In The Young Philadelphians (1959) love, mistrust, greed, humor and even murder abound in this intriguing film with its excellent cast including Paul Newman, Barbara Rush, Brian Keith and Robert Vaughn. When a struggling law student (Paul Newman) finds the love of his life and wants to marry her (Barbara Rush) her father intercedes as the devil to make a deal to good to pass up.

The story begins in 1930s when although Kate Lawrence (Diane Brewster) is really in love with Mike Flanagan (Brian Keith), meddling parents convince her to marry socialite William Lawrence III (Adam West) instead. Only hours after the wedding and before the couple hit the bed, Lawrence confesses to Kate he doesn't love her, flees the room and dies in an auto accident. The distraught Kate flees to the arms of Mike for comfort and nine months later Anthony Lawrence is born. But Kate refuses to give him his real father's name and raises him as a Lawrence so he'll have a social status.

Brian Keith & Diane Brewster

© Warner Bros. Pictures

Jump to Lawrence (Tony) as a young man working in construction and attending college. His mother has hen-pecked him his entire life to be the social door-knocker he is, but resents. It seems he has some of his real father's ethics. Tony knows him as Uncle Mike, and he's always around to guide Tony.

When Tony meets socialite Joan Dickinson (Barbara Rush), the two are immediately attracted to each other. She's dating the well-to-do Carter Henry (Anthony Eisley), but before he can pop the question, Tony and Joan decide to elope.

They make the mistake of stopping by his house where Joan's manipulating father Gilbert (John Williams) and schemed up a plot with Tony's mother that he falls for hook, line and sinker.

John Williams © Warner Bros. Pictures

Joan doesn't understand why they have to wait a few months to be married but is whisked away by father. When he explains on the way home, he twists the facts and hints that Tony sold her out for her father's backing and a place in his prestigious law firm. She runs off and marries Carter.

After Tony drowns his sorrows in alcohol with his friend Chet (Robert Vaughn), another socialite who has found disfavor with his family, Tony picks himself up and heads off to Princeton. He's a model student but when he finally figures out that Dickinson duped him, he grabs a job at this competitor, the John Marshall Wharton (Otto Kruger) firm of Wharton/Biddle/Clayton.

Alexis Smith © Warner Bros. Pictures

The drama of this story only intensifies with subplots of Tony falling for Wharton's young wife Carol (Alexis Smith), the boys heading off to war, Carter getting killed, Joan becoming an overseer to Carter's rich aunt Mrs. J. Arthur Allen's (Billie Burke) fortune, and a murder that throws all the interesting black birds into a legal pie.

Paul Newman & Robert Vaughn

© Warner Bros. Pictures

Sherman (The Second Time Around) did an amazing job directing this movie and the screenplay by James Gunn (based on the novel by Richard Powell) held all the intrigue and drama of an upscale soap opera. The casting was perfect. Newman, who had made The Long Hot Summer, Cat on A Hot Tin Roof, Rally Around The Flag Boys and The Left Handed Gun the summer before The Young Philadelphians had by now proved he was a charismatic, sexy, and exceptional talent able to be convincing in practically any role.

Barbara Rush (Magnificent Obsession) began her career in features but after 1959 gravitated mostly to televisions roles. A beautiful, debonair and controlled actress she carried off the role of Kate perfectly. As the often drink and unfortunate Chet, Robert Vaughn (The Magnificent Seven) stole most of the thunder of the film after Newman, and was the only actor in the movie to receive an Academy Award nomination. All the law partners were excellent, and Billie Burke (The Wizard of Oz) is a delight as the funny and ditsy millionaire.

The Young Philadelphians garnered three Academy Award nominations, Vaugh's as Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Harry Stradling Sr.'s for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White and Howard Shoup for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White. The movie holds you captivate until the end witnessing Tony's journey to see if he bends to his mother's social-climbing will or be the man his real dad guided him to be.

Director: Vincent Sherman

Writer: Richard Powell - novel, James Gunn - screenplay

Cast: Paul Newman, Barbara Rush, Brian Keith, Alexis Smith, Diane Brewster, Robert Vaughn,  Billie Burke, John Williams, Otto Kruger, Anthony Eisley, Adam west 

Rating: Not Rated

Classic Movie Guide Rating: 4 our of 5 stars

Run Time: 136 minutes

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Format: Black & White

Photo credits: Warner Bros. Pictures