..for the male leads to be remotely similar in age to their female costars. Couldn't have that.
shareI believe Conrad's character is that of an affluent playboy and his taste in women is quite obvious. In fact the narrator mentions him wondering about Beatrice's age on the subway, believing her to be nineteen and malleable to his ways. Conrad repeatedly says that he isn't sexually interested in the women that he likes as human beings and vice versa. This being more a statement on his preference than anything else. Not to mention, the park scene with the seventeen year olds playing football. Also from the particular scene in the beginning as well as the end where we see him frolicking with a couple of girls reinforcing his philandering nature.
However, I do get what you mean with Hollywood in general casting leads from entirely different generations.
~love is all we need~ share