My Teenage Daughter (1956)

Valerie Carr (Anna Neagle) is a widow and the secretary to the editor of a women’s magazine. She is devoted to her two daughters, 17-year-old Jan (Sylvia Syms in her film debut) and 13-year-old Poppet (Julia Lockwood).

At a deb’s party, Jan meets Mayfair boy Tony Ward Black (Kenneth Haigh) and soon runs around with him and a bunch of jive-mad youngsters.

Valerie, promoted to editor of a teenage magazine, is attracted to novelist Hugh Manning (Norman Wooland) but prepares to put aside her own happiness to save Jan from herself and her unruly companions.

Tony becomes desperate for money, but Val refuses to give Jan her Post Office book to help him. Tony then tries to get the cash by force from an elderly aunt (Helen Haye), and the old girl dies from shock.

Both Tony and Jan are arrested for manslaughter, and Jan raves at Valerie and blames her for the trouble. So does the magistrate (Ballard Berkeley).

Jan is subsequently freed and ultimately realises the folly of her ways and the distress she has caused Valerie. She and Val are finally reconciled and Hugh hovers in the background.

Wanda Ventham appears in her film debut as Gina.

Released in America as Teenage Bad Girl. 

Valerie Carr
Anna Neagle
Janet Carr
Sylvia Syms
Hugh Manning
Norman Wooland
Sir Joseph
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Tony Ward Black
Kenneth Haigh
Poppet Carr
Julia Lockwood
Aunt Louisa
Helen Haye
Aunt Bella
Josephine Fitzgerald
Gina
Wanda Ventham
Sir Henry
Michael Shepley
Barbara
Avice Landone
Mark
Michael Meacham
Magistrate
Ballard Berkeley
Miss Ellis
Edie Martin
Anne
Myrette Morven
Miss Bennett
Grizelda Hervey
Celia
Betty Cooper

Director
Herbert Wilcox