Mokey (1942)

User Rating:

3.6/10   

Director:

Wells Root

Writers:

Jennie Harris Oliver (stories)
Wells Root (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

April 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Widower | Grave Site | Probation | Train | Judge

Cast

Dan Dailey	...	Herbert Delano (as Dan Dailey, Jr.)
Donna Reed	...	Anthea Delano
Robert Blake	...	Daniel 'Mokey' Delano (as Bobby Blake)
Cordell Hickman	...	Booker T. Cumby
Billie 'Buckwheat' Thomas	...	Brother Cumby (as William 'Buckwheat' Thomas)
Etta McDaniel	...	Cindy Molishus
Marcella Moreland	...	Begonia Cumby
George Lloyd	...	Policeman Pat Esel
Matt Moore	...	Mr. Pennington
Cleo Desmond	...	Aunt Deedy
Cliff Clark	...	Mr. Graham
Mary Field	...	Mrs. Graham
Bob Stebbins	...	Brickley 'Brick' Autry (as Bobby Stebbins)
Sam McDaniel	...	Uncle Ben

Runtime:

88 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #8115) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

A Hollywood Reporter news item listed Mantan Moreland, Ruby Elzy and Patrick McVey as cast members, but none of these actors appeared in the movie.

Quotes:

Daniel 'Mokey' Delano: She done broke her elbow.
Aunt Deedy: Elbow! Grandma's always breaking something, mostly the ten commandments.

Soundtrack:

In the Sweet By and By

One of MGM's Worst!

Mokey (1942, MGM, 88 Minutes) This has to be one of the worst films that MGM could have produced in the early forties. Whoever was casting the roles for this film did a terrible job, the script was awful, and even the production values were very poor, and this film coming from one of the best studios of the era. Also, was MGM attempting to make Robert Blake the next Jackie Cooper, because it seems to me that this film is a rehash of an earlier Cooper success from the 1930's titled "Skippy". Now, if I had saw the production of this film, I would have casted either Darryl Hickman, Bobs Watson, or Johnny Sheffield in the role of Mokey. I would have also casted either Robert Young or Walter Pidgeon in the role of Mokey's father, Marsha Hunt, Laraine Day, or even Greer Garson in the role of the stepmother, I would have wanted Arthur Hornblow Jr. to produce the film, and either Richard Thorpe or Norman Taurog to direct the film and before I close out, I would have titled the film, "The Trials and Tribulations of Daniel Delano" or "No Greater Love". Plus this film should have been made in between the years of 1938-1941 and lastly, I would have altogether cut out the part of Mokey pretending to be African-American, because this is an insult to my race! MGM really messed up with this one and a film like that could have been a great family classic had it had the right cast, director, and screenwriters. One last comment, in the role of Brickley Aubrey, I would have casted either Gene Reynolds, Bobby Jordan, or Larry Nunn and would have expanded this character's role entirely, not allowing him to die. Again, it seems as though in young Bob Stebbins, MGM was trying to find a new Mickey Rooney.