The Young One

Based on a short story ("Travelin' Man") by American author Peter Matthiessen, the film tells the story of Traver, a black jazz musician on the run after a white woman has accused him of rape. Such a charge in the South could lead to his being lynched. After stealing a boat to escape, Traver makes his way to an isolated island inhabited by new game warden Miller, and the very innocent and sheltered young teen Evalyn, the granddaughter of the recently deceased game warden. A story of innocence and prejudice hereon unfolds with cultural, traditional and rational thought being explored.

While being pursued late at night, Traver (Bernie Hamilton) steals a boat and ends up on an island off the Carolina coast inhabited by Miller (Zachary Scott), who has owned a bee farm with his recently deceased partner Pee Wee. Pee Wee left behind a teenage granddaughter named Evalyn ("Evvie", played by Key Meersman), whose age is not fully clear. Miller is hard on Evvie until one day he pulls back her wild hair and notices that she is no longer just a child. Miller goes to town for funeral arrangements for Evvie's Grandfather and to deal with questions on her future.

Thinking herself alone, Evvie goes about her routine at the apiary, but Traver surprises her and begs her for some honey. He gives her a dime in return. Traver winds up getting a meal back at the cabin, but when he wants to leave with a shotgun and some gas for his boat, Evvie protests. The shotgun discharges during their struggle (inside the house). Traver gives her 20 dollars for the trouble and leaves. He reaches his boat but accidentally shoots a hole in it, forcing him to return to the cabin for repair supplies. Despite this, Traver and Evvie develop trust in one another. Traver spends another night on the island fixing his boat. Evvie wakes up in the middle of the night when a raccoon gets into the coop and kills a chicken. When she opens the window, she hears Traver playing on his clarinet.

Miller returns the next day, but becomes angry when he finds out he's been robbed. He takes a rifle and goes out to find the perpetrator. In the meantime Evvie hides the money by pinning it into her skirt. Traver is at his boat almost ready to leave, but runs away when he sees Miller approaching. Miller comes upon the boat, and shoots enough holes in the hull to sink it. A chase ensues. Traver finds another boat in a river, but Miller sights him as he paddles and fires a shot. Traver splashes into the water, but later emerges unscathed.

Miller returns to the cabin and presents Evvie with a dress and some high heel shoes (here is the film's only Bunuelism, the shoe fetish). He seems to want to make her into a lady, but warns her away from men. Miller has Evvie sit on his lap, and seems bemused by her innocence. "Don't let anyone hold you like this," he warns her. But as he tries to kiss her, she avoids his lips.

After Miller later finds the 20-dollar bill, he confronts Evvie with it. When Evvie tries to explain it. Traver bursts in and holds Miller up. He takes Miller's rifle and returns to his boat, which he does not yet realize is sunk.

The next day Miller gives Evvie her money back "for telling the truth." He takes a grenade and goes out looking for Traver, whom he finds busy fixing the boat.

Miller and Evvie leave Traver in peace to finish work on his boat, but he returns to the two cabins to keep an eye on the pair while his boat soaks. Miller offers Traver work on the island in exchange for room and board, and uses Traver's presence as a pretext for Evvie to move into his own quarters.

For her part, Evvie can't understand why the two men can't be friends. Traver explains why he has the gun: "It's easy for him to kill me. It's hard for me to kill him." By his reckoning, Miller has more power in that dynamic, so Traver holding onto the gun "makes us almost equal." After some coaxing from Evvie, Traver plays his clarinet. There is implication that Miller with Evvie innocent from understanding has sex with the underage girl that night.

The following day, the local preacher, Rev. Fleetwood (Claudio Brook), and another white man named Jackson (Crahan Denton) come to the island to baptize Evvie. The Reverend soon has suspicions about Miller's treatment of Evvie, while Miller finds out about a rape charge against a black clarinet player, whom he concludes is Traver. The two themes of rape and racism intertwine as the tension on the island mounts.

• Zachary Scott as Miller
• Bernie Hamilton as Traver
• Key Meersman as Evalyn
• Crahan Denton as Jackson
• Claudio Brook as Rev. Fleetwood

Rotten Tomatoes reports 100% approval for The Young One, with an average rating of 8.3/10.[2]

• The Young One at IMDb
• (in Spanish) La joven at the cinema of Mexico site of the ITESM