Pies inquietos

Surprisingly vigorous programmer showing why Warner Bros. was the blue-collar studio of record. Had the occasional goofy humor and contrived climax been improved this could have been a sleeper. Reagan is lively and likable as the quick thinking ex-farmer-- no wooden soldier here. Whorf and Sheridan are appropriately intense, helping to inject a gritty feel. Reagan's friendship with Whorf is more interesting than the predictable romance with Sheridan. Whorf, an opportunist, splits from his hoboing buddy by siding with the crooked wholesaler (Lockhart) because he sees a lucrative future with a powerful employer. Reagan, on the other hand, is an idealist, willing to risk his future to help the victimized farmer (Tobias). In my book, the dynamic between them makes up the movie's core because it often presents a real-life choice.

A number of nice touches. The bar scenes are atmospheric and staffed beyond programmer expectation. In fact, the settings as a whole from the hobo jungle to the honky-tonk street show genuine care—note even the "Madden" labels in the background of Madden's (Lockhart's) office. I suspect that producer Hal Wallis, a leading Hollywood producer, had a lot to do with this level of detail for what amounts to a very unglamorous production. Note too how the wholesalers collude to cheat the farmers. I expect that resonated with audiences still recovering from the Great Depression. All in all, the movie's much better than its rather misleading title suggests. (In passing—note presence of voluptuous Faye Emerson {Murph} who later achieved New York celebrity by marrying one of the Roosevelt sons and scandalizing early TV with a series of plunging neckline guest-show appearances. Also, for uncompromisingly fierce look at trucking and wholesalers, catch noir classic Thieves' Highway {1949}).

While similar in plot to _They Drive by Night (1940)_ (qv), Juke Girl stands on its own as an enjoyable movie, thanks primarily to its lead actors.

As in their previous films together, _The Angels Wash Their Faces (1939)_ (qv) and _Kings Row (1942)_ (qv), Ronald Reagan (qv) and the wonderful Ann Sheridan (qv) make a nice film couple. Heck, in a perfect world Ann Sheridan would have been First Lady, but that's another story.

Good acting, good characters, and a good story. Toss in a quick song by Miss Sheridan and you have the makings of a pretty good movie. Enjoy.

Randy D wrote an excellent review, saying just about everything that needed saying.

But I want to add a note about Betty Brewer. First, what a personality! Her life seems to have been tragic. Details are shrouded in some mystery, but whenever she pops up in a film, if she doesn't steal the whole movie, she at least sure steals the scenes she's in.

That's why I wish she had made more, and I wish she had stayed active into her adulthood.

The other actors in this enjoyable film mostly did very well for themselves, and for us.

The Reagan-Sheridan team always works magic; Richard Whorf is another of those actors who should have attained more "household-name" status, but he stayed busy in films and television a long time, including directing, apparently right up until his untimely death.

There was a long list of great Warner Brothers actors, including Alan Hale, and others, such as Willie Best, who might not be known as of a particular studio.

Howard da Silva played a bad guy, and every time I see him, I just marvel at his range. His Benjamin Franklin in the movie "1776" was just about perfect.

Ronald Reagan doesn't get much of a break from critics, but in "Juke Girl" he was great. He looked good and his acting was right on.

Ann Sheridan probably could do no wrong.

Together, the actors and the story -- although some of the dialog could have used some work -- create a very good movie.

Steve (Ronald Reagan) and Danny (Richard Whorf) are friends who are out of work. When they arrive at a crappy town in Florida, both move in different directions. Danny turns out to be a rather amoral guy and sees that his best bet is working for the local strong-man, Madden (Gene Lockhart). Steve doesn't understand this, as Madden is underhanded and treats the local farmers like dirt. One farmer in particular, Nick (George Tobias), has gotten on Madden's bad side and Madden has decided to ruin him. Can nice-guy Nick manage to defeat Madden and his forces of evil? And, can Steve manage to win the heart of a local juke-girl (a lady who works in a bar and whose job it is to dance with customers and get them to drink)?

This is an interesting film because in many ways it's like a 1940s western...yes, western. While there are no cowboys, the idea of a local boss-man ruining people and using his gang of thugs is very, very common in westerns. It's also interesting to see Reagan playing such a populist sort of role, though it was very much in line with the Reagan of the 1940s (a union man through and through).

So is it any good? Well, for the first 90% of the film, I'd say yes. However, the ending has quite a few problems. Seeing the town inexplicably turn into a lynch mob made little sense--especially when one of Madden's goons is clearly egging them to action. Additionally, Madden's behavior at the very end made little sense--he was evil through all the film--so why would he suddenly do the right thing?! All I know is that it's frustrating to see a good film that folds up at the end of the movie. Worth seeing but it should have been better.

Don't let the opening credits mislead you. The design of the credits and the corny music may mislead you into thinking this is going to be a second-rate comedy. It's actually a fairly effective melodrama, with a good cast, solid visual elements, and a decent script full of memorable lines.

The story focuses on two migrant laborers who are following the crop season in Florida and hoping for work. Their rough-and-tumble encounter with the local "boss" (Gene Lockhart, who makes a great villain although I always think of him as Bob Cratchit) breaks up their friendship, and emphasizes the tension between the boss and the farmers who depend on him for money. Reagan's attempts to help a troubled farmer just make Lockhart angrier, leading to escalating violence. Of course, in the meantime, a romance is blooming between Reagan and a local "juke girl" (Sheridan). He wants to settle down, but she's not ready.

Nicely choreographed action sequences, snappy dialog, and memorable major and minor characters make this WB feature worth seeking out.