Kid Dynamite

I've seen about a dozen Bowery Boys/East Side Kids films and would have to say that this one is the most difficult of them to watch for me--mostly because the usually pugnacious Muggs is so downright hateful in this one. Normally, he's a blustering jerk---but here he repeatedly goes over the top and made me want the other members of the club to work him over with a tire iron! The writing really was bad in this one and the made Muggs about as likable as Tojo!

When the film begins, Muggs is refusing to pay a guy on a bet made fair and square. Later, some gamblers kidnap Muggs so he can't fight in the city boxing championship---and Danny (Bobby Jordan) is forced to fight instead. Danny unexpectedly wins and after Muggs is released by the gamblers, Muggs treats Danny like dirt--blaming him for the kidnapping even though it's soon proved Danny had nothing to do with it. Then, repeatedly throughout the film, Danny is treated like dirt by Muggs and none of the gang does anything but follow Muggs' lead. When Danny wins a dance contest, Muggs steals the money. When Danny joins the army because of the war, Muggs throws him out of the gang and badmouths him. Eventually, Danny has enough and beats the stuffing out of Muggs....but it sure took a long, long time until this happened...too long.

As I said, usually Muggs is pugnacious and a bit of a jerk--I expected that. But here he simply is a boorish little crook that needs his skull beaten in...and that's a sign of bad writing. Rule number one in writing a screenplay should be to make your characters likable or at least not Satan (unless, of course, your film is about Satan!).

"East Side" boxing star "Mr. Dynamite" Leo Gorcey (as Ethelbert "Muggs" McGinnis) is kidnapped by thugs, in order to throw a championship fight to New York City's rival "West Side". But fellow "East Side Kid" Bobby Jordan (as Danny Lyons) takes Mr. Gorcey's place, and wins the fight. Gorcey is convinced Mr. Jordan, who is dating his sister, had him waylaid on purpose. To make matters worse, Jordan wins a TKO over Gorcey in "The East Side Amateur Jitterbug Contest", with pretty partner Pamela Blake (as Ivy McGinnis).

This is a poorly scripted entry in "The East Side Kids" series. Gorcey's "Muggs" veers too far away from his established character; especially, in the way he treats Jordan's "Danny"; yet, Gorcey and Jordan perform the roles well enough to make it work. The jitterbugging contest, with Huntz Hall (as Glimpy McGleavey) and his TALL partner, is a highlight. To beef up the team, Benny Bartlett (as Bennie Miller) and David Durand (as Joe "Skinny" Collins) join returning Ernest Morrison (as Scruno Jackson) and Bobby Stone (as Harold "Stoney" Stone). The film ends on a patriotic note.

***** Kid Dynamite (2/5/43) Wallace Fox ~ Bobby Jordan, Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall

In this wartime (1943) East Side Kids picture, Muggs McGinnis (Leo Gorcey), East Side boxing champion, is scheduled to meet the West Side kingpin in the ring for the City title, but is kidnapped by several thugs just before the bout, resulting in Muggs' friend and fellow gang member, Danny Lyons (Bobby Jordan) replacing him and defeating the West Sider, only to have Muggs believe that Danny was responsible for the abduction in order to achieve glory. The film is marked by the clever ad libbing skills of the entourage which, while at times intentionally corny, help to propel the story rapidly along and the customary East Side mixture of boxers, gangsters, and patriotic propaganda is leavened with a dash of romance and a funny jitterbug contest featuring big band singer/comedienne Marion Miller, all competently directed by Wallace Fox.

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.

KID DYNAMITE (Monogram, 1943), directed by Wallace Fox, marks the 12th installment to "The East Side Kids" series starring Leo Gorcey (Muggs), Huntz Hall (Glimpy) and Bobby Jordan (Danny). The format returns with its boxing theme, which was used earlier in BOWERY BLITZKREIG (1941) and would be used again in another installment later on. With series regulars as Sunshine Sammy Morrison ("Scruno"); David Durand (Joe "Skinny" Collins); Bobby Stone (Harry "Stony" Stone) and Bennie Bartlett (Benny "Beanie" Miller) in support; Gabriel Dell makes his fourth appearance in the series, all playing different characters. Though this particular series proved popular with audiences, they were never consistent from one film to the next. With Leo Gorcey's character starting off as having no family, he now has a mother and a sister; and Bobby Jordan last name is now Lyons. While the formula could have stood well enough as an individual film, inconsistencies would resume to its concluding segment by 1945.

Based on the Saturday Evening Post story "The Old Gang" by Paul Ernst, and following the usual visual opening of New York City's east side, the plot summary opens with Muggs Maginnis (Leo Gorcey) preparing himself for the upcoming boxing match with Hank Johnson from the West Side, with Glimpy (Huntz Hall) as his manager. Mugg's best pal, Danny Lyons (Bobby Jordan) rehearses for the jitterbug dancing contest with his sister, Ivy (Pamela Blake). After winning a pool game with Harry Wyckoff (Gabriel Dell), and Muggs refusing to pay the $5 bet, Wyckoff arranges to have Muggs kidnapped the night of the boxing match. With Muggs not at the arena, the gang substitutes Danny in his place. Winning the championship and the belt prize, Muggs, now released, accuses Danny of hiring the thugs so he can claim the prize for himself. No longer a member of he East Side Kids, with Danny now working in a garage for Louis Gendick's (Henry Hall), which happens to be the job Muggs wanted, problems persist between these boys, the final straw when Danny forms a romantic interest with Ivy.

Others cast members include: Vince Barnett (Mr. Klinkhammer); Charles Judels (Nick); Minerva Urecal (The Lady Judge); Margaret Padula (Mrs. Lyons) and Dudley Dickerson (Milky, Scruno's Father). For the jitterbug dance segment, music is provided by Mike Riley and his Orchestra, with Marion Miller singing "Coming Through the Rye."

As usual, Leo Gorcey's Muggs character is both arrogant and a sore loser, which makes him quite unpopular with the gang and those around him. Bobby Jordan's Danny is loyal to his pal, but becomes a disappointment for Ivy when Danny does not stand up for himself. Huntz Hall gets one funny scene at the jitterbug dance accompanied by a giant girlfriend. Though there have been different actresses playing Muggs mother, ranging from Martha Wentworth to Mary Gordon, Daphne Pollard seems to be the logical choice which makes one wish she resumed her part for the duration of the series. Hence its title, KID DYNAMITE is not pure boxing story, but a fine mix of drama, humor and a touch of sentiment. It somewhat improves over some earlier installments, making this a passable item.

Available on both video cassette and DVD format, KID DYNAMITE did play on some cable channels over the years, especially Turner Classic Movies since 2004. Next installment: CLANCY STREET BOYS (1943) a pure comedy item where Huntz Hall steals every scene he's in. (**1/2)