The Young Philadelphians (1959)

Directed by Vincent Sherman. Starring Paul Newman, Barbara Bush, Alexis Smith, John Williams, Billie Burke, Brian Keith, Otto Kruger, Robert Vaughn, Frank Conroy, Robert Douglas, Diane Brewster, Paul Picemi, Richard Deacon, Anthony Eisley.

Lengthy, meandering soap opera of law student Newman and socialite Bush; they love each other, but her class-conscious family prefers a more suitable candidate for marriage, so they go their separate ways while her father (Williams) essentially “pays off” the young man by bolstering his career. The final act is dominated by a murder trial where Newman defends his dissolute friend (Vaughn), and by then, the dithering romance angle has fully run out of steam (Bush’s character winds up becoming genuinely unlikable, made additionally banal by her unremarkable performance). Melodramatic interest comes and goes until the admittedly absorbing final chapter. Newman is good, but he’s overshadowed by colorful supporting players, such as Vaughn (earning the only Academy Award nomination of his career) and Burke as a dotty but fabulously wealthy client who frequently makes kissy-faces at her little dog. Based on a novel by Richard P. Powell (“The Philadelphian”); screen adaptation by James Gunn, who also produced. Adam West shows up for a few minutes at the beginning in his first credited film role.

60/100