Mr. Wise Guy (1942)

Mr. Wise Guy (the eighth in the East Side Kids series) finds the gang sent to the Wilton Reform School after they are unjustly convicted of stealing a truck. Bill Collins (Douglas Fowley), ... See full summary »

Director:

William Nigh

Writers:

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

Stars:

Leo Gorcey, Bobby Jordan, Huntz Hall

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Mr. Wise Guy (the eighth in the East Side Kids series) finds the gang sent to the Wilton Reform School after they are unjustly convicted of stealing a truck. Bill Collins (Douglas Fowley), brother of co-leader Danny (Bobby Jordan), becomes involved in a killing and, while also innocent, is convicted and sentenced to death. Through a series of events, Muggs (Leo Gorcey), Glimpy (Huntz Hall), Danny and the rest of the gang, learn that Knobby (Billy Gilbert), a henchman of Luke Manning (Guinn Williams), knows something about the murder.

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Plot Keywords:

gang | east side kids | reform school | murder | chase | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 February 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Os Anjos e os Gangsters

Company Credits

Production Co:

Banner Productions, Monogram Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

70 min 58 min (2005 DVD release)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Two Three Stooges "foils" are in this film. The Late greats: Mr. Stanley Blystone who plays a uncredited bit as a police officer and Mr. Benny Rubin who plays a waiter in a scene with the late great Billy Gilbert.

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Quotes

Dorothy Melton: Why don't you do something? They are only kids!
Knobby: He's got a gun! It's loaded! I know, I loaded it myself!
Dorothy Melton: I thought you were the kind of man I could go for.
Knobby: What's Luke got that I ain't got?
Dorothy Melton: Brains!
Knobby: That ain't nice!

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Connections

Followed by Come Out Fighting (1945)

User Reviews

Monogram's piggy bank busted wide open for good cast

Monogram's Sam Katzman busted the studio piggy bank and came up with an unusually good and familiar cast of character players for the East Side Kids in Mr. Wise Guy. The story centers around the efforts of the lads to save Bobby Jordan's brother Douglas Fowley from the chair. That is if they can bust out of the reform school they're in.

Turns out the same guy Guinn Williams is responsible for the fix both brothers are in. The kids unwittingly help henchmen Billy Gilbert and Warren Hymer with Williams crashing out of Blackwell's Island and then are left with the stolen truck that was used. Then Williams and the gang stickup a drugstore and kill the clerk and Williams commandeers a car driven by Fowley for the getaway.

Billy Gilbert dusted off his eternally flustered character so familiar in major films like On The Avenue and His Girl Friday as the incredibly dopey henchman. Williams must keep him around for laughs because he really isn't much good for anything else. Williams gives him a chore to get the money for his getaway with a good sweepstakes ticket, but his moll Ann Doran decides to cash in herself with that one. Some days you can't trust anyone even if they're too stupid to think of a doublecross themselves.

Mr. Wise Guy is the usual East Side Kids Monogram programmer on the cheap side. But the character players especially Gilbert make this one a bit above average.