The Rocket Man

"The Rocket Man" had some terrific actors who I normally love in movies. Spring Byington and Charles Coburn are terrific supporting actors and here they get a chance to star in a film. Additionally, while I sometimes dislike child stars, 'Foghorn' Winslow is always enjoyable in movies. But here they seem wasted as the story had some excellent elements but it was also quite sappy and schmaltzy.

Timmy (Foghorn) is a cute orphan...but one who drives the folks at the orphanage batty. Despite this, or because of this, the kindly Justice of the Peace, Amelia Brown (Byington) decides to bring Timmy to stay with her for a while. Soon a space alien arrives and he gives Tommy a special sort of gun...one that can make people tell the truth or stop speeding cars). The alien then informs Timmy that he'll know exactly when to use it. And, since Timmy is such a nice kid, he doesn't use the gun for evil but to make the world around him a nicer place by the end of the film.

In the meantime, a horrible drunkard arrives in town. He nearly runs over a child (prevented only by Timmy using the gun to make the car stop) and then acts VERY belligerently with the cop as well as the Justice of the Peace. He keeps telling them that he's a big political boss...and he can do ANYTHING he likes. And, if they punish him, they'll be sorry! Well, you can probably guess where this goes next given that Timmy has this special alien hardware.

The story drips with schmaltz. It's a shame, as Foghorn and Charles Coburn excelled in films with cynicism and an edge. But here, it's all so gooey and sickeningly sweet. Plus, the story really did NOT need an alien nor that weird gun. Some really great actors wasted as a result.