Little Tough Guy (1938)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Best movie ever!

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

In their third team appearance, "The 'Dead End' Kids" are: Billy Halop (as Johnny Boylan), Huntz Hall (as "Pig"), Gabriel Dell (as "String"), Bernard Punsly (as "Ape"), Hal E. "Hally" Chester (as "Dopey"), and David Gorcey (as "Sniper"). After this film, Universal Pictures, the third of several studios to cash in on the Kids' popularity, adopted "Little Tough Guys" as a series co-title; possibly, in case United Artists or Warner Brothers legally challenged their use of "Dead End Kids". In this film "Little Tough Guy" refers to Mr. Halop only, the leader of the pack. Universal was only able to obtain four original "Dead Enders" for their first outing; so, substituting for Bobby Jordan and Leo Gorcey, and making their first appearances as members of the expanding "Bowery" team, are "Hally" Chester and David Gorcey (Leo's brother). Both would continue with the group. Brat packer Jackie Searl (as Cyril Gerrard), who not only joins, but also takes over as "Little Tough Guys" leader, would only make a couple of peripheral reappearances. Herein, his snobbishness balances the grim and gritty quite nicely.Although you wouldn't expect it, this is one of the best "little" films in the whole "Dead End-East Side-Bowery Kid" cache. The plot is fairly typical, but handled well - Halop's teen angst turns to anger after his father is wrongly arrested, for killing a policeman. Following a miscarriage of justice, Halop soothes his sorrows by descending into a "Dead End" lifestyle. Halop has a firm grasp of this material, and performs the melodrama with his usual expertise.Another cast member tuning in an excellent performance is matronly Marjorie Main (as Mrs. Boylan). A keen actress, Ms. Main gives her "mother" character an almost unseemly underbelly. Note how Main's "theatrics" fit perfectly with the lines her children address her with: daughter Helen Parish (as Kay Boylan) says, "Oh Mom, quit acting," and Halop tells Main, "Gee, Ma, you look just like a movie star." So, Main plays her part as a failed movie star, lamenting her age and poverty.The 1930s New York City interior and exterior sets are terrific. Halop says, "I gotta keep moving," and director Harold Young fills the running time with a lot of movement - there are people everywhere. Both Young and photographer Elwood Bredell excel. Ms. Parrish and Robert Wilcox (as Paul Wilson) are sweet, in the "romantic" adult roles. There are a myriad of extras, with Richard Selzer (as Bud) among the "worst dressed" background kids - later, Mr. Selzer became the "Top 10" fashion conscious "Mr. Blackwell".******** Little Tough Guy (7/22/38) Harold Young ~ Billy Halop, Jackie Searl, Marjorie Main

Having been a fan of the Bowery Boys/East Side Kids, I eagerly grabbed this movie, expecting to see the wildly madcap misadventures of Mugs, Glimpy and the rest of the East Side Kids, boys whose misadventures stemmed from their being naughty, though not altogether bad, along with the local cops who tended to feel that the East Side Kids were a far bigger threat and who belonged behind bars. As a rule, the East Side Kids, in a race against time, with the law hot on their trails usually wound up making good and coming out the heroes in the end, by using their street smarts and their smart alack attitude. This was the general formula of the movies starring the East Side Kids. The East Side Kids were truly the kings of the B-grade movies.With this in mind, I was at first disappointed in this movie. It was a grim and somewhat tragic story of a gang of boys stuck on the wrong side of the tracks and who, through circumstances beyond their control, wound up on the wrong side of the law, turning to crime.Through it all, some of the character traits that would shine bright in their later movies, was apparent. There were some comic moments in this movie, though too few and far between in this movie.In spite of my disappointment, this movie is one movie that I can watch over and over again.A point of interest to the technical-minded viewer who loves to look for detail, the record changer in Cyril's house is a Capehart, one of the high end record changers at that time. And in the 1930s, this model cost more than the price of a new car!

I have seen this movie and found it to be somewhat entertaining. It is one of only two movies in which the former Broadway star and (later) radio star (Big Town), Edward Pawley, plays the good guy! He plays the role of "Jim Boylan", father of "Johnny Boylan" (Billy Halop). Mr. Pawley usually played villainous roles in his more than 50 movies during a 10-year stint in Hollywood. One other exception was in the movie "Hoosier Schoolboy" in which he played the role of Captain Carter (Mickey Rooney's father)who was also a war hero with a drinking problem. Edward Pawley was probably best known in movies for his role as Danny Leggett (aka, Public Enemy Number One) in the James Cagney vehicle, "G-MEN." He also had feature roles in movies such as "The Oklahoma Kid" in which he played Humphrey Bogart's partner (Ace Doolin), "Romance of the Limberlost" in which he played Jean Parker's suitor (Jed Corson), Thirteen Women in which he played "Burns", Myrna Loy's accomplice in crime, "Romance On The Range" in which he played Roy Rogers' ranch boss and covert outlaw (Jerome Banning), et cetera, et cetera.

**SPOILERS** The year is 1938. The Great Depression has waned, but prosperity is not yet in America, and certainly not New York's Lower East Side. A man breaks a picket line in order to feed his family. A fight ensues and the man kills another. What follows is Johnny, the young son's (Billy Halop, in the melodramatic role of a lifetime), believable descent from fiery kid to fiery thug. Huntz Hall plays the leader of a group of toughs (Dead End Kids) until Johnny comes along and slugs a few new thoughts into everyone's head. The 1930's jargon doesn't take anything away from realism, mainly because it IS real. There are some plot vehicles which seem improbable: the Long Island rich boy plotting a petty-crime ring, for example. But as the film races along, it all fits well. Plenty of pathos, and a finale that will tug your heart. I liked this as well as or better than "Little Caesar."