Every studio seemed to be touching base on the subject of juvenile delinquency in the late 1930's, with Warner Brothers gaining huge success with the future Bowery Boys in "Angels With Dirty Faces" and the true story of Father Flanagan leading MGM's "Boy's Town" to another Oscar for Spencer Tracy. Over at lowly Columbia, then a "B" studio, this very short drama stars Frankie Darro as the bullying tough guy who wants nothing to do with PAL (the New York Police Athletic League), a neighborhood organization devoted to keep the poor kids off the streets and teach them the importance of community and leadership. Darro creates a scene at the very first meeting, even though he has become friendly with public defender Paul Kelly, the founder of the organization. By the time of the very first event, most of the tough boys have moved over to the side of the police, but not Darro, who dares to steal the money collected at the fund raiser and ends up on the run with several others, including one boy (David Gorcey) who realizes that Darro has gone too far and jumps out of the speeding car, sustaining major injuries that could cost him his life.
Frankie Darro had a very long career, and like the overaged Bowery Boys, never seemed to be playing anyone over 20. This is not a sympathetic role for him, and he is outstanding in making the viewer despise him for his rebel without a cause attitude who would win "Bully of the Year" if there was such a contest. Rita Hayworth has a smaller role as Darro's sister who wakes up to the fact that these kids don't need coddling or understanding; They need discipline and guidance. David Gorcey, whose brother Leo was the head of the Bowery Boys (which he later appeared in with little to do), is probably the most memorable of the characters in the fact that he's somehow willing to lose his own life if the other kids in his gang will wake up and set their lives straight. The good thing about this film is that it doesn't sugarcoat the juvenile delinquency of the kids and make them all of a sudden angels who have washed their faces, but lets them grow in a more natural way than turn into productive members of society without any sort of realistic steps taking them in that direction.
Frankie Darro had a very long career, and like the overaged Bowery Boys, never seemed to be playing anyone over 20. This is not a sympathetic role for him, and he is outstanding in making the viewer despise him for his rebel without a cause attitude who would win "Bully of the Year" if there was such a contest. Rita Hayworth has a smaller role as Darro's sister who wakes up to the fact that these kids don't need coddling or understanding; They need discipline and guidance. David Gorcey, whose brother Leo was the head of the Bowery Boys (which he later appeared in with little to do), is probably the most memorable of the characters in the fact that he's somehow willing to lose his own life if the other kids in his gang will wake up and set their lives straight. The good thing about this film is that it doesn't sugarcoat the juvenile delinquency of the kids and make them all of a sudden angels who have washed their faces, but lets them grow in a more natural way than turn into productive members of society without any sort of realistic steps taking them in that direction.