The Devil Is a Sissy (1936) User Reviews (21)

A MUST SEE for old movie lovers

[DeBaron · 8/10 · 23 April 1999]

Without this film anyone having a classic movie collection just thinks they have a classic movie collection. It is a fine old movie with lots of good, old-fashioned humor in it.

Most of all, it has three of the top child actors preceeding World War II. All three of these came together just one time to do a movie. And, do a movie they did. See Freddie Bartholomew, Mickey Rooney, and Jackie Cooper star together as, once again, good triumphs over evil.

Swiping Hubcaps for a Good Cause

[Maleejandra · 8/10 · 8 December 2007]

Claude Pierce (Freddie Bartholomew) is a rich boy with a poor father. Unlike most Bartholomew movies, he goes to live with his father in the slums gladly; it is his mother that hates the idea. However, Claude is excited to meet new friends, and he tries his hardest to win over classmates Buck Murphy (Jackie Cooper) and Gig Stevens (Mickey Rooney). These are the direct opposite of society children; Gig's father has just been sent to the electric chair for murder, and Gig idolizes him. However, the trouble they get into is typical of boys their age, and at heart, they're good people. Claude's father is banking on this and knows that his son's association with these types of boys will help him build character. It certainly does.

I have been dying to see this movie for years because of the excellent cast. Each boy lives up to my expectations. Bartholomew is charming as always. Rooney is a powerhouse, which was also expected. In Cooper's autobiography, he complains that Rooney stole the show from him, but Cooper's fans will not be disappointed. His part did not allow for a super-memorable performance. I believed the plot was going to be more impactful, similar to Boys Town. This isn't a movie you're going to learn any lessons from that you haven't learned before, and no scene stands out over another as more memorable. It is simply an enjoyable movie with a great cast, nothing more and nothing less.

Three little tough guys!!

[kidboots · 8/10 · 8 December 2008]

This is a stunning little film that stars the 3 top boy stars of the 30s - although at this point they were all at different stages in their careers. Freddie Bartholomew was at the peak of his fame. Constant court appearances kept him from the studio and roles that would have given him a longer career went to others instead. Jackie Cooper had had a tremendous career in the early thirties, appearing in "Skippy", "The Champ" and as a featured player of "Our Gang" but was now at an awkward age. Mickey Rooney was at the start of his greatest acclaim. He had been in films since the 20s and had starred in his own series "Mickey McGuire". He had been noticed in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" playing mischievous Puck and also as Dick, the bootblack in "Little Lord Fauntelroy". In my opinion Mickey walks away with the acting honours for "The Devil is a Sissy".

Claude (Bartholomew of course) comes to stay with his father for six months in his Bowery flat. He is overjoyed and at the local school meets Buck (Jackie Cooper) and Gig (Mickey Rooney). Gig's father is due to be electrocuted that night for a gangland murder. He tries to save up the money to buy his father a tombstone. The three fellows (who are now friends) go to see Gig's Aunt Rose, played by Peggy Conklin, who made only five films before returning to her first love - the theatre. She gets the boys to join in singing "Say Ah!!!". There are some funny scenes, when Claude is placed on lookout having to whistle if the police come. He finds he can't but gets the policeman to whistle instead.

When robbing a Park Avenue apartment brings them before the court, Claude astonishes everyone by confessing that it was his mother's house and they were his own toys!!! Thejudge ends his speech by saying "the devil is really a sissy"!!! Buck and Gig decide to run away so they don't have to report to the probation officer, but Claude is determined to stop them. They all hitch a ride with a car load of shifty looking gangsters. The gangsters get the impression that Claude is wealthy and when Claude, who has cottoned on instantly that things are not right, asks the french proprietor of the diner to call the police (in french!!) he saves the day. He contacts pneumonia but with the hope that he will soon be with his friends, he pulls through.

Gene Lockhart plays Buck's bullying, insensitive father and Dorothy Peterson plays Gig's worn out mother (a role she played to perfection.)

See it for the title alone!!!

Highly Recommended.

The Outsiders, 30's style.

