Too Young to Kiss (1951)

To watch June Allyson fake playing the piano is hysterical. She is late on some banging of the chords and early on others...tentative. It's so obvious that they should have given up or practiced better. At least in La La Land, it looked like he was playing most of the time. Also, to believe that Van Johnson couldn't tell that June was the same person as an adult and a child is asking too much. This was done much better in The Major and the Minor (even then...Ginger Rogers didn't look like a kid, either). MGM took advantage of the audience believability in many their movies. Most people didn't sing for themselves and they obviously thought they could get people to believe that June could play piano in this film. Oh my gosh....terrible!!

Didn't the maid played by Esther Dale have a strong resemblance to Eleanor Roosevelt? I thought I was seeing the former first lady in the role.An absolutely delightful film with June Allyson acting as a 14 year old so that her talents could be displayed. Van Johnson is the impresario, quite a character with so many clients, that hardly anything gets done. Gig Young portrays the reporter willing to go along with the story so that he can get his girlfriend Allyson and finally get a good scoop on a fantastic story of a hoax being perpetrated.Allyson is so cute as the masquerading 14 year old. She goes along with this since when she introduces her real self, Johnson couldn't care less, only wanting the young lass for musical fame.Keeping her in line becomes a focus and the two, even though he thinks she is still a child, develop feelings for each other.

"Too Young to Kiss" is interesting to see, especially in this age of awareness towards child rights and their protection. June Allyson, looking like Judy Garland from the 1944 Meet Me in St. Louis, and hardly looking 14, does a good job impersonating a young prodigy, and Van Johnson does all right in his performance as well. However, the movie, in certain scenes, could make the viewer of today a bit uncomfortable. The audience knows in the end that June will confess her legal age, so that no one will be upset or offended. Yet the sexual tension and kisses kind of make one cringe since the plot line is not cleared up at some points with such plot devices as underage drinking and smoking, an older sister who appears to let her kid sister be taken away and cared for by an older single man, etc.... It is interesting to note the Oz music heard as the credits roll and used throughout the movie as stated by another reviewer...The film is one of those old MGM movies that is easy to take and totally forgotten by the next week. June Allyson is terrific in "Good News" and Van much better in "In The Good Old Summertime." Catch those to see them in color and at their peaks).

I just saw this movie for the first time today. The description reminded me of "The Major and the Minor" which is a movie I have watched over and over. While neither movie is Oscar material both are fun & romantic. If you are in the mood for light fare find June & Van in this one and enjoy.