The Devil Is a Sissy

The Devil Is a Sissy may have a really silly title, but it's a triple threat: Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper, and Mickey Rooney are the three leads in this surprising drama. All three child stars in one movie! You'd think it would be the most adorable movie ever made, but it's actually a really tragic drama that gives all three of the boys a chance to show off their acting chops.

Freddie takes the lead, as a product of divorce. He spends six months with each parent, and his dad Ian Hunter lives in a poor area of New York City. Sent to public school with a bunch of young hoodlums, Freddie desperately wants to make friends and be accepted. Because of his cultured accent and his naiveté, everyone picks on him, but his optimism is infectious and he continues to try to hang out with the cool kids. The leader of the "cool" gang is teen-heartthrob-in-the-making Jackie Cooper, the oldest of the bunch. As fresh as Freddie is, Jackie is experienced. He's so relaxed in front of the camera, it's as if he's been acting for thirty years, and his confidence is startling. Mickey Rooney is the second-in-command, and he propels the plot in his quest to buy a glorious tombstone for his father, who was given the death penalty at the start of the film.

They each have their sorrows and struggles. Freddie comes from a broken home and compromises his morals in order to make friends with punks. Jackie is regularly beaten by his father, Gene Lockhart, and he shows the audience the heartbreaking road of a child turning to crime. Mickey not only has to bear the burden of his father's death, but he sees his mother dating again and knows there's nothing he can do to stop it. There's a particularly powerful scene in which Mickey brags to Jackie how many volts of electricity it took to kill his father. He's proud, but also sickened, and the audience gets a harsh look at the wrong side of the tracks.

You've got to see this movie. It's always a marvel to see talented child actors, and with all three of the 1930s darlings, you can't afford to miss The Devil Is a Sissy. It's pretty dark, so be prepared. But since everyone gives such great performances, it's worth it. You'd never guess from watching Gene Lockhart in Christmas movies that he'd be able to play someone so terribly evil!

Bartholomew and Rooney teamed for five films at MGM. Usually either Bart would be sent to an American school where he would get beat up for being British, or Rooney would be sent to a British school where he would get beat up for being an American. Or some combination thereof. This is one where Bart gets sent to America...and gets beat up, but fights back. All in all it is the best of the bunch because Rooney and Bart and Jackie Cooper make a terrific trio. Much of this film reminded me of "The Outsiders" except for its syrupy last three minutes. The movie opens by telling us that Rooney's father is about to be executed. We are showed the effects this has upon Rooney and Rooney's mother. We never see Rooney's dad in the film, nor the execution, but we witness Rooney's face as he hears his mother scream when the clock strikes midnight at the minute of execution. Rooney still loves his father and his only goal is to buy his father a tombstone. This is contrasted with the leader of the trio, Jackie Cooper who is physically abused by his father, and Freddie Bartholomew who has a poor loving caring father divorced to his rich distant mother. The three try to survive for the moment on the streets of New York.

This movie is rather entertaining although some parts seem a little off-the-wall. For instance, there is one scene in the film where the three friends go to visit one of the boys hip, young aunt living in a pent house and she does cartwheels over to the piano and the four start singing. Other than odd instances, this movie is very good for any era.

Claude Pierce (Freddie Bartholomew) is a rich boy with a poor father. Unlike most Bartholomew movies, he goes to live with his father in the slums gladly; it is his mother that hates the idea. However, Claude is excited to meet new friends, and he tries his hardest to win over classmates Buck Murphy (Jackie Cooper) and Gig Stevens (Mickey Rooney). These are the direct opposite of society children; Gig's father has just been sent to the electric chair for murder, and Gig idolizes him. However, the trouble they get into is typical of boys their age, and at heart, they're good people. Claude's father is banking on this and knows that his son's association with these types of boys will help him build character. It certainly does.

I have been dying to see this movie for years because of the excellent cast. Each boy lives up to my expectations. Bartholomew is charming as always. Rooney is a powerhouse, which was also expected. In Cooper's autobiography, he complains that Rooney stole the show from him, but Cooper's fans will not be disappointed. His part did not allow for a super-memorable performance. I believed the plot was going to be more impactful, similar to Boys Town. This isn't a movie you're going to learn any lessons from that you haven't learned before, and no scene stands out over another as more memorable. It is simply an enjoyable movie with a great cast, nothing more and nothing less.

Three little tough guys learn the value of friendship & loyalty, during family crises and troubles with the law.

While overlong & predictable, THE DEVIL IS A SISSY is the only chance to see all three of MGM's little 1930's princes in one film. Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper & Mickey Rooney (12, 14 and 15 respectively when the film was released) are a great deal of fun to watch & make a terrific cinematic trio.

At this point, they were all at different stages in their careers. Jackie's heyday as a child star - including a stint with Hal Roach's celebrated OUR GANG - was in the past. Freddie was in the very midst of his intense, brief major stardom. And Mickey was exhibiting glimpses of the talent that in a few years would make him the biggest star in Hollywood.

Although a ‘youth picture' in every way, there are several good performances from a small crowd of adults, most notably Englishman Ian Hunter, as Freddie's sincere, honest father. Also appearing to advantage in smaller parts are Kathleen Alexander as Freddie's emotional mother; Gene & Kathleen Lockhart as Jackie's stern parents; and Peggy Conklin as Mickey's free-spirited aunt. Little Etienne Girardot appears as a fierce school principal, as does Jonathan Hale playing a sympathetic judge and Grant Mitchell as a serious suitor to Mickey's mom.

Harold Huber, Stanley Fields & Frank Puglia are a gang of brutal thugs who run afoul of the three youngsters, while Hattie McDaniel's older sister, Etta, makes the most of her one scene as Miss Conklin's maid.

That's an unbilled Dorothy Peterson doing a fine job as Mickey's mother. Movie mavens should recognize Christian Rub as a funerary stone mason; Ian Wolfe as a pawnbroker; and George Davis as a French diner owner - all uncredited.

The good production values bestowed by MGM are also a great asset to the film, particularly in the neighborhood scenes.