Young America (1932) User Reviews

There's no such thing as a bad boy

[wmorrow59 · 6/10 · 18 January 2009]

For most of its running time "Young America" is an earnest, low-key drama about the plight of preteen boys from broken homes, and the factors that steer them into petty crime. We tend to associate Depression era 'social problem' movies with Warner Brothers, but this feature was a product of the Fox Studio and director Frank Borzage, better known for a special brand of lyrical, soft-focus romanticism quite different from the straightforward storytelling found here. Borzage deemphasizes the sensationalist aspects of juvenile crime and takes a decidedly sympathetic view of the troubled subjects of this story, most of whom are decent boys who despite their repeat appearances in juvenile court are almost always victims of circumstance.

The director's on-screen surrogate is Ralph Bellamy, introduced in the opening sequence as a progressive judge who makes it his business to listen to the boys, find out why they misbehave, and dole out appropriate sentences. He's fair but no pushover, and when one well-dressed boy smoothly delivers his testimony with a grin he astutely identifies the kid as a con artist. You know Bellamy's judge is a good guy from the way he sits at the judicial bench: he isn't ramrod straight, he slouches, parks his elbow on the desktop and props his head on his hand, listening intently as he leans towards the speaker. If you ever get in trouble and wind up in court, this is the kind of judge you'd want to face.

The central figure is an orphaned boy named Arthur Simpson, who is being raised in squalor by a cold-hearted aunt with no husband and three children of her own. Art is in trouble constantly, but his motives are usually good ones—so much so that, after a while, our credulity is strained. A well-heeled lady named Edie Doray takes a sympathetic interest in the boy and volunteers to take him into her home as her ward, despite the vocal opposition of her perennially grouchy husband Jack, the proprietor of a drug store. After various complications and much suffering for young Art, who seems to be a magnet for trouble, the boy redeems himself (in a wildly implausible, action-packed finale) and everyone, even Jack Doray, comes to recognize his good qualities.

"Young America" starts well and holds viewer interest much of the way, but problems kick in around the midway point as the story turns increasingly improbable and sentimental. Tommy Conlon is quite good as Arthur Simpson, but the character as written is impossibly noble, forever misunderstood and put-upon. In the face of injustice Art maintains a disturbing, Job-like passivity. Several times the locals refer to him as "the worst boy in town," and if that's true they're awfully lucky. Mickey Rooney's character in "Boy's Town" is more of a hardened troublemaker than this guy. Most kids in Art's position would be openly angry and raise a lot more hell than he ever does, and a stronger screenplay might have granted him more nuance, but like Father Flanagan the writers of "Young America" seem to believe there's no such thing as a bad boy (well, except for a couple of bad eggs we meet briefly along the way) and are determined to prove that all these kids need is the opportunity to explain themselves and a second chance in life, and everything will be fine. If only life could be so simple!

Speaking of Father Flanagan the biggest lure this film has to offer modern day viewers is the performance of 32 year-old Spencer Tracy as Jack Doray, the druggist. It's a little strange to see Tracy this young, but the regular-guy gruffness and authoritative voice so familiar from his later movies are present, and he demonstrates with ease that he already had the acting chops to breathe life into an ill-defined character. Tracy was under contract to Fox Films during the first five years of his movie career, 1930-35, and was said to be unhappy with most of the projects he was assigned; it's safe to assume that this was one of the roles he didn't like. We're never told much about Jack Doray. We never learn why he's such a grouch or why he takes an instant dislike to Art Simpson, or for that matter why his wife puts up with him. When, in the final scenes, Doray suddenly sees the light and recognizes Art's goodness, only an actor of Tracy's caliber could make the turnabout feel at all credible.

The finale involves a stick-up by crooks and a crazed car chase staged mostly before rear-projection screens, and it bears so little resemblance to what we've been watching it feels as if it was spliced in from a different movie. (Amusingly, the original posters and lobby cards for the film emphasized this sequence, which must have left more than one ticket-buyer bewildered and disappointed.) It concludes the show on a rousing note, but also reminds us that while "Young America" is a moderately interesting viewing experience it doesn't live up to the promise of its opening scenes.

