Bad Boy (1949)

THIS SUMMARY CONTAINS SPOILERS! Danny is a juvenile delinquent sentenced to Variety Club Ranch in lieu of jail. He charms the headmistress and goads everyone else. The marshal sets out to ... See full summary »

Director:

Kurt Neumann

Writers:

Robert Hardy Andrews (screenplay) (as Robert D. Andrews), Robert Hardy Andrews (story) (as Robert D. Andrews)

Stars:

Audie Murphy, Lloyd Nolan, Jane Wyatt

Cast

Credited cast:
Audie Murphy	...	Danny Lester
Lloyd Nolan	...	Marshall Brown
Jane Wyatt	...	Mrs. Maud Brown
James Gleason	...	Chief
Stanley Clements	...	Bitsy Johnson
Martha Vickers	...	Lila Strawn
Rhys Williams	...	Arnold Strawn
Selena Royle	...	Judge Florence Prentiss
Jimmy Lydon	...	Ted Hendry (as James Lydon)
Dickie Moore	...	Charlie
Tommy Cook	...	Floyd
William F. Leicester	...	Joe Shields (as William Lester)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Gorelick	...	Juvenile Delinquent #1

Storyline

THIS SUMMARY CONTAINS SPOILERS! Danny is a juvenile delinquent sentenced to Variety Club Ranch in lieu of jail. He charms the headmistress and goads everyone else. The marshal sets out to find source of Danny's rage, and learns he mistakenly believes he is responsible for his mother's death. After a final crime spree and escape attempt, Danny learns he's not to blame. Court return him to Ranch on the marshal's conviction that he's redeemed from life of crime. Danny goes on to graduate from Texas A&M's ROTC program.

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Taglines:

Danny is going straight--straight to the electric chair!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 February 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Story of Danny Lester

Filming Locations:

Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paul Short Productions, Variety Clubs International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Texas City explosion occurred April 16, 1947.

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Crazy Credits

opening credits state: and in his first starring roll AUDIE MURPHY

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Connections

Featured in Biography: Audie Murphy: Great American Hero (1996)

User Reviews

Audie Murphy Grows Up the Hard Way

In Texas, baby-faced bellboy Audie Murphy (as Danny Lester) is caught in the opening act beating up his co-worker and stuffing him in a locker. The narrator informs us that Mr. Murphy is 17-years-old, and WANTED by the police. There are 62 different charges against him. He is taken to Dallas county juvenile court and receives a "pass" from the reformatory. A very handsome young man, Murphy strokes his wavy hair for the female judge, but she sees through his act. Due to his numerous crimes, the court thinks Murphy is too dangerous for leniency. However, they let him go to "Varsity Clubs Boy's Ranch" under the care of kindly Lloyd Nolan (as Marshall "Coach" Brown) for a trial run...

Murphy continues to cause trouble, getting into a fight with Mr. Nolan's Navy veteran assistant James Gleason (as "Chief"). Murphy mixes poorly with the other "boys" in the bunkhouse. These include singer-guitarist Stanley Clements (as Bitsy Johnson), college-bound boxer Jimmy Lydon (as Ted Hendry), and likewise good-looking Dickie Moore (as Charlie). Nolan thinks there is no such thing as a "Bad Boy" so we need to figure out if this is correct and look for evidence. Murphy calls out for his mother at night and is very nice to Nolan's mothering wife Jane Wyatt. A flashback reveals much; in it, Murphy plays himself as a 12-year-old. There is so much else unconvincing in the story, you hardly notice.

***** Bad Boy (2/22/49) Kurt Neumann ~ Audie Murphy, Lloyd Nolan, Stanley Clements, Jane Wyatt