No Time to Be Young 1957

Three friends at a breaking point

Three young men who have been friends since high school are at the edge of their ability to cope with life. Each is floundering—one is a college dropout, another is stuck in a dead-end job, and the third misrepresents his ambitions. Their shared troubles push them toward a drastic plan.

Dropout plans a supermarket robbery

The dropout formulates a plan to rob Dorr's supermarket to raise money for a boat and an escape from their problems. He tests the idea with his friends and begins mapping out the heist. The plan becomes their new focal point.

Romance and risk for the second man

The second man works at Dorr's and dreams of marrying a waitress who enjoys the company of older men. He pursues this risky romance, hoping to secure a future with her. Their moment of closeness foreshadows how the group's actions will ripple through their lives.

Dangerous entry attempt ends in injury

After a date, the two attempt to sneak into the waitress's home through a top-floor window. The plan backfires when she falls and is critically injured. The man feels a heavy burden of responsibility and the danger of their scheming.

The writer's lie exposed

The third man, a failed writer, has lied about a budding literary career to persuade a woman to marry him and to impress her father. His deception is eventually uncovered, and his wife rejects him. The exposure intensifies the sense of failure that binds the trio.

Deciding to proceed with the robbery

The trio agrees to go ahead with the robbery, hoping to resolve their troubles with a bold score. They prepare and rehearse their roles, though fear gnaws at them. The plan hardens into a dangerous commitment.

The robbery erupts and a manager is killed

During the robbery, the dropout's nerves flare and he shoots, killing the Dorr's manager. The act shatters any sense of rational planning and sends the crew into a panicked scramble. The heist spirals out of control.

Cops close in on the accomplices

Fleeing the scene, the dropout's two partners are quickly captured by police while the dropout bolts into a truck. The group fragments as law enforcement closes in. The dropout's escape becomes a one-man race.

Dropout heads toward Mexico in a stolen truck

The dropout steals a truck and heads down the highway toward Mexico, hoping to outrun the authorities. He speeds through unfamiliar roads, trying to put distance between himself and the chase. The pursuit continues as they try to intercept him.

High-speed pursuit unfolds

A tense, high-speed chase unfolds along the open road. Police units pursue the truck relentlessly as the dropout pushes the vehicle to its limits. The gap between suspect and capture narrows as the chase intensifies.

Brake failure and cliff plunge

The truck's brakes fail, and the car veers off course toward a cliff. The drive devolves into a desperate, fatal plunge as the vehicle crashes over the edge. The pursuit ends in tragedy.