The worst kid in the city

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 28 January 2014]

The adult cast in Young America takes a definite back seat to the young players. That includes future two time Oscar winner Spencer Tracy who is first billed.

The film belongs to Tommy Conlan and Raymond Borzage. Tommy comes from a real white trash background and he's got a lot of anger issues and who wouldn't if I lived as an orphan with his aunt Sarah K. Padden who is hardly the nurturing type. Conlan finds it a lot more congenial with his friend Borzage's family which is his grandmother Beryl Mercer. Conlan by a certain consensus is supposedly the worst kid in the city. Yet people like Judge Ralph Bellamy and Doris Kenyon wife of pharmacist Spencer Tracy see something good and salvageable.

In a new biography of Spencer Tracy it's states that while Tracy was glad to work with director Frank Borzage he was clearly not happy with Fox Studios assigning him to a supporting role in reality if not in billing. Later on when he was assigned and billed accordingly such a role in Captains Courageous to Freddie Bartholomew he walked off with his first Oscar. But he's given little opportunity or time on the screen to do that here.

Conlan and young Borzage (he's the director's nephew) really register well. Borzage is what today would be termed a nerd yet he and Conlan because of Mercer's affection for Conlan form a very nice Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn type bond. Frank Borzage has come down to us as a director of tender and sometime tragic love stories. He puts that skill to work with great effectiveness here. Tommy and Raymond enact a tender death scene that would rival what Borzage did with Margaret Sullavan in Three Comrades and The Mortal Storm a couple of better known Borzage works at MGM. I was deeply moved by it.

Fox Studios was having its financial problems during the Great Depression and didn't invest much in production values for Young America. Spencer Tracy was a B picture star for the most part. In the last days of Fox Films before they merged with 20th Century Pictures the A list stars were Will Rogers and Janet Gaynor. Still Young America is a poignant story and credit goes to the great chemistry and great acting of Tommy Conlan and Raymond Borzage.

Where Arthur Goes, Trouble Follows

[lugonian · 5/10 · 20 February 2016]

YOUNG America (Fox, 1932), directed by Frank Borzage, is not a motion picture about early American settlers in the days prior to George Washington becoming the first United States president. It's basically a Depression era story not so much about "boys from all walks of life," or "young America at the crossroads," but on one individual teen with the stigma of being "the worst kid in town." Though the film stars Spencer Tracy in his pre-MGM days (1935-1954)during his five years (1930-1935) at the Fox Studios, YOUNG America very much belongs to a young American youth by the name of Tommy Conlon, who not only resembles a teenage Johnny Sheffield (Boy from the "Tarzan" movie series of the 1940s), but does such a remarkable job with his performance. Quite amazing that Conlon didn't follow this one with further leading roles or possibly loan-out assignments to Warner Brothers where similar films of this nature (1933s "The Mayor of Hell") were produced. Then again, not every kid actor gets to have an extended movie career lasting several decades in the manner of a Mickey Rooney for instance, but here's a look back at Tommy Conlon as the worst kid in town and how environment of a broken home is said to be the reason boys become the way they are.

