The Age of Consent

When director Gregory LaCava (My Man Godfrey) was casting The Age of Consent, he found his lovely leading lady just a steno pad away. He chose RKO secretary Dorothy Wilson to headline this sensitive pre-Code tale of love and lust. The film follows college student Michael Harvey (Richard Cromwell) and his sweetheart (Wilson). They plan to marry in two years, after Michael graduates. But two years is a long time for an ardent young man, and he succumbs to the charms of Dora (Arline Judge), a pert waitress. Dora’s father intervenes, demanding that Michael make an honest woman of his underage daughter or face prison. Has Michael lost his chance of happiness with the woman he truly loves? Produced by two giants of cinema—David O. Selznick and Pandro S. Berman—The Age of Consent is both a candid time capsule of a vanished Hollywood era and a surprisingly timeless exploration of young love.