As Young as You Feel

As Young as You Feel

Year: 1951

Runtime: 77 mins

Language: English

Director: Harmon Jones

Comedy

When 65‑year‑old John Hodges is forced into retirement from Acme Printing, he pretends to be the president of the parent company and returns to his former plant for an inspection. Acme’s actual president, McKinley, is a nervous wreck, and even his poised secretary Harriet can’t calm him. Meanwhile, McKinley’s wife Lucille becomes smitten with the impostor, sparking a series of comic misunderstandings and complications.

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Timeline & Setting – As Young as You Feel (1951)

Explore the full timeline and setting of As Young as You Feel (1951). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1950s

Set in the early 1950s, the story reflects postwar American industry and the era's belief in progress through appearance and efficiency. Retirement policies and workforce morale are hot topics as corporations navigate aging labor forces. The era's optimism feeds both the plot's climactic stock-market reaction and the characters' pursuit of personal gain.

Location

Factory plant, corporate offices, local chamber of commerce

The action centers on Hodges's old manufacturing plant and the surrounding corporate environment, including visits to the executive offices and a chamber of commerce event. The plant serves as the proving ground for his impostor tour, while the offices reveal the pressure and politics of modern management. The local chamber of commerce scenes illustrate how public relations are crafted to boost a company's image.

🏭 Factory plant 🏢 Corporate Offices 🗺 Chamber of Commerce

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:44

Main Characters – As Young as You Feel (1951)

Meet the key characters of As Young as You Feel (1951), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

John R. Hodges (Monty Woolley)

A retired printer who fakes his own identity to tour his former employer. He is resourceful, benevolent, and mischievous, using humor to expose the company’s treatment of older workers. His impersonation shows how love for family and a sense of justice can override caution.

👴 Elder 🎭 Impostor 🧭 Strategist

Harriet (Marilyn Monroe)

The private secretary to Louis McKinley, she is charming and perceptive, initially courting or dodging the advances of the powerful men around her. She becomes entangled in Hodges's ruse and represents the tension between personal desire and professional loyalty.

💃 Secretary 💖 Romantic Interest 👀 Observer

Horace Gallagher (Wally Brown)

The nervous executive director who presides over Hodges's old company; his position is threatened by the impostor’s success. He embodies the anxious middle-management figure who champions results over people.

🏢 Boss 🧠 Wary 💬 Public Face

Louis McKinley (Albert Dekker)

President of the firm and the target of Hodges's deception; ambitious and image-conscious, he sees the impersonator as a tool to revive the company's standing. He harbors romantic tension toward Harriet and makes the decisive call on promotions.

💼 CEO 🎯 Ambitious 🌀 Manipulator

Willie McKinley (Russ Tamblyn)

Louis McKinley’s son, a minor but present member of the family dynamic that frames Hodges's actions.

👦 Son 🧭 Family

Joe Elliott (David Wayne)

Alice's boyfriend who refuses to betray Hodges; skeptical of the impostor only to become vindicated. His loyalty to family and integrity clash with career-driven incentives.

👦 Boyfriend 🕵️ Investigator 💪 Loyal

Frank Erickson (Clinton Sundberg)

A rival for promotion who initially believes Hodges is delusional and later relents; his skepticism adds tension to the job race.

🕴️ Rival 🧭 Ambitious 🗯️ Skeptical

Harold P. Cleveland (Minor Watson)

The real Harold Cleveland, whose identity Hodges adopts; his presence complicates the moral calculus and fuels the resolution.

👔 Real Boss 🕵️ Hidden Identity

George Hodges (Allyn Joslyn)

John R. Hodges's son-in-law, husband to Della, and father to Alice; he anchors the family dynamics within the workplace drama.

👨 Father 💼 Family Man

Alice Hodges (Jean Peters)

Hodges's granddaughter who is dating Joe; her personal life intersects with the corporate intrigue and the impostor’s deception.

👧 Granddaughter 💘 Romantic 👩‍🎓 Student

Della Hodges (Thelma Ritter)

George Hodges’s wife and Joe's mother-in-law; she schemes to use the situation for career advancement while balancing family loyalties.

👩‍👧‍👦 Daughter-in-law 🗣️ Provocateur ❤️ Loyal

Lucille McKinley (Constance Bennett)

Louis McKinley’s neglected wife who is swept off her feet by Hodges, triggering marital tensions that echo through the corporate plot.

💍 Wife 💃 Seductress 🎭 Charmer

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:44

Major Themes – As Young as You Feel (1951)

Explore the central themes of As Young as You Feel (1951), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⏳ Age & Identity

An older worker's attempt to reclaim agency through disguise exposes how society treats aging laborers. The film interrogates retirement policies and the value placed on experience versus youth. Hodges's impersonation reveals how identity can be crafted for corporate ends, while morality and kinship test the single-minded pursuit of a promotion.

📈 Public Image

Hodges's ruse demonstrates how a company can manipulate appearances to influence stock and public perception. The narrative critiques PR-driven success, where newsprint and stock prices rise on a sham rather than merit. The resolution suggests that authentic performance and honesty ultimately outweigh manipulated optics.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family & Morality

Family dynamics drive much of the plot, with Alice, Joe, and the Hodges clan navigating loyalty, romance, and ambition. The impostor plot stretches marriages and trust, forcing characters to choose between personal happiness and professional advancement. The film uses humor and warmth to affirm the value of sincerity within a family.

🕵️ Deception & Integrity

Disguise is central to the plot, as Hodges adopts a false identity to achieve a benevolent goal. The tension between deception and integrity propels the drama and tests the motives of every character. The climax weighs whether good intentions justify deceit, and the resolution favors truth and authentic motives.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:44

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As Young as You Feel Summary

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