"Young America" opens with a ten minute segment set in juvenile court where the much laid-back Judge Blake (Ralph Bellamy), sans his dark robe, sitting in a very relaxing manner, while individually listening to testimonies on what took place leading to such boys as Charlie, Freddie O'Neil, Washington Lincoln Jenkins, and Sam, in his courtroom. Seated next to the judge is Edith Doray (Doris Kenyon), gathering information for the Woman's Club. The last boy to face Judge Blake is Arthur Simpson (Tommy Conlon), an orphan raised by his unsympathetic aunt, Mary Taylor (Sarah Padden, raising three younger children of her own. Because Arthur is constantly in trouble, whether being his fault or not, his aunt later address the judge as he being a "worthless good-for-nothing brat," and would have nothing more to do with him. Aside from getting into an after school fight with a bully, "Bull" Butler (Spec O'Donnell) for annoying Mabel Saunders (Dawn O'Day, later Anne Shirley), and for calling his friend, Edward "Nutty" Beamish (Raymond Borzage) "four eyes" for wearing glasses, Arthur gets suspended from school by his teacher (Jane Darwell). Arthur, age 13, who steals cars as well as driving them around town, finds comfort in the home of Nutty's grandmother (Beryl Mercer), who cares for him as if he were her own grandson. Of the boys she's seen in the courtroom, Mrs, Doray takes a special interest in Arthur, especially after he saves her dog from getting run over by a truck. As a reward, she talks her husband, John (Spencer Tracy), into giving him a job in his drug store after school for $6 a week. As much as Mr. Doray dislikes Arthur, treating him as all the others as a juvenile delinquent who'll never amount to anything but jail, he finds himself taking custody of the now homeless teen in his home at the request of his wife who feels "there's no such thing as a bad boy." Because of this, their once happy marriage becomes a troubled one. With one thing leading to another, and going against the judge's probation period, it becomes an uncertainty whether Arthur will ever be placed in a loving home or in a reform school.

Based on a play by John Frederick Ballard, YOUNG America was reportedly filmed before in the silent era sometime in 1918 and theatrically released around 1922 featuring Charles Frohman-Everett as Arthur Simpson. 20th Century-Fox would reuse the title of YOUNG America for its 1942 second feature release starring Jane Withers and Jane Darwell, but with a different storyline entirely. Yet, this edition of YOUNG America is made interesting largely due to the lead casting of Spencer Tracy and/or direction of Frank Borzage, possibly the reason for it being taken from film vaults and distributed to DVD (with Borzage's other 1932 release of AFTER TOMORROW starring Charles Farrell and Marion Nixon on its flip side).

For its notable quote of "There's no such thing as a bad boy," used much later by Spencer Tracy for his Academy Award winning performance as Father Flanagan in BOYS TOWN (MGM, 1938) and its sequel, MEN OF BOYS TOWN (1941), indicates that line did not originate from BOYS TOWN after all. With Tracy's Father Flanagan being sympathetic and helping troubled youths of America in those films, he's quite the opposite here, with his wife, lovingly played by Doris Kenyon, who sticks by her principles. An honorable mention goes to Raymond Borzage, the director's son, in a believable and most natural performance as Arthur's pal, "Nutty," an intellectual with weak eyes (hence the thick glasses) whose hobby is inventing things. Others in the cast include Robert Homans (Patrolman Weems); William Pawley and Eddie Sturgis. Look quickly for Louise Beavers briefly spotted in a non-speaking role as the Doray maid.

Sentimental and at times melodramatic in the Frank Borzage tradition, YOUNG America is definitely worth seeking, and certainly one for the time capsule from Hollywood's golden age. (**1/2)

Several Affecting Scenes Of Boys' Friendship

[lchadbou-326-26592 · 19 September 2013]

Borzage was not at the height of his powers when he made Young America, released the same year as After Tomorrow and A Farewell To Arms, but this tight little example of 30s social consciousness shows some of the special qualities he brought to most of his films. The opening is a bravura tracking shot that takes us down a hallway into a small town courtroom and right into the judge's chambers. Later this court will be the setting for an offbeat comedy scene in which a sassy drugstore owner(Spencer Tracy, the nominal star) shows disrespect for court procedure in front of the slouching, tousle-haired judge (an atypical Ralph Bellamy) This sequence gives an inkling of what the movie might have been had it been helmed by John Ford, also then at Fox, and originally assigned to the material. Borzage doesn't mind so much melodramatic contrivance, including an unconvincing happy end, but his touch stands out in two scenes: First where the two main boys (Tom Conlon and Borzage's nephew Raymond) break up their friendship because of the judge's sentencing, Second where the Conlon character visits the death bed of his old friend. These moments anticipate the pathos later mined by De Sica in his neo-realist Shoeshine, in a way a love story between two youths. The message encapsulated by Tracy's wife (Doris Kenyon): "I don't think there's such a thing as a bad boy" is obviously simplistic, but Borzage would go on to direct a more consistently effective youth drama, 1934's No Greater Glory.