[SanDiego · 16 April 1999]

Bartholomew and Rooney teamed for five films at MGM. Usually either Bart would be sent to an American school where he would get beat up for being British, or Rooney would be sent to a British school where he would get beat up for being an American. Or some combination thereof. This is one where Bart gets sent to America...and gets beat up, but fights back. All in all it is the best of the bunch because Rooney and Bart and Jackie Cooper make a terrific trio. Much of this film reminded me of "The Outsiders" except for its syrupy last three minutes. The movie opens by telling us that Rooney's father is about to be executed. We are showed the effects this has upon Rooney and Rooney's mother. We never see Rooney's dad in the film, nor the execution, but we witness Rooney's face as he hears his mother scream when the clock strikes midnight at the minute of execution. Rooney still loves his father and his only goal is to buy his father a tombstone. This is contrasted with the leader of the trio, Jackie Cooper who is physically abused by his father, and Freddie Bartholomew who has a poor loving caring father divorced to his rich distant mother. The three try to survive for the moment on the streets of New York.

"He's been hiding down below ever since."

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 16 April 2014]

Wonderful movie starring the three biggest male child stars of their era. It's about a young English boy (Freddie Bartholomew) who comes to live with his father in New York and makes friends with a couple of tough kids (Mickey Rooney, Jackie Cooper). Before long the boys are getting into all kinds of trouble. Two other kids who are part of the same gang are called Bugs and Six Toes, because one eats bugs and the other has six toes on one foot. Sounds weird but their scene together is actually pretty funny.

The three leads are all excellent. Likable, fun performances. It's a treat to see the three of them together like this. Ian Hunter plays Freddie's bohemian father. Hattie McDaniel's sister Etta McDaniel plays a maid. The two look almost identical to me except for different noses. At first I thought it was Hattie but couldn't figure out why she looked different. Calvin Lockhart has an amusing part as Jackie Cooper's father who keeps bragging about his service in World War I. Jonathan Hale is great as a wise judge who gives the boys a corny but cute speech about the devil being a sissy. Hence the movie's cool title.

There are a lot of funny lines and some good banter between the boys. One of my favorites is when the boys are breaking into a house and Freddie warns the other two to be careful or they'll have Scotland Yard after them. Dull-witted Jackie responds "How do you know whose yard it is?" A lot of times these culture clash movies, typically comedies, can fall flat and be insulting to one side or the other. This one manages to avoid that and pokes a little fun at the Brits as well as the Yanks, but both without malice. It's an entertaining movie, for sure. A sappy ending too but I loved it.

A gentler picture of inner city gangs and friendships

[SimonJack · 7/10 · 22 March 2021]

"The Devil is a Sissy" is part of a line spoken by Jonathan Hale who plays Judge Holmes in this 1936 MGM film of that title. The judge was talking, in his private chambers, to three youths were brought in as burglary suspects. Judge Holmes, policeman Muldoon (Andrew Tombes) and the other authorities in this film portray a side of caring and concern not seen in many early movies about inner city kids and gangs. And, the gang portrayed here is between that of the Little Rascals and the Bowery Boys - not of the type of older tough and violent gangs portrayed in some gritty films as well as in "West Side Story."

Three youths are the stars of this film - all big child stars of the time. Freddie Bartholomew plays Claude Pierce who has just arrived from England to spend six months with his father. Jay Pierce is an architect and illustrator who has just moved into this working-class New York neighborhood. Claude wants to fit in with the American boys after spending the last six months living with his wealthy mother in England. The two co-stars with him are Jackie Cooper and Mickey Rooney who play Buck Murphy and Gig Stevens.

The film has some light comedy with the English-bred lad going all out to become friends and be accepted by the other kids. They are at the age when their futures might go either way, and the friendship of Claude does a lot to help Buck and Gig choose the straight and narrow. The drama also is light for that reason, but the film is certainly more drama than comedy. It has a nice touch of romance too, with Claude's dad, played by Ian Hunter, and Gig's Aunt Rose, played by Peggy Conklin.

Gene Lockhart has an unusual role, playing a mean character as Buck's dad, Mr. Murphy. Lockhart played mostly likeable, often time very good comedy roles throughout his career. Here, he is joined by wife of real life, Kathleen Lockhart, as Mrs. Murphy.

This is a good film, although one that many modern movie-goers may find too slow to enjoy, with the pace of fast, furious and frenzied films off the early 21st century. Here are a couple favorite lines, spoken by Claude's father, Jay, to the boy

Jay Pierce, "Look now, son. We don't solve our problems by running away. We stay and face 'em."

