The Devil Is a Sissy (1936)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screenplay) and
Richard Schayer (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

18 September 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A well-bred young English lad living in lower Manhattan tries to gain acceptance from his not-so-well-bred peers at school.

Plot Keywords:

Probation | Gangster | Tombstone | Police | Judge

Cast

Freddie Bartholomew	...	Claude Pierce
Jackie Cooper	...	'Buck' Murphy
Mickey Rooney	...	'Gig' Stevens
Ian Hunter	...	Jay Pierce
Peggy Conklin	...	Rose Hawley
Katharine Alexander	...	Hilda Pierce
Gene Lockhart	...	Mr. Jim Murphy
Kathleen Lockhart	...	Mrs. Murphy
Jonathan Hale	...	Judge Holmes
Etienne Girardot	...	Mr. Crusenberry - the Principal
Sherwood Bailey	...	'Bugs'
Buster Slaven	...	Six-Toes
Grant Mitchell	...	Paul Krumpp
Harold Huber	...	Willie - a Gangster
Stanley Fields	...	Joe - a Gangster

Also Known As:

The Devil Takes the Count (UK)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #2529) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Finland:S

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Rowland Brown was the original director, but he was replaced after one week by W.S. Van Dyke, who reshot most of Brown's footage. This was the 4th time another director completed a film which Brown started.

Quotes:

Judge Holmes: Buck, eh? That's a swell name. They used to call me "Stinky." You know why?
Robert 'Buck' Murphy: I guess so.
Judge Holmes: Well, I certainly led with my chin that time.

Soundtrack:

The Sidewalks of New York

Swiping Hubcaps for a Good Cause

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.