An interesting twist on an overdone tale.

[theskulI42 · 7/10 · 24 January 2009]

Well, I didn't have to wait long to find a Borzage film to grab onto and enjoy. I picked Young America because, at a svelte seventy minutes, it's the shortest film in the collection, but also because I like to keep things fresh, and this is one of the few sound offerings in the package.

The film provides a refreshing and different spin on the usual tales of trouble youths: where most films show them as wayward toughs just looking to rob and steal and start fights, and maybe have them be unconvincingly converted to goodness at the end, our protagonists here, Art Simpson (Tom Conlon) and 'Nutty' Beamish (Ray Borzage), are not bad kids, they're just don't think of the consequences of their actions, and while Art's known as the "worst kid in town", many of their scraps come as a result of attempting to do good, exhibiting "a good deed never goes unpunished." We begin in juvenile court, where the judge (played perfectly by a young, wiry Ralph Bellamy, almost a decade before he would grow tired with Hollywood, getting typecast so thoroughly that it became known as a "Ralph Bellamy type") is sentencing kids to state school and the like, before we're introduced to Art, who stole a car but claimed he was just moving it because it was neat a fire hydrant. From there, he gets into other scrapes (such as getting suspended for a fight after defending a girl he liked from a bully who was harassing her) and when Nutty's grandmother comes down ill and can't afford the medicine, Art and Nutty, trying to do something good but not thinking of the consequences, break in to Jack Doray (Spencer Tracy)'s drug store. Doray is unsympathetic, so flippant and sure of this kid's bad credentials that Bellamy finds himself in contempt of court several times, but his wife Edie (Doris Kenyon) has seen the kids and shares the judge's disposition that it's not punishment but loving support that these children need, and once Art's aunt (Sarah Padden) abandons him and he can begins weeping because he's sure he's going to be put into state school, Edie steps up and decides to adopt him, much to Jack's chagrin.

From there, the film proceeds a little more predictably, with Edie setting up Art with tests of goodness that he ends up failing with good reasons, but because of Jack's negativity about him, he ends up being misunderstood or fleeing, before he inevitably finds a chance to redeem himself and Jack sees the error of his ways. Both the failure of the test and the eventual redemption are over-the-top and outlandish contrived (his young friend inexplicably dies of nothing, and after being kidnapped by robbers he witnessed at Doray's drug store, he crashes their car when they attempt to shoot at Jack, following behind in a police car), but it gets the point across, and the characters are so well-developed, and you want to see it conclude happily that you don't mind how much they cheated to get there.

This film gives me hope for Borzage because, as much ordinary TCM early morning fare that they may be (the packaging and former unavailability make the films seem more rare and special and desirable than they really are), Young America showed that Borzage can make an interesting, entertaining, worthwhile film, and have it be different enough that it's worth putting in the Benemoth Box Set, and personally, I'm really looking forward to seeing what the other eight Borzages have in store.

{Grade: 7.5/10 (B-) / #9 (of 15) of 1932}

Part of a double bill on the DVD

[jaybob · 6/10 · 25 December 2008]

This 1932 film directed by Frank Borzage, is a melodrama typical of its time. Today however the script is almost laughably bad.

Even though Spencer Tracy is top billed he is NOT the main character,that role goes to young Tommy Conlan. Fox was apparently trying to make this lad a star, he did make a few more films then like most juvenile performers he disappeared from the screen.

He gave a very credible performance as a troubled teen, he wasn't a real bad boy he just always wound up in trouble.

Spencer Tracy in one of his earliest roles is a druggist who takes the boy against his best wishes in. Lucky it all turns out well or Tracy would never have become Fr Flanagan (BOYS TOWN). & win his second Oscar.

Ralph Bellamy also in an early role plays the sincere Juvenile court judge.

