Mr. Wise Guy (1942)

Director:

William Nigh

Writers:

Martin Mooney (story)
Sam Robins (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 February 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Mr. Wise Guy (the eighth in the East Side Kids series) finds the gang sent to the Wilton Reform School...

Plot Keywords:

Gang | East Side Kids | Murder | Reform School | Hat

Cast

Leo Gorcey	...	Ethelbert 'Muggs' McGinnis
Bobby Jordan	...	Danny Collins
Huntz Hall	...	Glimpy Stone
Billy Gilbert	...	Knobby
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Luke Manning (as Guinn Williams)
Douglas Fowley	...	Bill Collins
Joan Barclay	...	Ann Mitchell
Warren Hymer	...	Dratler
Ann Doran	...	Dorothy Melton
Jack Mulhall	...	Jim Barnes - Reformatory Head
Gabriel Dell	...	Charlie Manning
Sidney Miller	...	Charlie Horse
David Gorcey	...	Peewee
Bobby Stone	...	Chalky Jones
Dick Ryan	...	Jed Miller - Abusive Reformatory Guard

Runtime:

70 min | USA:58 min (2005 DVD release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #8062)

Company:

Banner Productions

Movie Connections:

Followed by Clancy Street Boys (1943)

Entertaining East Side Kids Feature

This entertaining light feature offers plenty of good-natured mischief and banter from Leo Gorcey, Bobby Jordan, and the rest of the 'East Side Kids'. The story puts together some elements that were often recycled in the various features of the series, and it is used to set up some confrontations that combine amusement and action. This feature came from the middle of the series, when the interaction of the characters plus a few familiar plot ideas had come together well enough to carry a movie like this without a lot of extra help.

The story setup has the gang getting wrongly blamed for a theft and being sent to reform school, while the older brother of Danny (Jordan) is also arrested for a more serious crime. There are also a number of other scenes, especially early in the movie, that use their humorous confrontations with adults to establish the boys as restless but misunderstood.

The familiar ad-libbing and horseplay from Gorcey and the other regulars in the series works particularly well here, and the script almost seems to have been written so as to provide as many opportunities for it as possible. Billy Gilbert also pitches in with his comic talents, as a befuddled crook, and Guinn Williams is a believable if rather stoic heavy. Overall, it's not really anything new, but it's a familiar combination that provides solid entertainment for an hour or so.