The Truth About Youth

The Truth About Youth

Year: 1930

Runtime: 69 mins

Language: English

Director: William A. Seiter

DramaRomance

How Can a Girl Tell- When She Gets the Wrong Answer to a Maiden’s Prayer? A young man falls into the clutches of a nightclub singer who corrupts him.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Truth About Youth (1930)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Truth About Youth (1930). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Carewe's house, The Firefly nightclub

The action moves between Carewe's grand house and a bustling nightclub, highlighting the contrast between wealth and public performance. Carewe's home represents social expectation and arranged marriage, while the nightclub symbolizes glamorous risk and the deception that fuels the plot. The Firefly, where Kara performs, sets the stage for romantic entanglements and tests of loyalty.

🏛️ Domestic 🎭 Drama 🌃 Nightlife

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:45

Main Characters – The Truth About Youth (1930)

Meet the key characters of The Truth About Youth (1930), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Kara (Myrna Loy)

A notorious gold-digger who sings and dances at a nightclub under the name The Firefly. She uses charm and cunning to secure financial security, entering a hasty marriage with Dane before discarding him when wealth is revealed. Her actions drive the central conflict and expose the fragility of social façades.

🎭 Drama 💰 Wealth 💃 Nightlife

Richard Dane 'The Imp' (David Manners)

Dane is Carewe's ward, a young man whose passion and impulsiveness pull him into a rushed marriage with Kara. He is naive about money and status, and his abandonment by Kara at the altar sets off the emotional unraveling that motivates the others. He returns home, confesses his actions, and seeks reconciliation with Phyllis.

💖 Love 🎭 Drama 💸 Wealth ⚡ Impulsiveness

Phyllis Ericson (Loretta Young)

Phyllis is Carewe's ward who loves him, torn by the prospect of losing him to the manipulative Kara. She witnesses the public displays of Carewe's affection for Kara and is torn between loyalty and genuine love. By the end, she acknowledges her love for Carewe and supports a truthful resolution.

❤️ Love 🕊️ Loyalty 🏛️ Social expectations

Richard Carewe (Conway Tearle)

A wealthy guardian who has raised Dane and orchestrates his social future, hoping for an advantageous marriage to Phyllis. He is pragmatic, protective, and willing to bend the truth to maintain appearances. His revelation of love for Phyllis becomes central to the final confession and happy ending.

🪪 Authority 💼 Social status 🎭 Drama

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:45

Major Themes – The Truth About Youth (1930)

Explore the central themes of The Truth About Youth (1930), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

💞 Love vs Wealth

The plot pits affection against money and social status. Kara's marriage to Dane is motivated by wealth, exposing how material security can drive love. Phyllis's true feelings for Carewe complicate loyalties, challenging the idea that love should align with social advantage. Resolution relies on honesty and emotional truth rather than financial calculus.

🪪 Deception and Truth

Dane's impulsive marriage hinges on a misunderstanding about his wealth. Carewe manipulates appearances, pretending the note is his to preserve honor. Kara's public affections mask her real motives and fear of losing status. The story unveils truth through confrontations that reframe the relationships.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:45

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Classic Forbidden Love Dramas like The Truth About Youth

Stories where societal rules and deceptive lovers test the boundaries of true affection.If you liked The Truth About Youth, explore other movies like it that delve into forbidden love, love triangles, and the clash between passion and duty. These romantic dramas share a melancholic tone, steady pacing, and focus on the emotional fallout from deceptive relationships and societal pressures.

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Narrative Summary

These stories typically follow a straightforward arc where a pure or naive character is led astray by a glamorous but corrupting influence, creating a love triangle. The central conflict revolves around deception, heartbreak, and the struggle between personal desire and societal expectations, often resolving in a revelation of truth and a hopeful reunion.

Why These Movies?

This thread groups movies that share a focus on the dramatic tension of forbidden romance, the thematic exploration of societal hypocrisy, and a specific emotional mix of yearning, tension, and eventual, hard-worn hope. The shared melancholic yet romantic mood creates a cohesive viewing experience.

Movies with Earned Hopeful Endings like The Truth About Youth

Emotional journeys through pain and deception that ultimately lead to a satisfying, hopeful resolution.Discover more movies like The Truth About Youth that navigate through melancholic drama and heartbreak to arrive at a hopeful and satisfying conclusion. These films balance medium emotional weight with a steady pace, offering a cathartic experience where love and truth ultimately prevail.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves a central character making a mistake in love, often falling for someone deceptive, which leads to a period of sorrow and misunderstanding. A crucial moment of truth or confession allows for redemption and the healing of the rightful relationship, providing a sense of emotional closure and optimistic future.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on their shared emotional arc: starting from a place of emotional turmoil and concluding with a genuine, uplifting resolution. This specific balance of melancholy and hope, paired with a medium emotional weight, creates a distinct and reassuring viewing vibe.

Unlock the Full Story of The Truth About Youth

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Truth About Youth in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Truth About Youth is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Truth About Youth Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Truth About Youth, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Truth About Youth Summary

The Truth About Youth Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Truth About Youth with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Truth About Youth Timeline

The Truth About Youth Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of The Truth About Youth that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

The Truth About Youth Spoiler-Free Summary

More About The Truth About Youth

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Truth About Youth: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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