It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

First you get Paul Newman who just owns screen time and rightfully so. then, a decent supporting cast making the movie gel and a soap-opera type story is upon you with all the ingredients that keep you interested. The perception that attorneys are all-knowing, all-powerful and rule their worlds is let loose here and each attorney handles if differently. Rich old people who have no life but put on airs that they do abound in this movie. When watching this you get your time and monies worth even though it shamefully feeds your dream-life and imaginations. The scenes are not drawn-out except in a couple of place otherwise the movie moves along and covers quite a bit of ground. High society, hypocrisy, power, love affairs, drinking, socializing, law, courtroom drama, war, orphan issues, mom, dad, ups and downs all resulting in ....

We begin with a prologue. In 1924, poor lower-class Diane Brewster (as Kate Judson) marries wealthy upper-crust Adam West (as William "Bill" Lawrence). On their honeymoon, he says, "I can't love you, Kate, I can't love anyone!" Apparently, he can't have sex. She goes crying to working class Brian Keith (as Michael "Mike" Flanagan), who she previously rejected as too poor, and becomes impregnated by him, instead. Though Mr. Keith wants to marry widow Brewster, she wants her son to grow up with the advantages of the "Lawrence" name. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's the back-story...Jumping to the present, we find Princeton class of 1947 student Paul Newman (as Anthony "Tony" Lawrence) working for Keith's construction company, while studying to become a lawyer. One of Mr. Newman's co-workers has fender-bender with beautiful Barbara Rush (as Joan Dickinson). Newman sides with Ms. Rush, probably because she is prettier than "big ape" Leonard Bremen, and they fall in love. However, Rush's upper-crust father John Williams (as Gilbert Dickinson) doesn't approve of lower-class Newman. Yes, this is a soap opera, revolving around the protagonist's climb to the top...Watch for Newman's alcoholic roommate and best friend Robert Vaughn (as Chester "Chet" Gwynn) to steal the movie. Taking center stage for the film's last, and most engaging, story, Mr. Vaughn received "Best Supporting Actor" consideration for his performance. The delightful Billie Burke entertains as a millionaire avoiding taxes, attractive Alexis Smith offers Rush some competition, and Richard Deacon makes a strong impression as a booze-sniffing butler. This probably should have been titled "The Young Philadelphian" (singular) as it is mainly about the character played by Paul Newman.******* The Young Philadelphians (5/21/59) Vincent Sherman ~ Paul Newman, Barbara Rush, Robert Vaughn, Richard Deacon

Pretty boring unless you consider Barbara Rush electrifying. Paul Newman is clearly at sea in this hokey soap opera directed in very old-school style by old-school director Vincent Sherman. Newman gives what is perhaps his most self-conscious performance. His reaction to soon-to-be father-in-law John Williams' plea to bide his time before marrying daughter Rush is embarrassing...it's difficult to believe that Newman is not joking...but he's not. He's just acting badly. This movie is like PEYTON PLACE minus the colorful cast and camp appeal. In addition to Newman, Rush and Williams, the cast includes Robert Vaughn, Billie Burke(!), classy Alexis Smith, Brian Keith (woefully mis-cast as Newman's father!), and, in a brief role, Adam West. Oddly, it has a pretty terrific music score by Ernest Gold!

The Young Philadelphians is a curious mixture of Ross Hunter like soap opera together with a Tennessee Williams like hero and surprisingly enough it works most of the time.Paul Newman is the hero whose very existence on the planet is a source of scandal. His mother Diane Brewster was disinherited by her husband's family when he killed himself on their wedding night. Newman's had to scrap for what's his in the world and isn't above using the bedroom to advance himself.He's got a friend in Robert Vaughn who's also a black sheep in his Philadelphia Main Line family who gets himself in a jackpot when he's arrested for murdering his uncle. Newman, who's a tax lawyer, gets some on the job training in a criminal case, in defending Vaughn. Like Katharine Hepburn in Suddenly Last Summer, characters like John Williams, Robert Douglas, and Frank Conroy seem above all to want to protect the family name. Hepburn was willing enough to have a lobotomy performed on Elizabeth Taylor and this crew seems ready willing and eager to send Vaughn to prison or the electric chair for the same reasons. Straight out of Tennessee Williams.Newman shows some of the flash in his courtroom scenes, especially in his examination of Richard Deacon that he later showed in his Oscar nominated The Verdict which is my personal Paul Newman favorite. He trips Deacon the witness up with a piece of legal wizardry worthy of Perry Mason.In the prologue of the film when the death of Adam West is shown on his wedding night to Diane Brewster the film is very discreet as to his reasons for doing what he did. It's explained this was a marriage arranged by his mother for the purpose of carrying on the family name even if it meant wedding a girl not from their crowd. He explains he has no interest in his wife and promptly goes out and dies in a speeding car crash. Today it would be far more explicit to say that maybe Adam West's character was gay. But we had the code in place back then and gay was invisible.Robert Vaughn got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and his harrowing scenes with Newman in the drunk tank got him that. He lost to Hugh Griffith for Ben-Hur, but it was the first real notice he got and the start of a long career. Look for good performances by Alexis Smith as the older woman Newman woos, Billie Burke as the daffy dowager, and Barbara Rush whose on and off relationship with Newman guides most of the film.The Young Philadelphians is kind of old fashioned today, somewhat dated, but still is good entertainment and recommended here.