My Teenage Daughter

My Teenage Daughter

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1956
Founder	Herbert Wilcox (director)
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Products	Drama film

My Teenage Daughter—also released under the title Teenage Bad Girl—is a 1956 British drama directed by Herbert Wilcox and featuring performances by Anna Neagle, Sylvia Syms, and Norman Wooland. The narrative centers on a mother confronting her teenage daughter's rebellious behavior, serving as the British counterpart to the 1955 film Rebel Without a Cause. This production marked the final commercially successful project in Wilcox's career.

Synopsis

In London, Valerie Carr, a widowed magazine editor, juggles her professional responsibilities alongside raising her two adolescent daughters, Jan and Poppet. Jan becomes romantically involved with the affluent Tony Ward Black, who introduces her to an opulent lifestyle. Concurrently, Valerie assumes the role of editor for a publication aimed at teenage readers.

Cast

• Anna Neagle as Valerie Carr
• Sylvia Syms as Janet Carr
• Norman Wooland as Hugh Manning
• Wilfrid Hyde-White as Sir Joseph
• Kenneth Haigh as Tony Ward Black
• Julia Lockwood as Poppet Carr
• Helen Haye as Aunt Louisa
• Josephine Fitzgerald as Aunt Bella
• Wanda Ventham as Gina
• Michael Shepley as Sir Henry
• Avice Landone as Barbara
• Michael Meacham as Mark
• Edie Martin as Miss Ellis
• Ballard Berkeley as magistrate
• Arthur Mullard as club bouncer
• Myrette Morven as Anne
• Grizelda Harvey as Miss Bennett
• Betty Cooper as Celia
• Daphne Cave as Deirdre
• Launce Maraschal as senator

Production

Playwright Felicity Douglas was commissioned by Neagle and Wilcox to develop a screenplay addressing the generation gap, originally titled I Have a Teenaged Daughter. Although Janette Scott and Shirley Eaton were considered for the role of the daughter, Wilcox ultimately selected Sylvia Syms after viewing her performance in the television play The Romantic Young Lady. Syms later reflected on her youth and limited experience at the time; both Anna Neagle and Wilcox expanded her character’s significance and provided support despite modest compensation. Julia Lockwood, portraying Neagle’s youngest daughter, was herself the offspring of actress Margaret Lockwood.

The film was shot at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, with art director William Kellner responsible for set design. Following its release, Syms achieved rapid fame but was contractually tied to Associated British for seven years.

Reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin acknowledged that My Teenage Daughter addressed a contemporary theme but criticized its lack of profundity, labeling it a "very British, somewhat lukewarm Rebel Without a Cause." The review highlighted weaknesses in the screenplay’s unclear intentions and forced conclusion while commending Anna Neagle’s depiction of the beleaguered widow and Kenneth Haigh’s convincing portrayal of a rebellious youth. Sylvia Syms was regarded as capable yet unremarkable.

Variety described the film as "an unabashed sentimental drama" designed for straightforward entertainment, forecasting dependable box office performance fueled by Anna Neagle’s star appeal.

According to Filmink, this movie represents Britain’s response to Rebel Without a Cause, placing greater emphasis on adult characters compared to its American predecessor.

Bibliography

• Harper, Sue & Porter, Vincent. British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference. Oxford University Press, 2007.
• Threadgall, Derek. Shepperton Studios: An Independent View. British Film Institute, 1994.

External links

• My Teenage Daughter on Letterboxd
• My Teenage Daughter via BFI
• My Teenage Daughter featured on Reel Streets