Two actresses from the silent era (which ended only a few years before) are featured, Doris Kenyon is Tracy's beautiful wife & very interested in the young Juvenile. She had a short career & was a very capable actress,

Beryl Mercer (Al Jolson's mother in THE JAZZ SINGER) very effective as the grandmother of another lad who is Tom's friend. She was on many sound movies for decades & always good.

My rating of 6 seems low, but the films production values are only adequate. At least I liked this better than the co-feature on the DVD

AFTER TOMORROW with Charles Farrell, that too is a melodrama that becomes a very silly comedy today. It has the same director as this film. These 2 movies were Mr. Borzage's earliest efforts, He did become a very good studio director.

YOUNG America--- ratings

**1/2 (out of 4) 72 points (out of 100) IMDb 6 (out of 10)

AFTER TOMORROW--ratings

** (out of 4) 63 points (out of 100) IMDb 5 (out of 10)

.

It just takes one person to care enough to open up other judgmental eyes.

[mark.waltz · 8/10 · 28 November 2014]

It has been said that other countries look on at America's youth problem as the shame of a nation. The lack of after school programs and parents too busy to be there for their children isn't just a new issue, but one that has been around for many generations. This isn't to say that this problem has attacked America across the board or has been avoided in other countries, but the American press has documented this situation going back many decades.

"Young America" focuses on the youth of America, not America's early days. Tommy Conlon is a trouble-making kid who has the reputation of being the worst boy in town. His trouble-making actually seems pretty tame in comparison to what has come afterwords, but a cold-hearted aunt blames his behavior for influencing her own children. Brought before judge Ralph Bellamy, Conlon is accused of stealing a car which he claims he moved to get away from a fire hydrant. Certainly, Conlon is definitely heading down the wrong path, but a compassionate do-gooder (Doris Kenyon) sees something besides the juvenile delinquent everybody else perceives him to be. She convinces her cynical store owner husband (Spencer Tracy) to give him an after school job but a fight with a local bully loses him the job.

Bespeckled pal Raymond Borzage and Borzage's grandmother Beryl Mercer give Conlon support, and when the two buddies must find medicine for the ailing Mercer, he ends up in court again. Tracy is horrified when his wife agrees to take him in, certain that he's going to turn their world upside down. Judge Bellamy, after fining Tracy several times for contempt, orders Borzage and Conlon to remain separated, and when Conlon tries to keep a distance, Borzage pelts him with mud in one of the film's more disturbing scenes. This leads to a tragic plot turn and false accusations made which hopefully will open up a few character's eyes.

While Spencer Tracy is top-billed, it is Tommy Conlon who dominates the film with his very complex characterization. Tracy's character spends much of the film griping, so he's not really likable here, even though he is the one who is trying to remain on the right side of the law. He's in fact a real bigot, and the prototype for the respected citizen who lives within the law but won't do anything for his fellow man beyond selling them the goods they need to survive. Kenyon sits back and watches him stick his foot in his mouth, all the while secretly laughing at him as judge Bellamy (in a compassionate performance) keeps fining him for contempt.

Beryl Mercer is very touching as the loving elderly woman who treats every kid in the area as if they were her own. Sara Padden is appropriately cold as Conlon's hateful aunt, and even though she rejects him, you can understand her reasoning behind it. She's cold simply because she's tired and aware that nothing she can do could change Conlon, even though all it takes is somebody like the sweet Doris Keyon to turn his life around. Anne Shirley (billed as Dawn O'Day) is barely recognizable as the young object of Conlon's affections, while Jane Darwell has a memorable small role as the frazzled teacher. Spec O'Donnell is very realistic as the bully Conlon must fight, while young Borzage (son of the film's director, Frank Borzage) is quite touching. Louise Beavers rounds out the cast as Tracy's maid, pretty much not saying a word, yet being totally recognizable.

