era, but few teenage movies. This one is a "gas", pardon my euphemism, as is worth seeing.