Lord Jeff

Kind of a combination of two mediocre, sentimental films..."Captains Courageous" and "Boys Town"...which, not surprisingly, results in a third mediocre, sentimental film. Give it a C.

As another reviewer concluded, this film is very much like Boys Town and even features Mickey Rooney. However, this time, the troubled teen is Freddie Bartholomew as Jeff Braemer. Jeff is involved with a group of jewel thieves, but after being caught, is sent to a orphan school to learn to be a merchant marine. Jeff's rich life has left him jaded and uncooperative, but schoolmates Terry O'Mulvaney (Rooney) and Albert Baker (Terry Kilburn) refuse to give up on him.

The excellent cast makes this film worth watching many times over. There are lessons learned and friends made, but none of those things would be effective if it weren't for believable and likable characters. The subject matter is appropriate for all ages too. Sit down and enjoy this one with the family.

A young & talented thief, masquerading as the obnoxious LORD JEFF, is captured and sent to a naval school to rehabilitate. There he meets an Irish lad, whose decent behavior has a profound effect upon him.

Think CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS meets BOYS TOWN, and you have an idea of this good, but unremarkable, little picture. Freddie Bartholomew, coming to the end of his glory days as MGM's reigning child star, is hampered mightily by the fact that his character is so rotten, the audience has an overwhelming desire to loathe him for most of the film. Mickey Rooney, on the other hand, right on the cusp of his tremendous stardom, steals his every scene with his unique & infectious bravado. Notice that the boys get equal billing. That would not happen again. Rooney was the major star from here on out.

The rest of the cast all do a fine job, especially Charles Colburn, Herbert Mundin & Emma Dunn, all memorable as supervisors at the naval school. That's Monty Woolley, soon to be an important character actor, as a London jeweler. Gale Sondergaard (in good disguise) & George Zucco have small roles as the adult thieves, while Terry Kilburn (nicely effective) & Peter Lawford play two of the young fellows.

Movie mavens will recognize Rex Evans as the hotel doorman & Doris Lloyd as the hostess of a party the boys attend.

In "Lord Jeff" we have it all. A very talented Freddie Bartholomew and the quick learning Mickey Rooney. The script was gold, the boys endearing, and the men in charge were human. You never lose interest in a film so masterfully done as this. This is one of those movies everyone should see. It is a good representation of 30s movie making, and its endearing story ensures that it will resonate with generations to come. That being said, the film needs to be colorized so that modern generations will watch it. Young people won't watch black and white.

Although Lord Jeff came out the same year as Boys Town and is essentially the same story, what this film lacks is the star quality presence of Spencer Tracy. It also could be compared to Captains Courageous where Mickey Rooney and Freddie Bartholomew play the same characters.

Charles Coburn is the father figure here, head of a Thomas John Barnardo school which populate the British Isles and which were set up by the late Irish philanthropist, (he was Irish despite that name, just like Eamon DeValera).

The title comes from Bartholomew's character whom when we first meet is a spoiled kid living in luxury. However he's an orphan kid whom a pair of crooks, George Zucco and Gale Sondergaard, use as a shill for their thieving rackets. Scotland Yard arrests and exposes Bartholomew, but the adults get away.

The judge gives Bartholomew a break sending him to Barnardo school, one in this case that is a quasi-military institute that trains men for the Navy and Merchant Marine. In a country like Britain which depends on the sea and has the great naval tradition this is an important task the school undertakes.

Bartholomew is as tough a nut to crack as he was aboard Lionel Barrymore's fishing boat in Captains Courageous and as Mickey Rooney was in Boys Town. But Rooney's in this film as well and he's the mentor kid who whips Bartholomew in line.

If you've seen Boys Town you know the bad influences come back and they have to be dealt with. I'll save that for your viewing pleasure.

Herbert Mundin who usually played funny little milquetoast characters is the old sea salt who teaches seamanship and discipline to the kids. This was an interesting change of parts for him and he acquits himself admirably in a different persona. You'll also see a very young Peter Lawford as one of the kids, this was one of his earliest films.

The finale takes place aboard the new Cunard liner the Queen Mary. All in all Lord Jeff is a fine family film from MGM.