Girls Town (film)

Girls Town
aka	The Innocent and the Damned
Year	1959
Directed by	Charles F. Haas
Produced by	Albert Zugsmith
Written by	Robert Hardy Andrews Robert Smith
Music by	Van Alexander
Studio	Alan Zugsmith Productions
Cast	Mamie Van Doren Mel Tormé Paul Anka Ray Anthony Elinor Donahue Gloria Talbott Dick Contino
Run time	90 minutes
Riffed in	Episode #601

For the episode, see MST3K 601 - Girls Town.

“	What's my crime, dad? For not having as much moolah as this jerk? 'Cause my old lady wasn't in the social register?	”
	- Silver Morgan

Girls Town is a 1959 teen exploitation/musical film directed by Charles F. Haas.

Plot

Girls Town

A member of the Jags gang/car club named Chip falls off a cliff to his death while attempting to assault a young woman. Frank, another member of the Jags, sees the incident from a distance and recognizes the distinctive head scarf the woman is wearing as belonging to Chip's sometimes-girlfriend Silver Morgan. Fred accuses Silver of pushing Chip to his death.

The authorities take Fred's word, but there is not enough evidence to formally charge Silver. Pressured by Chip's wealthy father, the police detective arranges for Silver to be held at Girls Town, a Catholic home for wayward young women.

Girls Town is overseen by Mother Veronica and her nuns. While confined there, the rebellious Silver must navigate the tough fellow residents and hardened-but-caring nuns. In addition, she must endure the romantic attentions of a bread delivery man, unaware that he is actually a private detective hired by Chip's father to secure proof of her guilt in his son's death.

Girls Town

Meanwhile, troubled Girls Town resident Sarafina is infatuated with pop-star Jimmy, and he becomes drawn into Girls Town affairs. Frank discovers that the woman he saw at the cliff with Chip was Silver's sister Mary Lee. He decides to kidnap her and spirit her away to Mexico so that his father won't take away his car.

Silver, who has learned new values from her experiences in Girls Town, learns of Mary Lee's disappearance. She breaks out of Girls Town and rescues her little sister from Frank.

Cast

• Mamie Van Doren as Silver Morgan
• Mel Tormé as Fred Alger
• Paul Anka as Jimmy Parlow
• Ray Anthony as Dick Culdane
• Margaret Hayes as Mother Veronica
• Elinor Donahue as Mary Lee Morgan
• Gloria Talbott as Vida
• Harold Lloyd Jr. as Chip Gardner
• Dick Contino as Stan Joyce
• Gigi Perreau as Serafina Garcia
• Peter Leeds as Michael Clyde

Notes

• This film's title and content were inspired by the 1938 drama film Boys Town, in which a Catholic priest operates a home for wayward young men.
• The musical group The Platters appear in a cameo.
• The producer reportedly originally wanted Lucille Ball to play the Mother Superior.
• Mel Tormé, playing a "juvenile delinquent", was 34 years old at the time this movie was made. Similarly, Mamie Van Doren was 27.
• Despite Mel Tormé's long and successful career as a jazz singer dating back to 1942 (his voice earning the nickname "The Velvet Fog"), he does not sing in this movie.
• Actress Elinor Donahue (Mary Lee) was known to TV viewers for having played eldest daughter Betty Anderson on the popular sitcom Father Knows Best.
• This film features two sons of famous film comedians. Harold Lloyd Jr. appears briefly as Chip Gardner, and Charles Chaplin Jr. appears as Joe Cates.
• At the time of the film's production, Mamie Van Doren was married to Ray Anthony (who played Dick Culdane, the bread truck driver/private detective). She had filed for divorce in 1958, but it was not granted until 1960.
• An additional musical number called "Hey Mama" (sung by Mamie Van Doren while her character showers) was filmed but was removed from the final cut of the movie for being too salacious.
• In the world of numismatics, the term "Silver Morgan" refers to a series of one-dollar silver coins minted in the United States from 1878 to 1921. They are highly-collectible and are frequently traded or used as investments.

MST3K Connections

• Writer Robert Smith was also writer and producer for Invasion USA.
• Mamie Van Doren also portrayed Penny Lowe in Untamed Youth.
• Gloria Talbott also portrayed Sally in The Leech Woman.
• Dick Contino also portrayed Phil Sandifer in Daddy-O.
• Peter Leeds also portrayed Mr. Carter in High School Big Shot.
• Bara Byrnes (Dolores) also portrayed Joanie Nichols in Girl in Gold Boots.
• Jack Carr (cop) also portrayed a plant worker in Invasion USA.
• Robert Carson (Mr. Gardner) also portrayed Tom in Radar Secret Service.
• Bill Couch (Dragon boy) also portrayed a Russian cosmonaut in Space Travelers.
• Producer Albert Zugsmith was also producer for Invasion USA.
• Cinematographer John L. Russell was also cinematographer for Indestructible Man and Invasion USA.
• Makeup artist John Truwe was also makeup artist for The Painted Hills.
• Makeup artist William Tuttle was also makeup creator for The Painted Hills.
• Stock music composer Walter Greene was also stock music composer for First Spaceship on Venus (U.S. version, also music editor), Hercules and the Captive Women (U.S. version), and The Human Duplicators.