That Certain Age is a 1938 American musical comedy film directed by Edward Ludwig and starring Deanna Durbin, Jackie Cooper and Melvyn Douglas.
A young girl named Alice Fullerton (Durbin) and her best friend Ken Warren (Cooper) are putting on a play to raise money so some less privileged boy scouts can go to summer camp.
Vincent Bullitt (Douglas), a reporter who works for her father's newspaper comes to stay at the house and she becomes infatuated with him. Meanwhile, Ken is in love with Alice, but believes her and Vincent are actually together after his little sister steals Alice's diary. All while Vincent and Alice's parents try and dissuade her crush on the older man.
Tropes:
- The All-American Boy: Ken Warren.
- Abhorrent Admirer: Alice is this to Vincent and Mary Lee is this to Ken.
- The Baby of the Bunch: Ken's little sister, Butch.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: Alice's obsession with Vincent starts to turn her into this.
- Betty and Veronica: Ken is the Betty to Vincent's Veronica.
- Butt-Monkey: Ken's friend Tony, who gets repeatedly slapped with a glove for a scene in the play.
- Big Brother Instinct: Ken towards Butch.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Ken and Alice have been best friends since they were toddlers.
- Fake Relationship: Vincent pretends to be married to fellow reporter, Grace, to get Alice out of his hair.
- First Guy After All: Alice realizes she liked Ken all along, and they get together in the end.
- The Gentleman or the Scoundrel: Vincent isn't exactly a scoundrel, but he is totally inappropriate for Alice. Which everyone but her seems to see. Even Vincent would rather see Alice choose the nice boy her own age.
- Grand Staircase Entrance: Alice does this at Vincent's party, in her mother's dress. She wants to impress Vincent, but catches Ken's eyes instead.
- Hey, Let's Put on a Show: Alice, Ken and their friends are trying to put on a play to raise money. Alice's crush causes her to quit, much to Ken's dismay.
- Innocent Soprano: Alice, of course. She is played by Deanna Durbin after all.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: When Ken thinks Vincent and Alice are in a relationship, he tearfully congratulates them and leaves.
- Intrepid Reporter: Vincent Bullit.
- Love Triangle: Ken loves Alice, Alice loves Vincent.
- Little Girls Kick Shins: Butch. In fact, she takes it a step further and ends up biting the man's leg.
- Operation: Jealousy: Ken pretends he is dating Mary Lee to try and make Alice jealous.
- Parental Fashion Veto: Alice, wanting to impress Vincent at his birthday party, puts on a sexy black dress of her mother's. Her mother demands she go upstairs and change.
- Secret Diary: Butch steals Alice's diary and reads it to Ken.
- Smitten Teenage Girl: Alice, duh.
- "Scooby-Doo" Hoax: Alice, Ken and the others try this on Vincent to try and drive him away. This is before Alice falls for him.
- Tagalong Kid: Butch. She's actually credited as "the pest".
- Virgin in a White Dress: Alice.
- Women Are Wiser: Alice tells Ken her father always said women know a lot more about the world then men. Ken says his mother told him the same thing.
