Million Dollar Kid

After Leo Gorcey (as Muggs McGinnis) laments the rise of muggings in the city, "The East Side Kids" admit Al Stone (as Herbie), a cousin of Huntz Hall (as Glimpy McClosky), into the club. They join mates William "Billy" Benedict (as Skinny), David "Dave" Durand (as Dave aka Danny), Bobby Stone (as Rocky), Jimmy Strand (as Lou aka Pinkie), and Buddy "Bud" Gorman (as Stinkie aka Slug) to save millionaire Herbert Hayes (as John H. Cortland) from a mugging.

Befriending the grateful Mr. Hayes, Gorcey and the Kids discover the wealthy man's young son is a closeted juvenile delinquent. For kicks, Johnny Duncan (as Roy Cortland) aka the "Million Dollar Kid" hangs out in pool halls with derelicts like Gabriel Dell (as Lefty). Moreover, young Duncan's pretty sister, Louise Currie (as Louise Cortland), may be engaged to a gangster. Out of respect and admiration for the older millionaire, Gorcey and pals decide they must reform young Duncan, and investigate his sister's French fiancé.

This one is predictable, but fun. The subtle, satirical humor works very well - it starts with Gorcey quizzing club applicant "Herbie" about his age (obviously more than two times 14 years old) and reaches a peak as Gorcey has a great "bit" with his (real) father, playing a short messenger with a chip on his shoulder. It's also nice to see Duncan featured; he becomes an official "East Side Kid" herein, and will play "Robin" in the 1949 "Batman" series.

***** Million Dollar Kid (2/18/44) Wallace Fox ~ Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Johnny Duncan, Herbert Heyes

MILLION DOLLAR KID (Monogram, 1944), a Banner Production under direction by Wallace Fox, marks the 16th installment of the "East Side Kids" franchise. After a couple of previous solid comedies, namely CLANCY STREET BOYS (1943), MILLION DOLLAR KID reverts back to a mix dose of comedy/melodrama, with some improvement to hold interest through much of its 65 minutes.

The story opens with Muggs Maginnis (Leo Gorcey), president of the East Side Kids club, including Glimpy McGlosky (Huntz Hall), David Durand (Danny in credits, called Dave in story), Jimmy Strand (Pinky), Bobby Stone (Rocky), Buddy Gorman (Stinky), and Billy Benedict (Skinny), reading a newspaper article involving a series of muggings taking place in their neighborhood. Before deputizing the gang to hold watch on the street corners, Muggs makes the acquaintance of Herbie (Al Stone), Glimpy's cousin, who happens to be just as goofy as Glimpy. Later that evening, a mugging is taking place. Witnessed by East Side Kids, they run to the alley to assist John H. Cortland (Herbert Heyes), a millionaire on his way to the drugstore while his limousine is being serviced by his chauffeur. After Courtland departs, his pocketbook is found, having the boys accused of the muggings by a policeman and escorted to the station. After Captain Mathews (Noah Berry) notifies the owner of the pocketbook, Cortland arrives where he speaks on behalf of the boys, insisting they are not the ones who held him up. Grateful for their help, Cortland shows his appreciation by having Muggs and his boys come to his mansion on Sutton Place where he rewards them access to his indoor gymnasium belonging to his elder son, John Jr., now a flier in the service. During the course of the story, Cortland, very fond of the boys, introduces them to his charming daughter, Louise (Louise Currie), engaged to a Frenchman, Lieutenant Andre DuPrey (Stanley Brown), and his younger son, Roy (Johnny Duncan). Muggs, however, not only suspects Roy might be connected with the muggers giving his neighborhood a bad name, but DuPrey not the man he pretends to be. Supporting players include Mary Gordon and Patsy Moran playing the mothers of Muggs and Glimpy who help out as cook and maid at Louise's engagement party after their servant, Spevin (Robert Greig) is dismissed; with Iris Adrian (Mazie Dunbar, performer at the Zig Zag Club); Pat Costello (Spike) and Gabriel Dell (Lefty). Look quickly for Leo's father, Bernard Gorcey in cameo playing a Western Union Man doing a comedy gig with Muggs reminiscent to the comedy routine famously performed by the team of Abbott and Costello.

