My Pal Gus (1952)

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 ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Parrish

Writers:

Fay Kanin (original screenplay), Michael Kanin (original screenplay)

Stars:

Richard Widmark, Joanne Dru, Audrey Totter

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Richard Widmark	...	Dave Jennings
Joanne Dru	...	Lydia Marble
Audrey Totter	...	Joyce Jennings
George Winslow	...	Gus Jennings
Joan Banks	...	Ivy Tolliver
Regis Toomey	...	Farley Norris
Ludwig Donath	...	Karl
Ann Morrison	...	Polly Pahlman
Lisa Golm	...	Anna

Storyline

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 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 shake him down for money, Dan gladly pays her a fortune to divorce him and leave him and Gus in peace and, eventually, Lydia.

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Plot Keywords:

teacher | son | school | money | fortune | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 December 1952 (USA)

Also Known As:

Top Man

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Carl Betz's movie debut.

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Quotes

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

User Reviews

Solid Story

Word around school at the time was you had to see Foghorn Winslow to believe it. So we all trooped dutifully to the theatre where we heard this little kid sound like an adult who'd had about 1,000 cigarettes too many. Plus, he had this Buster Keaton deadpan that never changed expression. So we all laughed at a kid who didn't look or sound like any kid we knew. And a good thing he was pretty funny because I don't remember caring much for the adult end.

Now I can appreciate the adult end even though the movie sags a bit in the middle. I guess it's to the credit of the Kanin's that the story is as generally intelligent as it is. After all, most of us simply assume it's kids who need to be sensitized into an adult world and not vice-versa. But the movie shows us how sometimes the latter is more important than the former; that is, if we're going to succeed with the former. The ending too is a good little lesson in values, though I'm not sure how many folks could make the same gutsy decision Dave (Widmark) does.

Looks like Widmark was looking for a career change since a suburban dad seems a little tame for the likes of Tommy Udo, Kiss of Death (1947). He does surprisingly well, especially as the hard-driving business tycoon. But I'd really like to enroll in whatever school Miss Marble (Dru) is teaching at. She's a knockout, making it hard to believe there're not a hundred guys crowding around her. On the other end, I hope they paid Totter double for impersonating a mother from heck.

Anyhow, I'm glad I caught up again with this little programmer after so many years. Despite my much earlier impression, there really is a lot more to the movie than an unusual little kid, good as he is.