Gangster's Boy (1938)

A popular high school valedictorian and star athlete becomes a pariah when it's discovered that his father is a former bootlegger.

Director:

William Nigh

Writers:

Robert Hardy Andrews (screenplay), Karl Brown (story),

Stars:

Jackie Cooper, Robert Warwick, Lucy Gilman

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jackie Cooper	...	Larry Kelly
Robert Warwick	...	Tim Kelly
Lucy Gilman	...	Julia Davis
Louise Lorimer	...	Mrs. Kelly
Tommy Wonder	...	Bill Davis
Selmer Jackson	...	Judge Roger Davis
Betty Blythe	...	Mrs. Davis
Huntley Gordon	...	School Principal (as Huntly Gordon)
Herbert Evans	...	Stevens - The Butler
William Gould	...	District Attorney Edward Jameson
Jack Kennedy	...	Police Sergeant
Bobby Stone	...	Salvatore

Storyline

Senior Larry Kelly has been chosen valedictorian and is looking forward with best friend Bill Davis to a West Point appointment. In addition, he is romantically involved with Molly Davis, Bill's sister. Larry's father, Tim 'Knuckles' Kelly, becomes reunited with his wife and son after a long absence. They buy a house in a well-to-do neighborhood next door to the Davis family, but when the local newspaper reveals that Tim is an ex-bootlegger, Judge Davis, a harsh disciplinarian, forbids his children to see Larry. Although many consider Larry a pariah, his closest friends and the principal remain loyal. When Bill accidentally runs over a bicyclist while driving Larry's car and a whiskey bottle is discovered in the back seat, Larry takes the blame for his friend. When the truth comes to light, everyone involved realizes Larry's character and integrity, and the two families become reconciled.

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Taglines:

Yesterday CHEERED! Today SHUNNED!

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 1938 (USA)

Also Known As:

En gangsters son

Filming Locations:

Hoover High School - 651 Glenwood Road, Glendale, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of this film appears on the movie marquee in the first nighttime montage shot of Murder, My Sweet.

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Soundtracks

"Blossoms in the Moonlight"
(uncredited)
Written by Edward J. Kay
Sung by Lucy Gilman

User Reviews

Just Whose Code Does Jackie Follow?

In this film Jackie Cooper plays this incredibly straight arrow high school kid who is a star athlete, star academician, plays drums in the local band and dreams of going to West Point with his good friend Tommy Wonder. They're friends even though Cooper lives on the wrong side of the tracks and his father is something of a traveling man. But he's come home to stay now and he's loaded with dough. Who would suspect that Cooper, son of Robert Warwick, is really a Gangster's Boy.

Comes as much of a shock to Jackie as the rest of the town when a nosy reporter breaks the scoop. Overnight he becomes a pariah, the only one who knew was Jackie's mother Louise Lorimer and she's been keeping the secret all these years. It's Wonder's father Selmer Jackson who is leading the shunning of Warwick and his family in the town, though his own kids don't think it's fair.

But Cooper proves more than his worth when he rather stupidly takes the blame for an automobile accident where a kid on bicycle is hit. It was an accident, but there was liquor found in the car. Cooper's ambition maybe West Point, but his code seems to come from the underworld, about not ratting. And of course everyone assumes he's to blame.

No gangland shootouts here, no gangster dialog, instead this is a maudlin story from Monogram with little production values and characters quite unbelievable. The players however are sincere and do give it their best shot. It's one terribly dated film and not very believable.