What makes MILLION DOLLAR KID enjoyable is showing the East Side Kids as concerned city boys acting as guardian angels to victims of crime, and the natural bonding between opposites as the East Side Kids and the rich man and how they become involved in each other's personal lives. This is another installment where Gabriel Dell can play an East Side Kid member in one film, a rival in another. This time he plays a gang leader spending time observing the streets with his partner (Pat Costello) from the poolhall. Though the story of straightening out a wayward rich boy gone wrong may seem overly familiar, the writers of the story give this a feel of originality. With some few laughs inserted into the dramatic elements, be sure not to miss out on the climatic finish.

Available on DVD, MILLION DOLLAR KID, which has had some cable television broadcasts, namely Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: September 14, 2004) and MGM Plus, are often shown in shorter prints missing the opening few minutes of the story. Next installment: FOLLOW THE LEADER (1944). (**1/2)

This is easily among the better of the many features starring the East Side Kids. It has an interesting story that includes some thoughtful moments in addition to the broad humor. It also has plenty of the group's spontaneous horsing around, and it includes a funny (and all too brief) scene between Leo Gorcey as Muggs and his father Bernard as a messenger.

The story has Muggs, Glimpy, and the rest of the crew saving a rich man from a mugging, befriending him, and then trying to protect him and his family from a variety of criminals and impostors. It works surprisingly well, even most of the more serious moments. Gorcey's style is effective in this kind of story, because he keeps his character's hardened edge even when he is doing something good, thereby usually making him more believable.

The main emphasis is still, of course, the raucous comedy, and the gang gets some good moments at the expense of all of the other characters at one time or another. It's a good movie, and it's probably one of the entries in the series most worth seeing.

One of the milder Kids cut-ups from that generally hilarious series. There're still chuckles aplenty from the trademark fractured grammar to the slappy roughhousing. As usual, Gorcey and Hall shine in their comical roles, though Hall trades more slams with Herbie (Stone) than with Gorcey-- Stone acting and looking like goofus Curley from The Three Stooges. My favorite part is with the brassy, blonde Iris Adrian as cheap floozie Mazie. She's a perfect female counterpart to the crack-up boys. I wish they had more scenes together, the comedic potential is certainly there.

Still, there's more serious plotting to the story than the usual comedic throw-aways. Unfortunately, however, the serious side doesn't always blend well with the usual nonsense humor. Still, the non-comedic side is understandable since 1943 was war time, so things had to serious up a bit. Note the close relationship between the wealthy, non-comical Cortland family and the comical poor-boy East-siders. That's likely a touch of needed class solidarity during those trying times when such was needed. At the same time, I expect that also accounts for the Kids becoming self-proclaimed 'do-gooders', a departure from their usual 'just a bunch of tough guys' behavior. That too's understandable given the overall need for not only class solidarity but national solidarity, as well. However, these serious sides don't always complement the kind of throw-away humor that elevated the series to sheer escapist entertainment.

Despite this sober side, fans can't help but be amused by the priceless lunacy of stars Hall and Gorcey-- always a sure bet. So, catch it up anyway. (In passing-- I couldn't help noticing a surprising resemblance between actor Durand (Dave), a striped sweater gang member, and a young Marlon Brando. See what you think.)

In this East Side Kids entry, the gang help keep a wealthy man from being mugged and get use of his gym as the reward. They find out he has two sons and a daughter, all grown. One of those sons is in service, the daughter is supposedly engaged to someone also like that, and another of the sons is...Don't want to reveal too much here. Let's just say some reforming is warranted. Among returning players are Noah Beery Sr.-previously in Clancy Street Boys-playing a police captain and Pat Costello-Lou's brother, previously in Bowery Blitzkrieg-as one of the lowlifes. I liked this one very much especially when someone like Iris Adrian is featured. So on that note, Million Dollar Kid is well worth seeing. P.S. This was the first of the series not to feature Bobby Jordan, who was drafted, or Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison, who eventually left show business after one more film appearance. I'll mention what happened to him after I review that movie-Greenwich Village-in a few days...