Bad is the New Good: I knew that The Age of Consent would be a bad movie, but how could you resist watching a pre-code film (that is, before the strict production code of 1934) with a title like that? Plus, it's only 64 minutes long. It's a drama about "free love," sex, and drinking that today comes off so corny and hilarious that it's almost impossible to turn off. I mean, we get great lines like, "You'd be much nicer if you'd loosen your morals" and "Turn off the heat, baby. I haven't got fire insurance." And it's all meant to be a very accurate exploration of college sex life.
Michael is a promising young man whose heart belongs to Betty. She even wears his pin, which officially makes them engaged. More than anything Michael wants to get married now, which means dropping out of school. Although he wants to continue with his education (encouraged by his professor he obnoxiously refers to as "Prof"), he fears waiting two more years to finish will cause him to lose Betty. Because a wealthy, cocky, and fresh stud named Duke has the hots for Betty also. Duke not only has the dough, but he has the loose morals that enable him to show Betty a good time.
But one night when Betty refuses to let Michael drop out of school to marry her, he wanders into a restaurant where the underage, hot-to-trot waitress Dora comes on to him and asks that he walk her home. But naughty little Dora has other plans too, and she tells Michael, "I may be able to scare up some liquid excitement." Well, this particular liquid led to a little too much excitement, and Dora and Michael wake up in bed together the next morning. Of course, Dora's father finds out and not only has Michael arrested for seducing a minor, but also forces them to get married. Until he gets caught, though, Michael seems to take a madonna/whore view of his relationships with Betty and Dora; he cares for Betty and wants to be a real man for her (rather than the immature frat guy Duke), but he doesn't hesitate flopping around in bed with Dora.
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