Boys Town (1938)

Director:

Norman Taurog

Writers:

John Meehan (screenplay) and
Dore Schary (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

9 September 1938 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Greater than the imagination of the best writers!

Plot:

Against all odds Father Flanagan starts "Boys' Town" after hearing a convict's story. Whitey Marsh comes there...

Plot Keywords:

Children | Classic | Father Edward J. Flanagan | Irish American | Bishop

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Father Flanagan
Mickey Rooney	...	Whitey Marsh
Henry Hull	...	Dave Morris
Leslie Fenton	...	Dan Farrow
Gene Reynolds	...	Tony Ponessa
Edward Norris	...	Joe Marsh
Addison Richards	...	The Judge
Minor Watson	...	The Bishop
Jonathan Hale	...	John Hargraves
Bobs Watson	...	Pee Wee
Martin Spellman	...	Skinny
Mickey Rentschler	...	Tommy Anderson
Frankie Thomas	...	Freddie Fuller
Jimmy Butler	...	Paul Ferguson
Sidney Miller	...	Mo Kahn

Also Known As:

Boys' Town (USA) (poster title)

Runtime:

96 min | 93 min (DVD version) | West Germany:107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #4528) | Canada:G (video rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | West Germany:12 | Finland:S | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Boys Town, Nebraska, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The day after Spencer Tracy won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in this film, an MGM publicist released a statement - without consulting Tracy first - that the actor would donate his Oscar to the real Boys Town in Nebraska. Tracy agreed to make the donation if the Academy would send him a replacement Oscar. When the replacement arrived, the engraving on the award read: "Best Actor - Dick Tracy."

Goofs:

Continuity: The blackface Whitey wipes off in line doesn't match when he arrives back at the barber.

Quotes:

Freddie Fuller: There's our baseball field... last year one of our players was drafted by the St. Louis Browns.
Whitey Marsh: Well, I like the Yankees.
Freddie Fuller: You would!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Problem Child (1990)

SUPERB

I have always been a fan of Spencer Tracy, and I feel that this is one of the great movies he has been in, this and Captains Courageous. He depicts the type of acting that the stars of today do not have, he should be classified as one of the 10 most talented movie stars ever born.