On Dress Parade (1939)

Director:

William Clemens

Writer:

Tom Reed (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 November 1939 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The Dead End Kids are sent to military school.

Plot Keywords:

Dead End Kids | Juvenile Delinquent | Military School | Airplane Accident | Prohibition

Cast

Billy Halop	...	Cadet Maj. Jack Rollins
Bobby Jordan	...	Cadet Ronny Morgan
Huntz Hall	...	Cadet John 'Johnny' Cabot
Gabriel Dell	...	Cadet George 'Georgie' Warren
Leo Gorcey	...	Shirley 'Slip' Duncan
Bernard Punsly	...	Dutch (as Bernard Punsley)
John Litel	...	Col. Michael 'Mike' Riker
Frankie Thomas	...	Cadet Lt. 'Murph' Murphy
Cecilia Loftus	...	Mrs. Neeley (as Cissie Loftus)
Selmer Jackson	...	Capt. Evans Dover
Aldrich Bowker	...	Father Ryan
Douglas Meins	...	Cadet Hathaway
William Gould	...	Maj. 'Doc' Lewis, MD
Donald Douglas	...	Col. William 'Bill' / 'Dunc' Duncan (as Don Douglas)

Also Known As:

Dead End Kids at Military School (USA) (new title)
Dead End Kids at Valley Forge (USA) (original script title)
The 'Dead End' Kids 'On Dress Parade' (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

62 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5543)

Filming Locations:

Warner Ranch, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Movie Connections:

Follows Little Tough Guys in Society (1938)

Soundtrack:

The Battle Cry of Freedom

What You'd Expect

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

SPOILERS.

They were still known as the Dead End Kids at this stage of their career, because of their appearance in "Dead End". Later they'd become East Side Kids and Bowery Boys. Leo Gorcey is the protagonist here. He was the one wearing the beanie. As a favor, John Litel sees that Gorcey ("Slip") is admitted to Washington, a military academy. The other Dead End Kids are also students there. They are given lines like, "In the language of my native Broadway, you are behind the eight ball plenty." Gorcey throws a plate of food into the face of a senior classman. He starts fights. He doesn't stow his gear properly. He's distraught. He wants to quit but is tricked into staying. In the end he succeeds and everything ends happily.

You should be either ten years old or totally drunk if you want to find anything fresh or amusing in this movie. I can't find a single thing to recommend this movie if you're not in one of those two pathological conditions. The story line is predictable, even at this early stage of the Kids' development. The acting is nonexistent. There is no humor that rises above the level of the worst pun you've ever heard.

In 1939, people paid to watch this.