Jay Pierce, "That's a thing to remember. You never find any happiness by running away from the things you're supposed to do."

early talkie child stars

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 5 August 2023]

Upper-crust British immigrant Claude Pierce (Freddie Bartholomew) is a fish out of water in a rough public school in Lower Manhattan. His parents are newly divorced. His father is trying to get him away from his mother's high society. He is assigned to sit with angry Gig Stevens (Mickey Rooney). Gig's father is set to be executed. Robert 'Buck' Murphy (Jackie Cooper) is another tough classmate. Claude gains respect by not squealing.

These are three child superstars of the early talkies. Only one of them would become an adult superstar. The difference is there on the screen. Jackie Cooper is being overshadowed by Mickey Rooney's acting range and presence. It makes sense that Buck is the dumber one. Freddie Bartholomew is on the opposite side and that saves him from being compared directly. Freddie is a different type anyways. As for the story, I like the first half and the three kids each struggling to figure it out. The second half is a bit messy with a few too many turns. I wouldn't mind simplifying it.

Kind of like a Dead End Kids film but starring the biggest and best talent MGM could provide.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 13 October 2010]

Today it's hard to imagine child stars as popular as the three starring in this film. Mickey Rooney and Jackie Cooper had been stars with MGM since the early 30s and young Freddie Bartholomew had just come off some huge performances, such as in "David Copperfield". Together, the three were responsible for HUGE numbers in ticket sales and although kids, they had every bit the star power as a movie today if it were to star Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Christian Bale! Yep, times have changed.

The film itself is quite similar to the Dead End Kids films that would soon be made over at Warner Brothers, though instead of a large ensemble cast of child actors, "The Devil is a Sissy" rests clearly on these three. Plus, instead of the three kids all begins young criminal types, two of the three are of that bent and the third, Bartholomew, an odd sort of fish indeed! Imagine a kid with a strong British accent being transported to the tough side of Manhattan (yes, in the 1930s, parts of Manhattan were tough--and not much like today). It seems that Freddie's on-screen dad (Ian Hunter) is an artist living there and has come from his mother's to live with Dad. Despite having nothing in common with the tough neighborhood kids, Freddie longs to be accepted--much like how Pip wants to be accepted by the kids on "South Park"! Again and again, the prissy and well-mannered Bartholomew is rebuffed in his efforts until ultimately proving himself a stand-up guy.

Overall, it's a good film of its type, but I must say that the addition of Bartholomew made the overall effort seem pretty fake--even compared to the Dead End films. It's good but also not the least bit believable! six-toed kid

Three Hoodlum Musketeers

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 18 December 2007]

Great opportunity to see three of the biggest child actors of the 1930s, at different stages in their careers. The 1930s started with Jackie Cooper on top; then, mid-decade, Freddie Bartholomew ruled; and, finally, Mickey Rooney reigned. This film was made during Mr. Bartholomew's peak of popularity.

After some promising scenes, it becomes obvious Bartholomew, Cooper, and Rooney are not being well served by the production. Some of their scenes appear rushed; at times, it looks as if they are rehearsing alongside each other, rather than acting together. Possibly, this is due to director W.S. Van Dyke being assigned to the film, after the firing of Rowland Brown. Mr. Van Dyke was known for his sometimes hurried direction. Still, the actors are professional, and earnest; and, some on-screen rapport is in evidence.

Rowland Brown's story is excellent - much more realistic than several similar 1930s "young hoodlum" dramas. Rooney gets the best part; and, naturally, he makes the most of it; scene stealers Bartholomew and Cooper wouldn't have missed a similar opportunity. This is one of Rooney's best-written, best-performed early roles; he is a terrific actor, and his portrayal of "Gig Stevens" should be more renown. Writer Brown, fired as the film's director, would go on to pen "Angels with Dirty Faces". With some more care, this film might have been as classic.

******* The Devil Is a Sissy (9/18/36) W.S. Van Dyke ~ Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper, Mickey Rooney, Peggy Conklin

Very good

[zetes · 9/10 · 12 March 2003]