This is the type of film that really makes you think about the plight of the seemingly hopeless. Talks of "Black Medicine" (actually a symbol of death) show the coldness of the medical profession towards the poor of this community (a reference simply says that they don't want the patients who can't pay become the responsibility of the state) and is quite shocking. Not as well known as "Wild Boys of the Road" or the early "Dead End" kid films, this is certainly worthy of becoming more famous, making this a great find and a delightfully obscure classic.

Mildly interesting, but Warner Brothers did this sort of film a lot better!

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 2 July 2010]

In the mid-1930s, there were quite a few social reform films aimed at the problems of juvenile delinquency. The gist of them was that these problem kids could easily be turned away from lives of crime if only given a fair shake. For the most part, Warner Brothers specialized in these sort of movies--first with the likes of young Frankie Darro and later with the Dead End kids. Some of these films like "Wild Boys of the Road", "Dead End" and "Angels With Dirty Faces" are now considered classics and films were quite popular in their day. However, this type of film was not exclusive to Warner Brothers--occasionally some of the other studios produced similar films. A great example of this is Fox's "Young America"--a film that begs the audience to give the unwanted youth another chance.

The film begins with a do-gooder (Doris Kenyon) meeting with a juvenile court judge (Ralph Bellamy) on behalf of some civic betterment group. She requests to sit in on the court's proceedings to learn about the problems facing kids. He gladly lets her and one of the cases seems to really affect her--the supposedly 'worst kid in town'--Art (Tommy Conlon). However, instinctively she KNOWS he's misunderstood and worth redeeming. Through some ridiculous chain of events, she eventually gains custody of the boy--much to the consternation of her husband (Spencer Tracy) who thinks the kid is a crook! While there is a lot to the story after that, in the end the couple learn that Art is one swell kid and they all live happily ever after---a bit like Curious George, actually!

There are two main problems about this film that keep it from approaching the quality of the Warner films. First, while Art has a good heart, he's also amazingly stupid--and it's hard to like stupid people! Again and again, he COULD go to adults and ask for help and again and again he does things on his own that are selfless but sure look bad! You'd think the idiot would get the idea that MAYBE he should ask for help first! And, when he's caught, he doesn't even try to explain why he did what he did. In essence, he's got the brain of Mr. Potatohead! Second, while ALL these sort of films are preachy and a tad naive, this one comes off as much, much more so than usual--especially in the preachy department. The subtlety and charm of the Warner films is missing--despite having a very good director, Frank Borzage, at the helm. It was as if this accomplished man had no idea what to do with this sort of film.

My advice, then, is watch any one of a couple dozen Warner films instead. The three listed above would be a good start, but "Mayor of Hell" or "Angels Wash Their Faces" or "Crime School" would also be well worth your time. Skip "Young America"--it's tough to believe, comes on way too strong and simply is second-rate.

Tracy Adds Some Salt

[boblipton · 8/10 · 14 December 2008]

This Borzage soaper about the trials and tribulations of a youngster on the edge of being sent to reform school -- Ralph Bellamy plays the juvenile court judge in a relaxed, almost boneless manner. He was a fine actor and before he got typecast as the dull guy who loses the girl to Cary Grant, he gave a bunch of interesting performances in a wide variety of roles. According to legend, he was offered a script with another loser role, saw that the character was labeled as a Ralph Bellamy type, and quit the movies, going back to more interesting roles on Broadway.

Borzage manages to get some interesting performances out of the young actors: Tom Conlan, whose character is labeled as the worst boy in town, keeps getting into thoughtless scrapes. In fact, that's the best part of the script: the boys are not bad, but they just don't think of consequences.

The other thing about this movie that makes it better than average is, unsurprisingly, Spencer Tracy's performance. In the midst of all the sweet characters and one outright stinker, he adds a lot of salt to the stew as the grouchy pharmacist. His scene with Bellamy in which he continually gets fined for contempt of court is very funny. While not among Borzage's best work, this movie, as always, has enough points to make it worth your time.

Noble Trouble

[view_and_review · 3/10 · 15 June 2023]

In the little town of Mayberry (or whatever this town was called) when young kids are arrested there is a caring, insightful judge there to guide the young adolescents. With his wisdom and kindness he can discern which young boys need a break and which ones should be locked up.

