Drama Cult Classic

Delinquent girls, drag races, and nuns collide in a campy Los Angeles reform school drama.

GIRLS TOWN

Q: What is Girls Town about?

Girls Town follows Silver Morgan, a teenage delinquent sent to a convent-run reform school after being accused of causing a boy's death, where she contends with tough roommates and institutional discipline.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUTHFUL REBELS GO BAD?

1959 · 1h 30m · NR · Drama · IMDB TMDB

A young woman, Silver, fends off her grabby date and in the process he accidentally falls off a cliff to his death. Circumstantial evidence places 16-year-old delinquent Silver the scene and she is sent to Girls Town, a rehabilitation village run by a group of nuns. There she lives with Serafina and two tough chicks. Trouble and misunderstandings ensue.

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Quick Answer

What is Girls Town about?

Girls Town is a 1959 American drama film directed by Charles F. Haas about a teenage girl accused of causing a boy's death who is sent to a nun-run rehabilitation school where she clashes with other troubled girls.

Programmer's Pick

Girls Town dishes up a heady cocktail of drag races, girl fights, and judo moves, all under the watchful eyes of habit-wearing reformers. Where else do you get nuns, hot rods, and Mamie Van Doren trading quips in the same reel?

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

A hot-rod gang’s reckless night ends in tragedy when a boy falls to his death after chasing a resisting girl. All eyes turn to Silver Morgan, a tough 16-year-old with a delinquent reputation, who becomes the main suspect due to circumstantial evidence. Sent to Girls Town—a unique rehabilitation village run by nuns—Silver must navigate a new world of strict routines, strong-willed roommates, and her own stubbornness. With the likes of judo-practicing Vida and sensitive Serafina, life inside is anything but dull. The story sets up a collision of rebellious teen energy, campy dramatics, and institutional discipline, all against a backdrop of 1950s Los Angeles youth culture.

Details & Specs

Director: Charles F. Haas
Writer: Robert Smith
Release: 1959
Runtime: 1h 30m
Country: United States of America
Language: English
Genres: Drama

Why This Matters

Girls Town exemplifies the 1950s teen exploitation genre and features notable casting, including Paul Anka's first acting role, the children of silent film legends, and appearances by musicians like The Platters, making it a curious intersection of pop culture and Hollywood lineage.

— SassyFlix Curator

Cast & Crew

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Director: Charles F. Haas Writer: Robert Smith

Mamie Van Doren Silver Morgan

Mel Tormé Fred Alger

Ray Anthony Dick Culdane

Margaret Hayes Mother Veronica (as Maggie Hayes)

Paul Anka Jimmy Parlow CC Cathy Crosby Singer

Gigi Perreau Serafina Garcia

Elinor Donahue Mary Lee Morgan

Gloria Talbott Vida SG Sheilah Graham Sister Grace

James Mitchum Charley Boy DC Dick Contino Stan Joyce

Harold Lloyd Jr. Chip Gardner

Charles Chaplin, Jr. Joe Cates PM Peggy Moffitt Flo

Peter Leeds Michael Clyde

Norman Grabowski Skin (as Grabowski)

Jody Fair Gloria Barker

Nan Peterson Carhop KV Karen von Unge Sister Agnes SS Susanne Sidney Carlie (as Susanne Sydney) WW Wendy Wilde Sister Magdalene GR Gloria Rhoads Matron NR Nancy Root Jaguar Girl

Bara Byrnes Dolores (as Bobi Byrnes) PD Phyllis Douglas Eleanor JC Jack Carr Cop (uncredited)

Fred Lerner Jaguar Boy (uncredited)

William Smith Man (uncredited)

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