I taped this based on its title alone. It's the kind of classic Hollywood film I really love because, while it's definitely a quality picture, it's also goofy in a lot amusing ways. The Devil Is a Sissy stars three child stars of the time, Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper, and Mickey Rooney. Bartholomew is a young British chap who is staying with his humble father (Ian Hunter) for six months in the middle of New York City. At his local public school he meets up with Cooper and Rooney, two little toughs. It takes a while, but soon Bartholomew has learned the customs of the people around him, like how to play American football (the ball has points, unlike British football) and what people do to squealers. Near the beginning, Rooney's father is executed for murder. I wouldn't call it anti-death penalty by any means, but it's nice to see a movie from this time deal with the way it effects the family of the person who is executed. Over the course of the film, Cooper and Rooney learn what comes from being bad. The title of the film comes from a speech given to them by a judge, who tells them that it is easier to be good than bad. The angels were good, and the devil was the real sissy. The lessons to be learned remind me a lot of Michael Curtiz's Angels with Dirty Faces, but The Devil Is a Sissy is a much better film. The three kids here are professionals. They are the heart of the film, where the titular angels were merely plot devices. That was just a James Cagney vehicle. The script here is much better, as well. In addition to the actors I mentioned, Peggy Conklin gives a great performance as Mickey Rooney's rich aunt. She and the kids (and also her black maid) sing a nice little number, "The 'Ah' Song." The script kind of tiptoes around why the aunt has money. At first I assumed it was because she was a singer, but it seemed to hint later on that she may have been a kept woman. I'm not sure. Conklin's career seems to have sputtered and died, which is far too bad.

Three Young Stars Make Film A Success

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 29 March 2002]

Three little tough guys learn the value of friendship & loyalty, during family crises and troubles with the law.

While overlong & predictable, THE DEVIL IS A SISSY is the only chance to see all three of MGM's little 1930's princes in one film. Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper & Mickey Rooney (12, 14 and 15 respectively when the film was released) are a great deal of fun to watch & make a terrific cinematic trio.

At this point, they were all at different stages in their careers. Jackie's heyday as a child star - including a stint with Hal Roach's celebrated OUR GANG - was in the past. Freddie was in the very midst of his intense, brief major stardom. And Mickey was exhibiting glimpses of the talent that in a few years would make him the biggest star in Hollywood.

Although a ‘youth picture' in every way, there are several good performances from a small crowd of adults, most notably Englishman Ian Hunter, as Freddie's sincere, honest father. Also appearing to advantage in smaller parts are Kathleen Alexander as Freddie's emotional mother; Gene & Kathleen Lockhart as Jackie's stern parents; and Peggy Conklin as Mickey's free-spirited aunt. Little Etienne Girardot appears as a fierce school principal, as does Jonathan Hale playing a sympathetic judge and Grant Mitchell as a serious suitor to Mickey's mom.

Harold Huber, Stanley Fields & Frank Puglia are a gang of brutal thugs who run afoul of the three youngsters, while Hattie McDaniel's older sister, Etta, makes the most of her one scene as Miss Conklin's maid.

That's an unbilled Dorothy Peterson doing a fine job as Mickey's mother. Movie mavens should recognize Christian Rub as a funerary stone mason; Ian Wolfe as a pawnbroker; and George Davis as a French diner owner - all uncredited.

The good production values bestowed by MGM are also a great asset to the film, particularly in the neighborhood scenes.

MGM's three top male child stars all together for the first and only time.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 15 April 2014]

There's a two-year difference between Mickey Rooney and Jackie Cooper, and another two-year difference between Cooper and Freddie Bartholomew, so in seeing an obvious age difference between the three young actors, I wasn't surprised to discover this fact. Mickey will always be Andy Hardy in film history, Cooper will always be "The Champ's" son, and Bartholomew will always be identified as that spoiled kid who was changed by "Captains Courageous". Their three different personalities make for an interesting pairing, with streetwise Mickey, brooding Jackie and pip-pip cherrio Bartholomew all so different that you wonder if they could be ever be friends. Referring to Freddie as a "Limey" throughout the film, Rooney and Cooper are at first unwelcoming to the intruder in their rough New York neighborhood ("Bowery Boys Meet Britain"), gifting him with a chalk-drawn kick me sign on his back and threatening to box his ears if he passes their way on the street. But Bartholomew, living with divorced father Ian Hunter on the rough streets, is determined to get in good with the gang, which predictably comes faster than the two other boys could ever imagine.

The rough streets of New York aren't quite what viewers of MGM expected. Maybe Warner Brothers or RKO Radio, but not quite MGM which was more comfortable on Park Avenue or a Long Island estate. They do, however, show a realistic grittiness to the crowded streets of the tenement downtown district, and these kids do show an appropriate toughness. Rooney gets the most emotional assignment, dealing with the pending death of his father in the electric chair for a gangland murder. There's a haunting moment when at the assigned time of the execution, Rooney's pent-up emotions come bursting out, and another moment when he comforts his grief-stricken mother that probably had audience members holding back their own tears.