The main kid in this poorly written movie was Arthur Simpson (Art Simpson for short) played by Tommy Conlon. Art was an orphan being cared for by an overworked aunt of his with a brood of her own; and by the looks of it she was single too. Because of such circumstances, as the movie didactically tells us, Art would get into trouble.

After the second time Art got in trouble his aunt declared to the court that he was no longer welcome back into her house. She simply couldn't do it anymore and he was corrupting her kids. This may or may not have been true, but one look at her and you knew she wasn't fit to handle another kid--especially a handful like Art. The judge stated that unless someone stepped forward to care for Art, he'd have to be cared for by the state in an institution.

In this benevolent town a concerned woman named Edith Doray (Doris Kenyon) stepped forward to volunteer as the guardian of young Art, much to the chagrin of her husband. In fact, I'd say it was a big F U to her husband. She singularly made the decision to bring a juvenile delinquent into their home without so much as a word exchanged between them about the idea. And, because Mayberry is full of such pushover husbands to well-intentioned wives, Jack Doray (Spencer Tracy) reluctantly went along with the new arrangement just waiting for his opportunity to say "I told you so!"

As you can tell I didn't really like this movie, but what really made this movie unbearable was the situations Art found himself in. Every time he got into trouble it was for noble reasons. I may not have grown up in Pleasantville, but I was a young boy once and hardly ever did a boy get into trouble being altruistic--yet here's Art getting into trouble for the most noble reasons EVERY time.

First, he was moving a woman's car away from a fire plug (I'm assuming fire hydrant). Then he got into trouble protecting his best friend Edward 'Nutty' Beamish (Raymond Borzage). Next he got into trouble trying to get medicine to save Grandma Beamish (Beryl Mercer). Finally, he got into trouble in order to see his best friend take his last breath. This would not happen in a lifetime for most people, yet this happened in the course of a few weeks for Art.

As a result of all this, the impatient and insensitive Jack Doray lorded it over his wife how he was right and she was wrong while his patient, caring, trusting, and sensitive wife refused to believe that Art was bad and that there must be good reasons for all of his bad behavior.

As for me, I was with Mr. Doray even though I knew why Art did the things he did. It's not that I don't believe that there are circumstances in which a person can and will understandably break the law, it's just that I thought Art's situations were too contrived. Furthermore, the push/pull between Jack and Edith Doray irked me. They weren't polar opposites because Jack wasn't a demon, but Edith was certainly an angel. She was too Mary Sue and it was sickening.

Free on YouTube.

Little boys ,what now?

[dbdumonteil · 8/10 · 9 July 2009]

"Art and Nutty are flying across the Pacific": a drawing made by one of the boys at school and you have understood that Frank Borzage,probably the greatest American director of the era,who made more masterpieces than anyone in the thirties ,can move you with anything.I wrote once that if they had given a Nobel Prize of cinema,Borzage would have won it hands down.

The movie begins,in a way,just when Wellmann's extraordinary "wild boys of the road" (1933) left.The judge could have been the same who took pity on Tommy and Eddie.Spencer Tracy may be the star of the movie,he is actually eclipsed by the two young brats and the grandma;Raymond Borzague speaks "like silence" ,and in the scene in which he is dying ,he reaches a peak of emotion and pathos;no one directed children as Borzage did:just think of this sublime scene in "no greater glory" when the young boy ,with his eyes bright with fever ,wants to join his "army" and become an officer and a gentleman.The grannie is also deeply moving when she she implores" let me my little boy!I've got only him in this world.

"Young America" deals with the incommunicability between the children and the grown-ups: all they do backfires against them ,although their intentions are good.Some adults will never know (Art's aunt) ,some have already understood (Tracy's wife) and some eventually made up their mind and open their heart(Tracy).The only weakness of this movie,IMHO,is the hold-up with hostage-taking which seems out of place in a story so delicate and so intimate .

