Kate (Diane Brewster) has dumped reliable steady Mike Flanagan (Brian Keith) for wealthy socialite William Lawrence (Adam West). West, as hammy as ever, declares himself impotent on the wedding night, and flees the hotel room leaving the willing bride in tears. She runs to Keith, West kills himself, and nine months later Anthony is born. Kate refuses to marry Keith, in order to keep the Lawrence name. Kate makes sacrifices for her son, ambitious for his prospects. Anthony grows up to be Paul Newman, travels in the right social circles, and goes to college to become a lawyer.
Newman wins the love of beautiful Joan Dickinson (Barbara Rush, who died this year at the age of 97), but her father Gilbert prefers the wealthy Carter Henry. Newman and Rush decide to elope, but scheming Gilbert strikes a deal with Newman, offering to become his precept in return for a delayed wedding. Rush is devastated that Newman would trade love for a career, and soon weds Henry, to Gilbert's delight. Newman sulks and decides to "play the game", meaning freely sacrifice principals for personal ambition.
Newman soon leaves Dickinson's law firm for that of John Wharton. There, he shamelessly flirts with his Wharton's tomboy younger wife Carol (Alexis Smith). Their romance is curiously cut short. Even more curious, John Wharton notices their romance but pays little attention. We soon never hear from Carol again, though Newman stays at Wharton, becoming a tax specialist.
His career is interrupted by a stint in the Korean war. This significant part of his life is represented by a single scene in the film, which has Newman visiting his hapless, drunkard friend Chester (Robert Vaughn) at a hospital. Poor Chester has lost an arm. Carter Henry also dies in Korea, a plot device leaving Newman again free to tackle Rush, who is a tougher sell the second time around.
Back in the states, Newman's career takes off when he steals a wealthy client (Billie Burke, the good witch in The Wizard of Oz) from Gilbert Dickinson. Newman shows Gilbert up, making him fume like a jealous schoolboy. Rush happens to be Burke's niece, an unlikely coincidence.
Pathetic Vaughn gets in more trouble, showing up first in a drunk tank, then charged with murder with the motive of an inheritance dispute. The evidence is stacked heavily against Vaughn, and Newman is no courtroom lawyer. Luckily, he apparently has watched enough courtroom scenes in film and television to imitate their theatrics, which include baiting of witnesses, surprise witnesses, demonstrations that go off perfectly, and courtroom confessions.
Newman also gets to show up Louis Donetti (Paul Picerni), who has been a smug rival throughout the movie, and by no small coincidence is the prosecuting attorney. With Vaughn freed, Newman regains the love of Rush and the requisite happy ending has been reached.
How others will see it. The Young Philadelphians was well received by critics. It was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Black & White Cinematography (Harry Stradling Sr.) and Best Supporting Actor (Robert Vaughn). The film topped the box office, but only for the week ending June 10, 1959.
Today at imdb.com, the movie has a respectable 7.4 (out of 10) user rating, and 4400 user votes, a relatively high total for a black and white movie from the Production Code era.
The user reviews are predominantly positive. Viewers note that the Production Code distorts the film's opening, making it difficult to know whether Adam West is gay or if he simply can't get it up. The soap opera aspects of the plot are also mentioned, though viewers nonetheless enjoy the exaggerated melodrama.