In reality, this is a nice change of pace for the usual MGM gloss, although the photography and production design is certainly a lot slicker than those made in the same location at Warner Brothers and definitely a lot more than the Bowery Boys series that ran an eternity over at Monogram.

Triple-threat drama

[HotToastyRag · 9/10 · 3 November 2019]

The Devil Is a Sissy may have a really silly title, but it's a triple threat: Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper, and Mickey Rooney are the three leads in this surprising drama. All three child stars in one movie! You'd think it would be the most adorable movie ever made, but it's actually a really tragic drama that gives all three of the boys a chance to show off their acting chops.

Freddie takes the lead, as a product of divorce. He spends six months with each parent, and his dad Ian Hunter lives in a poor area of New York City. Sent to public school with a bunch of young hoodlums, Freddie desperately wants to make friends and be accepted. Because of his cultured accent and his naiveté, everyone picks on him, but his optimism is infectious and he continues to try to hang out with the cool kids. The leader of the "cool" gang is teen-heartthrob-in-the-making Jackie Cooper, the oldest of the bunch. As fresh as Freddie is, Jackie is experienced. He's so relaxed in front of the camera, it's as if he's been acting for thirty years, and his confidence is startling. Mickey Rooney is the second-in-command, and he propels the plot in his quest to buy a glorious tombstone for his father, who was given the death penalty at the start of the film.

They each have their sorrows and struggles. Freddie comes from a broken home and compromises his morals in order to make friends with punks. Jackie is regularly beaten by his father, Gene Lockhart, and he shows the audience the heartbreaking road of a child turning to crime. Mickey not only has to bear the burden of his father's death, but he sees his mother dating again and knows there's nothing he can do to stop it. There's a particularly powerful scene in which Mickey brags to Jackie how many volts of electricity it took to kill his father. He's proud, but also sickened, and the audience gets a harsh look at the wrong side of the tracks.

You've got to see this movie. It's always a marvel to see talented child actors, and with all three of the 1930s darlings, you can't afford to miss The Devil Is a Sissy. It's pretty dark, so be prepared. But since everyone gives such great performances, it's worth it. You'd never guess from watching Gene Lockhart in Christmas movies that he'd be able to play someone so terribly evil!

Mickey Rooney Steals The Show

[muffinheuer2003 · 10/10 · 4 August 2005]

This is a great movie. The one and only film to starr Jackie Cooper, Mickey Rooney and Freddie Bartholomew together. Mickey Rooney in my opinion steals the show from both of them. The scene where he hears his father being electrocuted is so dramatic. There is just something about the life that Mickey Rooney adds to a movie. His tough but gentle demeanor. Those dramatic facial expressions. The way he can make you laugh and tear your heart out at the same time. If anyone watches a Mickey Rooney movie and and says he cannot act don't know what acting is. Mickey Rooney can do it all and is still doing it today! LONG LIVE THE MIGHTY MICK! This is a great film Very well acted. The story is endearing! You will not be disappointed. It will be playing on TCM later this year (2005).

Ho hum

[sijoe22 · 5/10 · 29 March 2012]

Not great, not horrible either.

This low-budget movie had two child stars with careers headed in opposite directions: Mickey Rooney's going UP, Jackie Cooper's going DOWN.

Like so many movies of this era, movie is SUPPOSED to be set in New York (Lower East Side), yet virtually all the actors, form the youngest to the oldest, have hokey Midwestern accents! How could no one have noticed this? Scores a big ZERO for authenticity, but an OK, just an OK movie, period.

Not the type of flick you'd go out of your way to see a second time, that's for sure.

This trio of Rooney, Cooper and Bartholomew shine bright on the B&W screen

[Ed-Shullivan · 8/10 · 18 November 2016]

They sure don't make movies like this anymore and I wish they did. I just watched The Devil Is A Sissy and although it was made 80 years ago the films message of friends for life still resonates today. This is a story about three young boys of which two are from struggling backgrounds financially who in the 1930's lived in lower Manhattan before it was home to more wealthier New Yorkers as it is today.

Mickey Rooney (age 14) played Gig Stevens and Jackie Cooper (age 16) played Buck Murphy who had their own little gang which included boys nicknamed Bugs and Six Toes and they all met in their makeshift clubhouse hidden behind a junkyard. In comes the third young lad Claud Pierce played by Freddie Bartholomew (age 12) who really wants to fit in at almost any cost so he is most gleeful when he decides to challenge the much bigger Buck to give him back his football even if it means being on the receiving end of a shiner.

