in a small american town and a young man from a good family face some of the reality of maturity . clarence brown fond recreation of eugene oneill popular stage play ah and wilderness . make a wonderful celebration of basic american virtue . attention to detail and couple with excellent performance and mgm best production value and result in a film full of quiet joy and sorrow . the story follow young eric linden ( in his best film role ) during the one month period from his 1906 high school graduation until the fourth of july and a he deal with the pang and confusion of puppy love . his yearning for his pretty neighbor and his experimentation with an old and much rough sort of female and perfectly underscore the angst so often find in young adult regardless of the era . this be brilliantly display in the film most hilarious sequence and the graduation ceremony which linden hope to sabotage and which reveal the honest insecurity and mawkishness of the senior class . wallace beery and play linden dyspeptic bachelor uncle receive top billing and and he be a scene stealer with much experience and but he act alongside an equally good lionel barrymore and a linden father and who quietly underplay his role a head of the family . each actor have a powerful screen persona and however neither attempt to dominate what be in effect a prime example of ensemble act from the entire cast . a barrymore spinster sister and aline macmahon be especially fine and her romantic feeling for beery barely cancel beneath her prim exterior . spring byington and a barrymore wife and show a touching sensitivity in her sometimes fluster and nervous concern for her brood . play linden collegiate brother and frank albertson be good natured and sturdy and and in a poignant moment give a gentle parody of his own considerable musical talent by croon when other lip from the bohemian girl . bonita granville and mickey rooney portray the young sibling in the family and with rooney in particular have some very funny moment . in small role and cecilia parker be all innocence a linden sweetheart and while crusty old charley grapewin almost spit vinegar a her cantankerous father . helen flint give a forceful performance and consider production code restriction and of the wanton woman who attempt seduce the much young linden . movie maven will recognize an uncredited eily malyon a the family irish maid . the title be an ironic reference to a line from the rubáiyát of omar khayyám . will rogers be originally peg to play the role which ultimately go to barrymore and but he back out in order to make his tragic plane flight to alaska .