I just saw this movie on Turner (thank God for Turner or there'd be nothing to watch!) and really, surprisingly, enjoyed it. I wasn't expecting much, but it's hard to miss with early Cagney and pre-code Warners Brothers.
This movie is about a gang of slum kids who are sent to a cruelly run reformatory. There are several ethnic stereotypes - the Jewish father more interested in his business than his kid, the Black father who can barely speak coherently, etc., but I think the movie overcomes the stereotypes with its depictions of the kids' lives in the prison school. I especially liked how the black kid, Farina from the Our Gang comedies, is allowed to be a real person who comforts one of the white kids on their first scary night there, and then is allowed to become a lawyer in the all juvenile run courtroom that Cagney allows them to create. There are many touching scenes here about how the boys relate to each other and develop solidarity and understanding, while facing their common enemy in the evil warden.
The movie puts a lot of faith in the socially progressive ideas that Cagney's gangsterish character, and the school's nurse profess. Basically they think that if the kids can recreate an actual society for themselves in the school, complete with all the necessary functions of a political system, police force, court system, store, etc, that they would learn through practical experience how society should function, and be able to learn and apply these lessons directly. I think this idea is actually correct, and it would probably be a good idea in some of our own prisons! Really interesting, enjoyable movie with some excellent performances, notably Frankie Darro as the head delinquent - what a great actor he was, and it's obvious that Cagney saw himself in the kid. Dudley Digges is great as the evil warden, and Cagney...is Cagney, always charming and forceful. Wish they would show this one more often.
Pre-Code Warners Brothers....does it get any better!!!
This movie is about a gang of slum kids who are sent to a cruelly run reformatory. There are several ethnic stereotypes - the Jewish father more interested in his business than his kid, the Black father who can barely speak coherently, etc., but I think the movie overcomes the stereotypes with its depictions of the kids' lives in the prison school. I especially liked how the black kid, Farina from the Our Gang comedies, is allowed to be a real person who comforts one of the white kids on their first scary night there, and then is allowed to become a lawyer in the all juvenile run courtroom that Cagney allows them to create. There are many touching scenes here about how the boys relate to each other and develop solidarity and understanding, while facing their common enemy in the evil warden.
The movie puts a lot of faith in the socially progressive ideas that Cagney's gangsterish character, and the school's nurse profess. Basically they think that if the kids can recreate an actual society for themselves in the school, complete with all the necessary functions of a political system, police force, court system, store, etc, that they would learn through practical experience how society should function, and be able to learn and apply these lessons directly. I think this idea is actually correct, and it would probably be a good idea in some of our own prisons! Really interesting, enjoyable movie with some excellent performances, notably Frankie Darro as the head delinquent - what a great actor he was, and it's obvious that Cagney saw himself in the kid. Dudley Digges is great as the evil warden, and Cagney...is Cagney, always charming and forceful. Wish they would show this one more often.
Pre-Code Warners Brothers....does it get any better!!!