The younger Limey Claude persists on getting on the good side of the alpha dog Gig and his right hand man Buck even if it means getting involved in a bit of thievery. Gig's father was convicted of some serious crimes so serious in fact that he receives the electric chair and young Gig and his mother have to find a way to get on with their lives. Now Limey Claude's dad and mom are divorced and his father moved to lower Manahattan due to economic constraints. Claude and his dad have a close relationship whereas Gig just lost his father to the electric chair and Buck's dad being a war veteran believes he can whip the truth out of his son when the boys get in trouble.

The films main story is how these three young lads cope growing up in a financially struggling neighborhood with the help of a caring judge, Claude's understanding father Jay Pierce and Gig's empathetic Aunt Rose and how they not only survive some very serious predicaments but their friendship thrives based on their loyalty to one another and their families. Even though this 1936 film is in black and white and there may not be any sex, blood or CGI (computer generated imagery), it does contain great emotion and it made my eyes start to swell up in a couple of scenes.

I really enjoy these old black and white films and it certainly makes for great screen presence with Mickey Rooney (14), Jackie Cooper (16) and Freddie Bartholomew (12) generating so many great scenes throughout this fine dramatic film.

Ahhhhh, the good old days of simpler times when the movie director was more important than the special effects were. Sadly, all three main stars are now deceased but their film legacy will live on in film classics such as The Devil Is A Sissy. Watch it and see if you don't agree. It deserves an 8/10 rating.

Super!!

[principalb · 10/10 · 28 March 2006]

I never ever turn the channel with any movie Mickey Rooney is in! Freddie Bartholomew was wonderful!! He had a difficult life and made the best of it.

I was sad to see that he passed away in Sarasota, Florida in 1993.

I'm going to purchase this movie and add it to my classics collection.

I've also notice there are several movies with Mickey and Freddie. Also a few I'll purchase with Judy, Mickey and Freddie.

There are few to no movies like these anymore. I wonder if Mickey has ever been honored at the Academy Awards? If not, I would think that he should be awarded a Life Time Achievement Award.

What a mess!

[JohnHowardReid · 5/10 · 26 February 2018]

Copyright 19 September 1936 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp. New York opening at the Capitol: 16 October 1936. 92 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Two East Side kids initiate an English lad.

COMMENT: I don't know why this film was so popular in Oz. Perhaps for the same reason that "Scrappy" cartoons were enjoyed there - a pronounced Australian identification with neighborhood kids, their rites, customs, gangs, bullies, conventions and escapades.

Rowland Brown was a legendary figure in Hollywood. "The guy who socked a supervisor." After his initial success with "Quick Millions" in 1931, the director/scriptwriter found it difficult to hold a job. Finally he (or his agent) convinced Louis B. Mayer that he could write and direct The Devil Takes the Count (as it was then called).

After shooting for many months with photographer George Schneidermann and getting apparently nowhere, director W.S. Van Dyke, plus writers John Lee Mahin, Richard Schayer, and photographer Harold Rosson were called in. The resulting movie is unbelievably lengthy, has jerky continuity, keeps coming to a climax, and then starting all over again with new material. It's a mess most certainly, but an interesting one for lovers of classic Hollywood.

Weird.. but good.

[forevergreen · 8/10 · 25 September 2003]

This movie is rather entertaining although some parts seem a little off-the-wall. For instance, there is one scene in the film where the three friends go to visit one of the boys hip, young aunt living in a pent house and she does cartwheels over to the piano and the four start singing. Other than odd instances, this movie is very good for any era.

Peer pressure is nothing new

[nickenchuggets · 8/10 · 3 May 2021]

