The Plastic Age (film)

This article is about the 1925 silent film. For the 1924 novel upon which it is based, see The Plastic Age.

For the album by The Buggles, see The Age of Plastic.

The Plastic Age
Reprint of the promotional poster
Directed by	Wesley Ruggles
Produced by	B.P. Schulberg
Screenplay by	Frederica Sagor Eve Unsell
Based on	The Plastic Age by Percy Marks
Starring	Clara Bow Donald Keith Gilbert Roland Mary Alden Clark Gable
Cinematography	Allen G. Siegler Gilbert Warrenton
Distributed by	Preferred Pictures
Release date(s)	December 15, 1925 July 18, 1926 (New York City, New York) April 23, 1928
Running time	73 minutes
Country	USA
Language	Silent film English intertitles

The Plastic Age (1925) is a black-and-white silent film starring Clara Bow and Gilbert Roland. The film survives today not only on 16 mm film, but also on video and DVD. The film was based on the best-selling 1924 novel The Plastic Age by Percy Marks. It was adapted for the screen by Frederica Sagor Maas and Eve Unsell.

Plot

Hugh Carver (Donald Keith) is an athletic star and a freshman at Prescott College. During a hazing initiation by his fraternity brothers, he meets Cynthia Day (Clara Bow), a popular girl who loves to party and have a good time. She introduces him to the pleasures of illicit drinking, dancing at illegal roadhouses, and necking in the back seats of cars. A love-triangle develops between Day, Carver, and Carver's roommate, Carl Peters (Gilbert Roland), who also likes Day. Eventually, Peters gives up his crush on Day and reconciles his friendship with Carver.

Carver's grades, athletic performance and moral character begin to suffer as a result of his late nights and wild partying, and on a visit home, his strict father tosses him out of the house and tells him not to come back until he's 'made good'. After almost being arrested at a roadhouse raid, Day and Carver escape in her automobile, and Day realizes that her lifestyle is bad for Carver, so the two stop seeing each other.

Carver's school performance then improves greatly, and he leads his teammates to victory at the big football game at the end of the year. Peters tells Carver that Day still loves him, and that she has changed, becoming less wild and more mature. Day and Carver are reunited at the end.

Background

The Plastic Age was based on a 1924 book of the same name written by Brown University professor and popular novelist of the time, Percy Marks. Professor Marks' novels were about his students, the 'flaming youth in rebellion' of the twenties, who danced to wild jazz, drank from silver flasks, and had petting parties. It was shot on location, Pomona College, California in the summer of 1925.

The film was a huge hit and Clara Bow's greatest achievement so far. It has been suggested that Adolph Zukor, head of Paramount Pictures, the biggest studio in Hollywood at that time, offered to merge with Preferred Pictures (a much smaller studio), and make Preferred's head B.P. Schulberg an associate producer at Paramount to acquire her. Zukor was looking for star talent, as he had recently lost many of his biggest stars.

The copy reviewed is the Image Entertainment DVD version produced by David Shepard and his company Film Preservation Associates, offered as a double-feature DVD with The Show Off (1926). It was mastered from a 16mm print. The music score by Eric Beheim uses original arrangements of authentic music of the period.

Cast

• Clara Bow as Cynthia Day
• Donald Keith as Hugh Carver
• Mary Alden as Mrs. Carver
• Henry B. Walthall as Henry Carver
• Gilbert Roland as Carl Peters
• David Butler as Coach Henley
• Gwen Lee as Carl's girl

Also appearing in otherwise minor, uncredited roles are future film stars Janet Gaynor, Clark Gable, and Carole Lombard.

External links

• The Plastic Age at the Internet Movie Database
• The Plastic Age at AllRovi