Kid Dynamite

Although the story in this East Side Kids feature would hold up well enough on its own, it is often supplemented by scenes or lines of dialogue designed to instill support for the Allied effort in the ongoing war effort against the Axis. In itself, it's a solid feature in the series with some good scenes, and with a little more substance than usual. The wartime influence now seems overt, but it is less so than it is in many other features of the early 1940s.

The story has Leo Gorcey as Muggs and Bobby Jordan as Danny involved in a long-running misunderstanding, prompted by Muggs's jealousy, while the gang also has to contend with some outside antagonists. The hostility of Muggs towards Danny, plus Danny's burst of independence, add a dimension missing in most of the movies in the series. Whereas Muggs is usually a likable trouble-maker and scamp, here he shows a less appealing side of his personality.

As is often the case, some of the best moments come when the gang is allowed to indulge themselves a little. The 'jitterbug' contest works particularly well, as an entertaining sequence that also has a point in the plot. The war-influenced message is certainly noticeable, but the movie as a whole is still worth seeing anyway. It's interesting that even the East Side Kids were seen as a vehicle for promoting patriotism during the war.