The Young in Heart – a peculiar warmth from another era

So I watched “The Young in Heart” again, this 1938 flick that, to be honest, I’d lost in the bottom drawer of my mind, somewhere between Alfredson’s humour and Bergman’s existential angst. You know, directed by Richard Wallace, who honestly isn’t a household name here in Sweden. But the cast – wow – Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Billie Burke. And Roland Young! Hollywood royalty, that bunch. I mean, Billie Burke is Glinda the Good Witch for crying out loud. And, produced by David O. Selznick himself. The dude wasn’t shy with the budgets, that’s for sure.

Right, so about the film. It’s kind of a screwball comedy but softer, about a family of con artists who basically try to charm a sweet old lady (Minnie, played by Burke) for her fortune. But instead of the sharp, frantic pace you get in, say, a Marx Brothers film, there’s this gentle, tidy British vibe to it all. Maybe it’s the carpets, maybe it’s the accents? Not sure.

And can we talk about the toy car – the Flying Wombat? When I saw that thing the first time on SVT, I swear, it looked like something straight outta the Saab dream factory in Trollhättan. I was 12, hopped up on läsk and kanelbullar, and I drew fantasy cars for a week after. So yeah, definite nostalgia points there.

But, honestly, I think the film feels a bit soft around the edges now. It’s lovely and all, but I sometimes wanted less manners, more chaos. Still, the warmth got to me. I could smell the rain on London stones, hear Billie Burke’s feathery voice, and think, “Would my gran have fallen for these charmers? Maybe. She did buy that vacuum cleaner from the guy with fake hair.”

So if you’re in the mood for something heartwarming and kind of weird, fika-style, this might hit the spot. But bring patience. And biscuits.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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