the late director john frankenheimer direct his first feature film and the young stranger and after start out direct live television drama in new york city . this film come on the heel of the success of rebel without a cause in 1955. james macarthur make his feature film debut a a troubled teen with a movie producer father and play by james daly and who doesn not establish enough of a relationship with his son . kim hunter play the mother and who try to bridge the gap between her husband and her son . the film use the popular juvenile delinquent angle of the time to tell it story . macarthur get in trouble at a movie theater with an overzealous theater manager play by whit bissell . macarthur and in turn and have to deal with a police sergeant and james gregory and bent on teach him a lesson . the material could easily have turn exploitative and laughable and and sensational and like any number of others of the period do . however and under the sure hand direction of frankenheimer and the film be a sensitive portrayal of teenage and parental dynamic . the dialog be realistic and most of the scene hold up surprisingly well . some of the scene with bissell and a the theater manager and and gregory and a the police sergeant and be a bit heavy hand and date . the performance be uniformly good though and which be necessary for a film of this nature and about this topic to succeed . this be an impressive feature film debut both for macarthur and frankenheimer . of 4 star .