Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Please don't spend money on this.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Copyright 25 October 1951 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture. New York opening at the Radio City Music Hall: 22 November 1951 (ran two weeks). U.S. release: 23 November 1952. U.K. release: 3 December 1951. Australian release: 12 March 1952. 91 minutes. Censored to 88½ minutes in the U.K. in order to qualify for a "U" certificate. Cut by M-G-M to 86 minutes in Australia.SYNOPSIS: Unable to obtain an audition appointment with Eric Wainwright, a famous concert manager, Cynthia Potter in desperation disguises herself as a thirteen-year-old girl with braces on her teeth and enters a children's concert sponsored annually by Eric.Her brilliant piano playing wins the contest and on the following day, Eric comes to her apartment with a contract. Cynthia, pretending that she is the older sister of the girl she has impersonated, tries to persuade Eric to sign her, but he refuses and even accuses her of being jealous of her successful kid sister. Furious at his attitude, Cynthia decides to continue the hoax by signing the contract as her little sister's guardian. Dressed appropriately, she arrives at Eric's office to commence her career as a child prodigy. John Tirsen, Cynthia's newspaperman boyfriend, disapproves of the hoax and tries to make Cynthia give it up. Eric comes upon them conversing, and Cynthia is forced to introduce John as her elder sister's boyfriend. Eric, however, is shocked to later find her smoking and drinking a cocktail while with John, and decides to take her to his country home to remove her from the evil influence of John and her elder sister. Cynthia deliberately proves difficult at Eric's home, by interfering with his romance with Denise Dorcet, a temperamental singer, and by insisting that he stop drinking and smoking if he does not want her to continue these vices. After weeks of practice, however, Eric becomes very fond of his child protégée, while she has secretly been falling in love with him. Nevertheless...COMMENT: M-G-M, always eager to copycat a success at another studio, have here taken a leaf from the pages of All About Eve. Of course, the idea has been considerably watered down and most of the bite has been removed. However, it still has sufficient sparkle to add up to passable entertainment.Acting is proficient. Miss Allyson has a role that takes advantage of her small stature (actually the camera cheats a bit here by making her appear taller, when she should — except for the up-swept hair style — be the same size).The direction is competent, though inclined to intersperse the musical interludes (cut, of course) with too many reaction shots. Within the limits of a very moderate budget, production values are smooth.OTHER VIEWS: A slight comedy with a theme at once hackneyed and improbable, which sometimes sparkles but has too many flat passages. — Monthly Film Bulletin.

Too Young To Kiss stars two actors from the post-war era who seemed to be always coupled together. Van Johnson plays an established impresario whose busy schedule and taste for exotic women leaves him with hardly any time to take talented unknowns seriously. June Allyson plays Cynthia Potter, an excellent musician who is determined to catch his eye despite countless cancellations of appointment on his part. When she hears of a children's audition that he is sure to attend, she stoops to a new level. She dresses as a little girl, braces, bows and all to impress the man. He's hooked, astounded that such talent could come from a 12 year old girl named Molly. He signs her to a contract and takes her under his wing, appalled by the way she is treated by her "older sister" Cynthia and "uncle" (really her fiancée). Slowly the two develop an odd relationship and "Molly" begins to feel awful about duping the man.One can't help but think of how perfect Mary Pickford would have been in this role had it been created in the silent era. Still, Allyson does a wonderful job in the part, not quite believable as a little girl and yet at times, perfect. This half-way acting makes Johnson's character seem all the bigger an idiot and also gives way for a romantic relationship to bud. Also, did Allyson really do all of the piano performances herself? It would be difficult to have a stand-in do it with some of the shots used. If she did, it is only further proof of how wonderful she was.

Hackett and Goodrich were some of the best screenwriters Hollywood ever produced and even when the movie isn't clicking on all cylinders, the dialogue usually is and when you listen to it, you notice the potential for a great movie is always there. Such is the case of Too young to kiss, a plot that had the necessary oomph but a director and stars that go for the easy. The pluses: Allyson is completely convincing in costume and makeup as the twelve year old she pretends to be. Van Johnson's droll and fatigued performance strikes the right pitch more often than not. The mistaken identity plot is handled here much better than it was in The Major and Minor, a movie to which comparisons have to be made, but is a better movie than that one. The ending feels rushed but that is because of the poor execution, in the hands of Billy Wilder who directed the other movie, it would have been gold as the love strokes and magic of the heart would conquer.

This film is simply fun. You can't take it too seriously, the idea of a woman in her twenties posing as a twelve year old - this is not something that happens everyday. June Allyson is wonderful in the lead, and is practically playing two characters. She does manage to look very young, despite her being in her thirties at the time. Van Johnson is his usual lovable self, and this movie is just too cute at times. Poor Gig Young is barely seen, but he does what he can with his role. This movie is too cute!