Review of Like Father, Like Son

By most accounts, the film was shot as early as 1959. Given that, the film seems quite ahead of its time in the depiction of "teenage" sexuality. Stefanie Powers plays the standard "good girl" role, but there is a bit of dialog that suggests that she, too has already had sex. The Tom Laughlin character is sexually assaulted by a girl who is described as being only 17 or 18 (two characters differ as to her age). I'm old enough to have attended the various "teen" films from the late 1950's and early-mid 1960's, and this material is comparatively far ahead of its time. No Disney or Robert Radnitz films of the era dealt with youthful sexuality with such frankness. I found THE YOUNG SINNER to be quite interesting in that regard.

The Tom Laughlin character seems to be a bit of a template for the later Billy Jack persona.