I have to say, this movie is an interesting one because it shows how children, no matter what era or century they were born in, were always cruel and willing to inflict pain on others and even their own friends to get what they want. The movie stars three excellent child actors Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper, and surprisingly, Mickey Rooney. Rooney and Cooper's characters are both the types of kids you don't not want to get on the bad side of, and when Claude (played by Bartholomew) comes to attend an american public school after moving from england, his intelligent and sophisticated demeanor makes him a prime target for teasing and harassment from the other two boys. He begins to learn how to box in order to rough up Cooper in a street fight a few days later, and slowly, he starts to earn their respect. When Cooper throws a football at the school and shatters one of the windows, the trio is called up to be scolded by the principal, and Claude takes one for the team by saying he was the one who threw it, and he is allowed to leave. Later on, his close relationship with these troublemakers continues to get him into hot water. Rooney insists that he buys a gravestone for his recently deceased father who was put to death in the electric chair, and Claude spearheads a heist on a local building he says is overflowing with valuable items. They plan to pilfer the house of toys and sell them as their own to raise money. Even though nobody is home at the time, an officer of some kind arrives at Rooney's house some time later, telling his mother he has a court summons and is suspected of being a burglar. The other two boys also receive one, and together, they are given a lengthy speech by the judge in the courtroom, telling them they had better get a hold of themselves or they'll be in prison. He tells Rooney and Cooper specifically that they are on parole for six months and have to report to an officer from now on, but they have other ideas. Afterwards, they plan to run away and violate their parole by not reporting to their officers, and Claude is not on good enough terms to be invited. Nevertheless, he sees them one day attempting to hitchhike, and follows them into a stranger's car (who also happens to be a mobster). They stop at a diner to get something to eat, but Claude manages to alert the proprietor of their motives by talking to him in french. The three boys are forced to flee the scene, but Claude suddenly appears much weaker than before. It soon becomes clear he contracted pneumonia while in the rain some time ago. As his condition rapidly deteriorates, his two "friends" show up at the hospital and tell him how grateful they are to know him. All this boosts his ego and makes him recover. At the film's end, Cooper and Rooney are told they are no longer on parole, and they all go for a bike ride. Overall, this movie has a stellar performance by some of the best child actors of that era, and Rooney was a great actor even as a kid (the others aren't bad either mind you). It's a movie that barely anyone knows and is mostly forgotten, but if you're a fan of archaic 30s films, it is worth it.
Review of The Devil Is a Sissy