Frank Borzage was a candid soul,all that he made came straight from the heart.I wish we had a director like him today!

"Young America at the Crossroads"

[kidboots · 8/10 · 12 September 2016]

Spencer Tracy finally hit his acting stride as the murderous Killer Meares in "The Last Mile" and was the hit of the Broadway season. He had also made several short subjects for Vitaphone and impressed with his natural acting style but only John Ford at Fox could see something special in him. While his first couple of films established him as a tough guy they were uneven in popularity and before too long he was begging Fox for more diversity. He definitely got it with this role - the part of the taciturn pharmacist Mr. Dorey. His wife, Edie, as part of her duties for a woman's club, decides to sit in on a session of juvenile court and is shocked by what she sees - some of the boys who she thinks have nice open faces are found to be running gangs!!

Art Simpson, "the worst boy in town" runs into Mrs. Dorey again - he saves her little dog and to return the favour she organises an after school job for him at her husband's store. It doesn't work out and Tracy can't wipe the smug, "I told you so" look from his face and just when you are thinking Tracy would have made a better impression as the fair minded juvenile court judge (Ralph Bellamy plays him with his usual ease) the plot takes a dramatic turn and for a few scenes Tracy gets a chance to make his character more complex. Also complimenting his performance is the beautiful Doris Kenyon, who had just resumed her career after a horror few years. Her Mrs. Dorey (the film was based on "Mrs. Dorey" short stories by Pearl Franklin) is sympathetic without being maudlin. The real star is Tommy Conlin who may have been seen as a juvenile talent worth cultivating (he was pivotal in "Those Who Love" as well) but at 14 he was just a bit too old. With Frank Borzage at the directorial helm you just know it was going to get weepy. Art is kicked about by kith and kin - the only understanding people in his life are his best pal "Nutty" and "Nutty's" gran, and with Beryl Mercer in the role and at her sentimental best the tears soon flow!!

When granny falls ill and with no money for doctors or medicine Art remembers the chemist shop but when they find the store closed..... Tracy's big scene involves a showdown with Kenyon in which he finds he can't cope with her hopeful, do-gooder attitude - "it's either me or the kid and I will leave you"!! As far as Art's "worst kid in town" title goes, he meets plenty worse than him during the course of the movie. Also in the cast is the beautiful Dawn O'Day, (soon to be Anne Shirley) and as "Nutty", Raymond Borzage, son of the director.

Very Recommended.

Moral Tale

[Michael_Elliott · 13 February 2009]

Young America (1932)

*** (out of 4)

Uneven but entertaining drama has teen Arthur (Tommy Conlon) being accused of being the worst kid in town. Trying to help a friend's grandmother, he breaks into a store to steal some medicine but is caught. In court the judge (Ralph Bellamy) is about to send him to a juvenile jail but the store owner (Spencer Tracy) and his wife (Doris Kenyon) end up taking the kid home. The store owner is against it but the wife believes a good home can change a bad kid. This is a fast paced and entertaining little film even though the subject matter brings up some rather false notes as well as being too heavy at times. The biggest fault I had with the movie is that it tries to argue that bad kids can be good if they have a loving family and a nice place to live yet the main guy here, Arthur, isn't ever shown as a bad kid. He gets in trouble two separate times but both times he does so for the good of another person. Since he's doing good deeds it's hard for the film to argue about what bad kids need. With that said, the movie still works due in large part to some very good performances. Tracy gets top-billing but he's basically just here in a supporting role. He offers up another fine performance as he has no trouble playing the jerk who wants to see the young kid thrown in jail. Kenyon is equally good as the woman who wants to change the kid. Conlon never had much of a career, which is somewhat a surprise since his performance is better than many other child stars of his time. The director's son plays Arthur's best friend and does a nice job as well. Ralph Bellamy gets third viewing but this is pretty much his film as a judge who tries to understand troubled kids. The caring nature of the character is really brought out by Bellamy who sadly has been forgotten as an actor, which is a shame because he was one of the best character actors out there.