As the well-worn adage goes, some of us work to live, whereas others live to work. The concept of labour as the foundation of any functioning society is something that we’ve found debated in every arena, from political machinations to philosophical thought, all of which set out to determine the merits and shortcomings of dedicating our lives to the pursuit of a comfortable, meaningful existence. Interestingly, there aren’t many great works of art built around the concept of work, at least not in terms of being positive depictions of labour, to the point where it seems to be one of those rare concepts that has never truly broken out in terms of artistic expression, often being at odds with what many consider to be the ultimate liberation. Nothing implies that we are trapped in a perpetual cycle of grueling labour based around brutal socio-cultural ideals more than an off-the-wall comedy-of-manner produced during the Golden Age of Hollywood, which is precisely what we see occuring with As Young as You Feel, in which director Harmon Jones takes a tremendously entertaining story written by none other than Paddy Chayefsky (whose ideas were fleshed out by screenwriter Lamar Trotti), following the trials and tribulations of John Hodges, a fiercely proud individual who is shattered when he receives notification that his longtime employment is being terminated, solely because he has passed the threshold of the legal working age, and is essentially forced into retirement against his wishes. Realising that he has to find an alternative solution, he sets out to make an alternative arrangement, which draws on his inherent skills and ability to outsmart just about anyone. A wonderfully upbeat and outrageously funny comedy with some strong ideas, As Young as You Feel is nothing short of a delight and deserves to be viewed as one of the great examinations of working life produced during this period.

One of the great delights about these smaller comedies made during this era is their simplicity – there is something so wonderfully endearing about a film that doesn’t feel impelled to challenge the status quo, and instead can exist as its own unique and compelling blend of ideas without needing to be viewed as being particularly innovative or daring.  As Young as You Feel lays out its themes quite clearly from the start – an old man loses his job only due to his age, with his skills and performance having very little impact (he was neither particularly gifted nor lacking, meaning that his retirement is not viewed as either a loss or a benefit to the company), and creates a plan to get it back, not realising the hilarious consequences that will ensue once what he imagines was quite a simple scheme turns out to be far more complex, filled with unexpected developments that only complicated his endeavour, while also highlighting his extraordinary resourcefulness. The plot could have been realised in many different ways, but it seems like an irreverent, offbeat comedy was ideal, since it allowed the director to underline the core themes without making it seem as if the film should be taken entirely seriously, or viewed as anything more than a hilarious and upbeat diversion from reality. It plays out as a very traditional comedy-of-manners, following the protagonist and a rogue’s gallery of supporting players as they engage in a delightful battle of wits, attempting to assert dominance over one another in an effort to have the final word, which turns out to be far more elusive than any of them may have initially expected. It’s delightfully offbeat filmmaking, and all the proof we need towards the ingenuity that went into the creation of this story, which is a wholeheartedly delightful affair from start to finish.

However, there is an inherent danger in just taking a film like As Young as You Feel at face value, especially considering it was based on a story conceived by Chayefsky, who is most well-remembered for his scathing, harsh social satires that often blended dark humour with cutting psychological drama, even at their most simple and straightforward. Context is always important when looking at any work of comedy, since humour is not just a means to entertain viewers, but usually acts as a useful tool, a vessel for commentary in various forms that require at least a brief understanding of the circumstances surrounding a film’s creation. Chayefsky was a steadfast political activist, and his efforts to combat what he viewed as the looming threat of fascism often took quite fascinating forms. A film made in the 1950s about someone who adores working, even when he is well past the age where one should be undergoing daily labour, does not leave a lot to the imagination as far as allusions to real-world matters tend to go, and whether he created this narrative as a means to go against McCarthyism and the work being done by the House Un-American Activities Committee for decades remains to be seen, but it would be truly bewildering if there wasn’t some degree of disdain towards the system on the part of both the writer and those involved in bringing this idea to life on screen. In many ways, a sharp-witted satire about the joy of work is a perfect means to convey deep and unsettling discussions on how deeply cruel the system can be, and where the lack of intervention from those in power to help those who need it the most (and often have to resort to working long after they have reached retirement age) only perpetuates a harsh and difficult system, especially considering the dust had hardly begun to settle on the Great Depression, which added many complicated layers to the conversation.

Some actors are born to be stars, others simply fall into the profession – and while this does sound like a covert criticism of those who seem to have just been lucky, it can be a wonderful experience to find someone who either entered the vocation late in life, or spent many years in obscurity before achieving their breakthrough. In the case of Monty Woolley, we find someone who defines the belief that it is never too late to become a star, even if it is somewhat unexpected. He may be best-known for his star-making turn in The Man Who Came to Dinner, but he also flourished as a fantastic character actor, and even a decade after his first major arrival, he remained a brilliant and essential performer. This film in particular is built entirely on his unique persona and screen presence – his iconic white beard, coupled with his timbrous Transatlantic accent and offbeat, debonair charm makes for quite an engaging performance, and one that is filled to the brim with fascinating qualities, all of which are important to the overall success of As Young as You Feel, which would not have worked with any other actor in the central role. He’s magnificent, oscillating between outrageously funny and deeply sorrowful, depending on what a scene is intending to say. It’s difficult to fathom anyone else being quite as perfect as he was in this role, and he’s supported by a terrific cast that surrounds him – Thelma Ritter is as reliable as ever as his harsh daughter-in-law, while David Wayne and Albert Dekker are absolutely fantastic patsies that find themselves being outsmarted by someone clearly far ahead of them intellectually and in terms of skill. There is even a brief but memorable performance from Marilyn Monroe in a very early film, her involvement oddly being the only reason this film has retained some semblance of note amongst audiences today, despite her having only a single scene. Considering it is a character-based film in which the performances are designed to be memorable, it’s not surprising that the cast is doing exceptional, engaging work throughout.

At a glance, As Young as You Feel doesn’t appear to be a particularly major work – it’s quite a small film, both in terms of its scope and running time (lasting a measly 76 minutes, which means that it does move at a rapid pace and doesn’t get the chance to expand on most of its ideas), but its ideas are far more engaging than its smaller size may suggest. Primarily, it’s quite a daring satire, a film that aims for the economic elite and their belief in exploiting the working class to the point where someone has to quite literally work until they are standing on death’s door to merely survive – the idea that the protagonist is pushed to continue working despite his advanced age, solely so that he can provide for his family, is quite a sad concept when we look at it from a distance and remove the layers of irreverent comedy. I’d even go out on a limb and say this is one of the most scathing satires of the decade, primarily because it presents itself as this upbeat, quirky comedy-of-manners, but has a deep sorrow and cynicism pulsating beneath the surface – the fact that the film ends with the protagonist quite literally celebrating that he has been given his job again, and will likely have to toil daily for the next several years, is not the positive conclusion we’d expect, but yet still proves to be the foundation for quite a daring and provocative work, one that is as disquieting as it is entertaining. As Young as You Feel deserves a re-analysis, and with the right amount of support, we may find that it emerges as one of the great comedies of this era once more people have taken the time to explore the various peculiar elements that make it such a resounding success.