Streets of New York

I had little hope for the public domain DVD I bought of this little programmer from Monogram...was I wrong and how! Direction, script and photography are all better than you might expect, and Jackie Cooper leads a great cast which includes good parts for fine supporting players of the era...a special note for George Irving as the kindly judge...he had one of the most elegant voices in film and will be forever remembered as Alexander Peabody in Bringing Up Baby.

But the most appealing aspect of this movie is the genuine freshness which the actors bring to the situations, many of which had already become Hollywood clichés. The Christmas party scene with the poor kids at the judge's home is only one of many memorable scenes which make this a way above average "B" picture of the era. The sentimental touches are sincere and you'll be surprised how this fine little movie draws to a strong conclusion!

Jackie Cooper runs a news stand, takes care of four youngsters, and is studying law. He's facing a gang of young hoods who threaten to take his corner away from him. According to them, the only thing stopping them is his older brother, Dick Purcell, a hoodlum Cooper hasn't seen in years, since their mother died.

It's an unfocused second feature directed by WIlliam Nigh that seems to cannibalize the remaining fondness of Jackie Cooper from back when he became the youngest person ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar. Hes given good support from the likes of Marjorie Reynolds and George Irving, but in the end little changes, and it becomes a character study of a young man who simply wants to get through the day and become a lawyer.

In the basement of the building where he grew up on the mean "Streets of New York", teenage law student Jackie Cooper (as James "Jimmy" Michael Keenan) lives with crippled orphan Martin Spellman (as William "Gimpy" McKinley Smith). The little lad is the youngest of Mr. Cooper's newsboy troupe. Cooper runs a newsstand by day while studying law at night. The perseverant and highly ethical young man is known as "The Abe Lincoln of Ninth Avenue" (giving the film a second title).

Cooper and his newsboys must contend with tough-guy rival David Durand (as "Spike" Morgan), who breaks young Spellman's crutches and vows to take over Cooper's beat. A greater threat, ironically, is posed by Cooper's older brother Dick Purcell (as "Tap" Keenan), an elusive and successful businessman gangster who makes headlines in the newspapers Cooper sells. Big brother's criminal ways lead to heartbreak for Cooper, but happiness may be just around the corner...

The story is set during Christmas, which should hint at where events lead. It's all very programmed, but classier than you might be expecting from a low-budget "Monogram" production. A natural, Cooper gives the characterization his usual best. The scene where Cooper gives the reluctant Spellman a rough bath, after ironing in his shorts, is one highlight (the outtakes are classic). George Cleveland (as "Pop" O'Toole) is endearing as a grandfatherly neighbor with a gambling habit.

The other members of Cooper's newsy street gang are Sidney Miller (as "Jiggsy"), Buddy Pepper (as "Flatfoot"), Bobby Stone (as "Beansy"), and William Bucker (as "Sammy"). They seem to be modeled after the "Dead End" kids, and appeared in related films. It's almost impossible not to join in when the lads sing "Silent Night" after Christmas dinner with judge George Irving (as Joe Carroll) and pretty niece Marjorie Reynolds (as Anne). "Sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace."

****** Streets of New York (4/12/39) William Nigh ~ Jackie Cooper, Martin Spellman, George Irving, George Cleveland

"Streets of New York" is not a particularly good film. It has a HUGE dose of schmaltz and the main character seems way too good to be true. However, despite these things and a very low budget, I actually found it to be a decent time-passer.

Jackie Cooper plays Jimmy---a very nice young man growing up in poverty. He is forced to work very hard for a teenager and there are many forces around him pushing him towards a life of crime (such as his gangster brother). Yet, despite all this, he's an amazingly optimistic and caring young man--with a huge heart and a desire to make something of himself. He takes night classes and hopes to one day go to law school. Now he COULD go for free--with his hood brother agreeing to pay all the expenses. However, he doesn't like the strings that are attached to the deal and he's just too decent to consider it.

Throughout the film, Jimmy runs a corner news stand and employs a group of other underprivileged young men to sell papers. The youngest of the group is 'gimpy'--probably one of the more politically incorrect names in 1930s films, as the young boy is disabled and walks with crutches. However, a neighborhood punk keeps threatening Jimmy and his workers. What's to become of this group of nice but desperate youngsters? At times, the film seems a bit heavy-handed and lays on the schmaltz very heavy at times. However, if you can take it, the film is rather sweet and enjoyable. Some may hate the ending, as it's a bit vague and leaves the viewer wondering what's to become of the kids, but I like this actually, as life ISN'T full of answers and I think the viewers can infer what would happen next without it being handed to them. Not a great film by any stretch, but a nice little time-passer.

By the way, if you are wondering why Cooper was playing in such a low-budget film, once Cooper became a young man and was no longer the cute little kid, MGM dropped him like a hot potato. It's a shame, as the guy could still act and you wonder what his career would have been like if they'd kept him under contract. He DID go on to appear in a ton of films and TV shows as an adult, but much of it was from lesser quality studios.

All traces of cuteness had vanished from Jackie Cooper by 1939, which is why he was labouring in the depths of Poverty Row at seventeen years of age. He's actually pretty good in a plotless bore of a movie that must have done his career no favours at all.