I have to say, this movie is an interesting one because it shows how children, no matter what era or century they were born in, were always cruel and willing to inflict pain on others and even their own friends to get what they want. The movie stars three excellent child actors Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper, and surprisingly, Mickey Rooney. Rooney and Cooper's characters are both the types of kids you don't not want to get on the bad side of, and when Claude (played by Bartholomew) comes to attend an american public school after moving from england, his intelligent and sophisticated demeanor makes him a prime target for teasing and harassment from the other two boys. He begins to learn how to box in order to rough up Cooper in a street fight a few days later, and slowly, he starts to earn their respect. When Cooper throws a football at the school and shatters one of the windows, the trio is called up to be scolded by the principal, and Claude takes one for the team by saying he was the one who threw it, and he is allowed to leave. Later on, his close relationship with these troublemakers continues to get him into hot water. Rooney insists that he buys a gravestone for his recently deceased father who was put to death in the electric chair, and Claude spearheads a heist on a local building he says is overflowing with valuable items. They plan to pilfer the house of toys and sell them as their own to raise money. Even though nobody is home at the time, an officer of some kind arrives at Rooney's house some time later, telling his mother he has a court summons and is suspected of being a burglar. The other two boys also receive one, and together, they are given a lengthy speech by the judge in the courtroom, telling them they had better get a hold of themselves or they'll be in prison. He tells Rooney and Cooper specifically that they are on parole for six months and have to report to an officer from now on, but they have other ideas. Afterwards, they plan to run away and violate their parole by not reporting to their officers, and Claude is not on good enough terms to be invited. Nevertheless, he sees them one day attempting to hitchhike, and follows them into a stranger's car (who also happens to be a mobster). They stop at a diner to get something to eat, but Claude manages to alert the proprietor of their motives by talking to him in french. The three boys are forced to flee the scene, but Claude suddenly appears much weaker than before. It soon becomes clear he contracted pneumonia while in the rain some time ago. As his condition rapidly deteriorates, his two "friends" show up at the hospital and tell him how grateful they are to know him. All this boosts his ego and makes him recover. At the film's end, Cooper and Rooney are told they are no longer on parole, and they all go for a bike ride. Overall, this movie has a stellar performance by some of the best child actors of that era, and Rooney was a great actor even as a kid (the others aren't bad either mind you). It's a movie that barely anyone knows and is mostly forgotten, but if you're a fan of archaic 30s films, it is worth it.

A rarely seen gem of a family film

[AlsExGal · 9/10 · 6 December 2009]

I'd never seen or even heard of this film until it showed up on sale in the Warner Archives a few months back, so I thought I'd take a chance. After seeing it, I was really angry - at Turner Classic Movies. Why is it that I've been a regular viewer of this channel for years and never seen this real gem of a pre-war film? It deserves to be brought out and shown more often - as in more than once every two or three years.

The film stars three of MGM's child stars at various points in their career. Freddy Bartholomew is about at the peak of his career, Mickey Rooney is only beginning what will be a decades long career, and Jackie Cooper is getting a little too old to play the lead in children's films. However, the three come together perfectly here.

Freddy Bartholomew plays Claude Pierce, the son of a divorced couple. The father is an aspiring architect living in a rough neighborhood, the mother is a society swell who looked upon her husband's career as an annoying hobby that took away time from their society hob-nobbing on her money - thus the divorce. The two have joint custody of Claude but very different lives. Half the year Claude is the sheltered citizen of the world with his mother, but now it is his father's turn. He thus attends public school and quickly runs afoul of Buck Murphy (Jackie Cooper) and Gig Stevens (Mickey Rooney). Claude is fascinated with these guys, even if they don't like him. He quickly learns how to earn their tolerance even if he doesn't really have their friendship.

Shortly after Claude's arrival Gig's father is executed for a murder he committed. Gig's mission in life now is to get enough money together to buy a headstone for his father's grave. However, even the illegal endeavors that Gig and Buck come up with can't yield enough money. Oddly, it is Claude that comes up with a single caper that will produce enough money for the coveted headstone. For awhile Buck and Gig now consider Claude one of them, until the three are hauled into juvenile court for selling stolen goods and it turns out that Claude's caper wasn't as illegal as he would have the other boys think.

Mainly a picture from a kid's point of view, this film does have some excellent performances from the supporting adults. Ian Hunter, who I always regarded as a bit of a prison sentence for Kay Francis because he was so often and so badly teamed with her, is perfect as Claude's dad. It would be easy for him to pamper and shelter Claude, but he realizes that Claude must learn to get along with all types of people in life. However, that doesn't mean he isn't always there with advice and a shoulder when needed. Then there is Peggy Conklin as Gig's aunt who has taken the easy way out of the tenement life that her sister and nephew are stuck in. It's never stated exactly what she is doing to pay for her high-rise lifestyle, but the insinuation is that she is a kept woman. Of course, in MGM family film tradition, she decides to end this way of life for herself before the film ends. We also see the beginnings of what looks like a romance between herself and Claude's father.

Highly recommended for fans of MGM's pre-war fare.