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My Pal Gus

  • 1952
  • Approved
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
198
YOUR RATING
Richard Widmark, Joanne Dru, Audrey Totter, and George Winslow in My Pal Gus (1952)
ComedyDramaRomance

Dave Jennings is a successful, self-made man in the business world, but he can't control his son, Gus, who is primarily a brat fond of throwing temper-tantrums and misbehaving. Dan enrolls G... Read allDave Jennings is a successful, self-made man in the business world, but he can't control his son, Gus, who is primarily a brat fond of throwing temper-tantrums and misbehaving. Dan enrolls Gus in a school where Lydia Marble is a teacher. Lydia's influence works wonders on Gus, an... Read allDave Jennings is a successful, self-made man in the business world, but he can't control his son, Gus, who is primarily a brat fond of throwing temper-tantrums and misbehaving. Dan enrolls Gus in a school where Lydia Marble is a teacher. Lydia's influence works wonders on Gus, and also Dan, who falls in love with her. When Dan's long-departed wife, Joyce. shows up to ... Read all

  • Director
    • Robert Parrish
  • Writers
    • Fay Kanin
    • Michael Kanin
  • Stars
    • Richard Widmark
    • Joanne Dru
    • Audrey Totter
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    198
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Robert Parrish
    • Writers
      • Fay Kanin
      • Michael Kanin
    • Stars
      • Richard Widmark
      • Joanne Dru
      • Audrey Totter
    • 11User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Richard Widmark and George Winslow in My Pal Gus (1952)
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    Top cast

    Edit
    Richard Widmark
    Richard Widmark
    • Dave Jennings
    Joanne Dru
    Joanne Dru
    • Lydia Marble
    Audrey Totter
    Audrey Totter
    • Joyce Jennings
    George Winslow
    George Winslow
    • Gus Jennings
    Joan Banks
    • Ivy Tolliver
    Regis Toomey
    Regis Toomey
    • Farley Norris
    Ludwig Donath
    Ludwig Donath
    • Karl
    Ann Morrison
    • Polly Pahlman
    Lisa Golm
    Lisa Golm
    • Anna
    Jay Adler
    Jay Adler
    • Van Every
    • (uncredited)
    Mabel Albertson
    Mabel Albertson
    • Mrs. Frisbee
    • (uncredited)
    Carl Betz
    Carl Betz
    • Mr. Nelson
    • (uncredited)
    Marie Brown
    Marie Brown
    • Mrs. Lipton
    • (uncredited)
    Benny Burt
    Benny Burt
    • Joyce's Private Detective
    • (uncredited)
    Tom Coleman
    • Man at Bar
    • (uncredited)
    William Cottrell
    • Hotel Manager
    • (uncredited)
    Sandy Descher
    Sandy Descher
    • Tot
    • (uncredited)
    William Dyer Jr.
    • Reporter
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Robert Parrish
    • Writers
      • Fay Kanin
      • Michael Kanin
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Carl Betz's movie debut.
    • Quotes

      Gus: Please, Daddy, I'm not somebody big. Don't do a trick on me.

    User reviews11

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    Richard Widmark DOES have a soft side.
    Once again, we have an example here of a movie that has been lost to the limbo of cable TV somewhere.

    It is unfortunate that when AMC lost Nick Clooney as a host, and decided that movies 5 or 10 years old and in COLOR should be CLASSICS, and then chose to forget about some movies that were 'middle-aged', (being from the '50s) and black & white.

    Talk about discrimination !!!

    Well, maybe Turner Classics or the Fox Movie channel may think otherwise someday, but for now we seem to be deprived of some real treasures.

    For example, here is a family classic deserving of praise, as well as being seen much more often.

    Here we have tough-guy Richard Widmark showing off his 'soft side' and his parenting skills.

    Or, rather the lack of them.

    It seems that his son Gus, played by George Winslow (old 'Foghorn')is not behaving himself, so his frustrated male parent takes him to a nursery school, run by Joanne Dru.

    As we all know, or should know, Ms Dru is not the usual image one would conjure as a 'schoolmarm', which also doesn't escape the notice of Mr Widmark.

    While it is not long before Gus is well-behaved, now the father wants to stay after school with 'teacher'.

    Naughty, Naughty !!!!

    Well, not really !!!

    You see, Father is divorced and has sole custody of the child, (a rare thing in the 1950's), and considering wife Carolyn Jones and HER parenting skills, who can blame the court.

    It appears that being a businessman takes a great deal out of his time (Widmark runs a company that makes ice-cream and candy).

    WHAT ????????

    Yes, you heard right, tough-guy RW makes bons-bons, not BOMB-BOMBS !!!

    Anyway the teacher obliges by tutoring Father about kids in general, and in so doing allowing him to win his son's love and respect, and in the end winning the teacher's hand.

    But, things don't work out well when his wife names the teacher in her divorce action, resulting in a nasty trial that nearly undoes everything.

    But my friends, trust old time Hollywood to win the day, as all turns out well in the end.

    Of course, this was the usual Hollywood studio effort before television and the studio system was broken up to make room for those NEW CLASSICS on AMC.

    Too bad Hollywood had to grow up !!!!

    Hope we don't !!!

    And I hope we see this gem again real soon.
    helpful•10
    3
    • pizzawarrior1956-1
    • Jan 15, 2006

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 1, 1952 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Big Man
    • Filming locations
      • 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA(Studio)
    • Production company
      • Twentieth Century Fox
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 23 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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