THE AGE OF CONSENT Preservation Spotlight

The latest film preserved by the American Film Institute,
THE AGE OF CONSENT was made in the pre-censorship
pre-Code era and is quite a daring film for its time. Gregory
LaCava, one of Hollywood’s finest directors of the 1930s
(MY MAN GODFREY, STAGE DOOR), handles with deft skill
this story of collegiate sexual shenanigans.
Sophomore Michael takes up with pretty waitress Dora after
his girlfriend Betty agrees to go out with another guy.
Michael and Betty eventually make up and become engaged,
but Mike’s sexual frustration won’t go away. He visits Dora
again, but, when her father catches them in bed, Mike is
charged with seducing a minor and is forced to agree to
marry Dora. The story twists and turns around other developments
before reaching a happy ending.
THE AGE OF CONSENT was preserved and restored by the
American Film Institute at the Library of Congress laboratories
with a grant from The Film Foundation, using funds received
from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It is one of
three pre-Code films being restored by AFI with this grantthe
other two being TEN CENTS A DANCE and THE WISER
SEX. (K.W.)