Young and Dangerous (1957 film)

Principal cast

• Lili Gentle — one of the film's lead performers.
• Mark Damon — a young actor at the time who later worked as an actor and film producer.
• Edward Binns — a respected character actor with a long career in stage and screen.
• Frances Mercer — an actress with roots in earlier decades of Hollywood.
• Connie Stevens — who moved on to television and a pop‑music career.

Themes and context

Although not among the most widely cited films of the era, Young and Dangerous reflects several recurring concerns of 1950s American cinema: generational conflict, the limits of suburban conformity, and the moral choices facing adolescents. Movies like this were part of a broader cultural conversation about juvenile delinquency, family responsibility, and changing social norms.

Production and personnel

William F. Claxton, the director, had a substantial career in both features and television, later directing numerous episodes of popular TV westerns and dramas. The studio production and distribution by 20th Century Fox placed the film within the major studio system of the time, with production values and casting typical of mid‑century studio releases.

Reception and legacy

Contemporary reviews treated Young and Dangerous as a modest studio drama rather than a major prestige picture. Today it is chiefly of interest to students of 1950s popular culture and to fans of the principal performers. The film is sometimes mentioned when tracing the early careers of actors who later found success on television and behind the camera.