De pilletes a cadetes

On Dress Parade (1939)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Slip Duncan (Leo Gorcey) is a street-tough kid from New York who does what he wants when he wants. The father he never knew had a dying wish that he go to military school and he's eventually tricked into going. Once there he keeps his rebel ways until it nearly costs someone their life.

ON DRESS PARADE was the seventh and final film in The Dead End Kids series. If you've seen the previous entries then you should know that the tone to these films were a lot darker than future version of the kids under The East Side Kids and The Bowery Boys. While this entry isn't the greatest film in the world it's at least entertaining enough for fans.

I will start off with the biggest flaw and that's the fact that there's really nothing shocking or too uncommon. In other words, all of the films followed the same basic formula so once the movie gets going you'll know exactly where it's going. Slip is a jerk to everyone, something bad happens and then he changes his way. There are some good moments scattered throughout including the fact that Slip gets pushed around quite a bit.

Gorcey certainly deserves a lot of credit here as he delivers a nice performance and there's no doubt that he was perfect at playing this type of obnoxious jerk. The supporting cast includes nice turns by Gabriel Dell, Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan, John Litel and Billy Halop among others. The direction is good enough to keep the 61 minute running time running smoothly and there are a couple nice laughs to go along with the drama.

As Donald Douglas lays dying, he asks WWI buddy John Litel to succor his delinquent son, Leo Gorcey. As Litel is the commanding officer of a military academy, he grabs Gorcey and takes him to the academy, where the other members of the Dead End Kids are cadets.

The last of seven movies featuring the Dead End Kids is basically a remake of Boy's Town, with Litel as Spencer Tracy and Gorcey as Mickey Rooney. With Bryan Foy the producer, you know you're deep in B territory, and while the time passes without boredom, it doesn't offer much more.

After this, the troupe of young men went various ways, into two successor groups. After the War, Gorcey and Huntz Hall were the two leaders in a long-running B series for Monogram, "the Bowery Boys", which played for decades on television, and about which director William Beaudine said "There's someone waiting for this c**p?"

Of the more than 60 + Dead End Kids to Bowery Boys movies I've soldiered through this is by far the worst. The drama is flat and violin filled. It's unfunny and tedious. It's basically a pro-military propaganda movie and a bad one at that.

I've even watched the four hour long movie serials and as bad as they are I'd watch them all over again rather than watch this one hour mess.

I've got to repeat the first paragraph to meet the required characters of this review Of the more than 60 + Dead End Kids to Bowery Boys movies I've soldiered through this is by far the worst. The drama is flat and violin filled. It's unfunny and tedious. It's basically a pro-military propaganda movie and a bad one at that.

Slip Duncan (Leo Gorcey) is on the path to reform school. His dying father is concerned about his future. With his father's friends and the grandparents, they decide to trick him into military school. Initially, he does not get along with anyone including the other cadets like Cadet Johnny Cabot (Huntz Hall).

This is The Dead End Kids leading their own movie. I'm not sure if I like this movie or not. I don't particularly like the message. Right from the start, Slip is tricked into joining. I don't know if reforming The Dead End Kids with military school is the best option. It is important that Slip learns from a mistake leading to some more compelling life lessons. The rest is simply not that compelling. Also, this is 1939 with war on the horizon. I can see the appeal of being a pro-military movie.

While this is an Dead End Kids film, it's style is quite different. Instead of it consisting of a group of young hoodlums (such as in "Dead End" or "Crime School" or "Angels with Dirty Faces"), the only budding ex-con is played by Leo Gorcey. As for the rest, they are pretty normal...especially Huntz Hall! Oddly, Hall does not play the usual idiot!

The story begins, briefly, during WWI and shows some guys fighting and bonding. Soon it switches to 1939. One of the three friends, Colonel Duncan, has died and his two friends come to pay their respects. Soon they realize the Colonel's son is a real punk in need to discipline and they think a stretch in military school will shape him up. Of course, Slip Duncan (Gorcey) has zero interest in anything other than petty crime, so they have to trick him into agreeing to go to the school. Once there, Slip expects the entire school to change just for him...and he makes a lot of enemies in the process. It gets so bad that they strongly are considering tossing him out of the school. Can Slip get with the program or is he destined for a life of crime and, eventually, prison?

In many ways, this film feels like Warner Brothers is remaking MGM's "Boys Town"...a huge hit from the previous year. Gorcey is essentially playing Mickey Rooney's role...and it pretty much goes the say way.

I was surprised that I liked this film as much as I did...much of it because Gorcey wasn't playing his Bowery Boys character, Slip Mahoney. His character had more depth...and the rest of the gang are more likable...less annoying. Overall, an enjoyable old fashioned film.