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Penrod and His Twin Brother

  • 1938
  • Approved
  • 1h 3m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
129
YOUR RATING
Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938)
Comedy

It's a case of mistaken identity when Penrod and his dog Duke wind up in trouble after a lookalike boy and dog move into town.It's a case of mistaken identity when Penrod and his dog Duke wind up in trouble after a lookalike boy and dog move into town.It's a case of mistaken identity when Penrod and his dog Duke wind up in trouble after a lookalike boy and dog move into town.

  • Director
    • William C. McGann
  • Writers
    • William Jacobs
    • Hugh Cummings
    • Booth Tarkington
  • Stars
    • Billy Mauch
    • Robert J. Mauch
    • Frank Craven
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    129
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • William C. McGann
    • Writers
      • William Jacobs
      • Hugh Cummings
      • Booth Tarkington
    • Stars
      • Billy Mauch
      • Robert J. Mauch
      • Frank Craven
    • 4User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos9

    Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938)
    Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938)
    Jackie Morrow in Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938)
    Billy Mauch and Robert J. Mauch in Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938)
    Billy Mauch and Robert J. Mauch in Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938)
    Billy Mauch and Robert J. Mauch in Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938)
    Billy Mauch and Robert J. Mauch in Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938)
    Penrod and His Twin Brother (1938)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Billy Mauch
    Billy Mauch
    • Penrod
    Robert J. Mauch
    Robert J. Mauch
    • Danny
    • (as Bobby Mauch)
    Frank Craven
    Frank Craven
    • Mr. Schofield
    Spring Byington
    Spring Byington
    • Mrs. Schofield
    Charles Halton
    Charles Halton
    • Mr. Bitts
    Claudia Coleman
    Claudia Coleman
    • Mrs. Bitts
    Jackie Morrow
    • Rodney Bitts
    Philip Hurlic
    Philip Hurlic
    • Vermin
    Benny Bartlett
    Benny Bartlett
    • Chuck
    • (as Bennie Bartlett)
    Bernice Pilot
    • Delia
    Johnnie Pirrone Jr.
    • Sam
    • (as John Pirrone)
    Billy Lechner
    • Donald
    Charley Foy
    Charley Foy
    • Kraemer
    Charles Jordan
    • Shorty
    Jay Adler
    Jay Adler
    • Johnson
    Max Wagner
    Max Wagner
    • Blackie
    Eddie Collins
    Eddie Collins
    • Captain
    Fred Lawrence
    Fred Lawrence
    • Clark
    • Director
      • William C. McGann
    • Writers
      • William Jacobs
      • Hugh Cummings
      • Booth Tarkington
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In 1938, Warner Bros. distributed this film in some locations on a double bill with Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) starring George Brent and Olivia de Havilland.
    • Goofs
      In the opening credits, Philip Hurlic's character Verman is listed as "Vermin."
    • Crazy credits
      The opening title card contains the following: "with The Mauch Twins Billy and Bobby"
    • Connections
      Followed by Penrod's Double Trouble (1938)
    • Soundtracks
      Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
      (uncredited)

      Traditional nursery song

      [Variations in the score throughout]

    User reviews4

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    What Are The Odds?
    After the Mauch twins made their debut in The Prince And The Pauper it was Billy who got the coveted role of Penrod in a series of films that Warner Brothers made from the Booth Tarkington character. Apparently he was the more aggressively interested in an acting career than brother Bobby. But Bob did get into two of the films and Penrod And His Twin Brother is the first.

    I really do have to ask what are the odds that not only does a kid have a doppleganger move into the same small Indiana town, but the doppleganger has a doppleganger dog which is the heart of the story of this film. Young Penrod adopts a stray dog that soon gets a reputation of biting people and he bites young Jackie Morrow one of the Penrod posse which upsets Morrow's father Charles Halton.

    Of course it turns out that Bobby Mauch has moved into town with his lookalike dog and eventually that problem is resolved. But by that time Penrod and his posse are involved in tracking down some Dillinger like bandits who robbed a payroll and take young Morrow a hostage because he got innocently involved with them. I don't think I have to say more.

    Although this has nothing to do with the Penrod stories that Booth Tarkington wrote, mainly because they're set in the teen years of the last century and this is up to date, the wholesomeness of the stories and character is preserved here. Frank Craven and Spring Byington play Penrod's parents and the Indiana ambiance is faithfully recaptured.

    One unusual thing is that young Philip Hurlic plays the son of the live in maid of Penrod's family played by Bernice Pilot. He's treated as an equal by the other kids in the gang for the most part, unusual for the times even though Bobby Mauch uses a racial slur when first meeting him. Still I don't think the cause of racial brotherhood was served by giving the kid the character name of Vermin.

    Seeing the eventual careers of the Mauch brothers does make you wonder what the future has in store for the Sprouse twins playing Zack and Cody at the Magic Kingdom. Maybe the Penrod stories will be adapted for them as it's the kind of material the Disney Studios go for.

    Penrod And His Twin Brother is a pleasant enough film for the time and the spirit of those who love those Tarkington stories is respected and preserved.
    helpful•4
    3
    • bkoganbing
    • Mar 16, 2010

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    Details

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    • Release date
      • February 26, 1938 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
    • Also known as
      • Junaci ulice
    • Filming locations
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 3 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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