Too Young to Kiss (also All Too Young) is a 1951 American comedy film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Van Johnson and June Allyson. The film, in which the 34-year-old Allyson's Cynthia Potter masquerades as a 14-year-old child prodigy, was directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The monaural, black-and-white film clocks in at 91 minutes long. In theatres, Too Young to Kiss earned 164% of its budget, and received mixed critical reviews.

Plot

Cynthia Potter is a skilled pianist trying to catch the eye of concert promoter Eric Wainwright. Wainwright, however, is currently only looking for young talent. To meet his criteria, Potter (in her 20s), masquerades as her own fictional younger sister, a 14-year-old "Molly" Potter. Wainwright is captivated by Molly's skills, and as the two work together, Wainwright develops a paternal affectation towards the young performer, while Potter cultivates an incompatible romantic attraction to the promoter.

Credits

Cast

Allyson (34) playing Cynthia (20s) playing Molly (14) Source: The New York Times

Crew

Source: The New York Times

Reception

At the box office, Too Young to Kiss earned US$2.3 million on a budget of $1.4M (equivalent to about $M and $M respectively in ). The Spartanburg Herald-Journal reported that Too Young to Kiss was critically acclaimed. Hal Erickson described the film as "fluff", and noted that despite retreading 1942's The Major and the Minor, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett's scriptwriting kept the material "fresh and funny throughout". On a four-star scale, Leonard Maltin rated the film at 2.5 stars, calling Allyson's Potter "fetching". The New York Times' Bosley Crowther however, was unimpressed with Allyson and Johnson's adolescent antics and the excessive suspension of disbelief required.

Awards

Five people who worked on Too Young to Kiss were nominated for film awards, with only Allyson winning hers.

Release

Too Young to Kiss premiered in New York on November 22, 1951, and was distributed by Loew's Inc. In 2015, the film was available on DVD.