On Dress Parade (1939)

The Dead End Kids are sent to military school.

Director:

William Clemens

Writer:

Tom Reed (original screenplay)

Stars:

Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, Huntz Hall

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Billy Halop	...	Cadet Maj. Rollins
Bobby Jordan	...	Cadet Ronny Morgan
Huntz Hall	...	Cadet Johnny Cabot
Gabriel Dell	...	Cadet Georgie Warren
Leo Gorcey	...	Slip Duncan
Bernard Punsly	...	Dutch (as Bernard Punsley)
John Litel	...	Col. Michael Riker
Frankie Thomas	...	Cadet Lt. Murphy
Cecilia Loftus	...	Mrs. Neeley (as Cissie Loftus)
Selmer Jackson	...	Capt. Evans Dover
Aldrich Bowker	...	Father Ryan
Douglas Meins	...	Hathaway
William Gould	...	Dr. Lewis
Donald Douglas	...	Col. Wm. Duncan (as Don Douglas)

Storyline

Colonel Riker was a hero in the trenches in 1918. He now heads Washington Military Academy. His pal Bill Duncan, dying, requests Riker to school his son Shirley ("Slip"), a juvenile delinquent. Slip starts fights, disputes all regulations, but Riker believes in him. When the truth comes out, that Slip got into the academy as a means of evading reform school, Slip leaves, but Jack Rollins tries to stop him. The squad roughhouses Slip, but in the mêlée, Jack is pushed out a window. Hurt badly, he nevertheless begs that Slip be kept. Slip has a change of heart, but now must contend with the boys who hate him.

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Plot Keywords:

dead end kids | military school | juvenile delinquent | falling from height | distinguished service cross | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 November 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dead End Kids at Military School

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

62 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The last of seven movies featuring The Dead End Kids.

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Connections

Followed by Give Us Wings (1940)

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Soundtracks

"You're in the Army Now"
(uncredited)
Traditional
Played as background music at the start of maneuvers
Played on accordian by a cadet and sung by the cadets

User Reviews

What You'd Expect

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.