My Son Is Guilty

It's Hell's Kitchen. Tim Kerry (Harry Carey) is an honest cop trying to do good in the neighborhood while watching out for the bad apples. His son Ritzy (Bruce Cabot) is getting released after two years in prison. It's hard to stay on the straight and narrow.

This story would be more compelling if Ritzy is younger. He's in his mid-30's. He is who he is by this point. If he's a twenty year old, he would have his whole future ahead of him. It would be a more dire struggle to save the boy. As it is, I'm surprised that he is still coming home to his pop. I'm just not that into him and I stop caring about his drama. There is an early twenty-something Glenn Ford. He would be a better Ritzy.

I have had fun reviewing a number of films here at IMDb and I try to stay consistent in what I look for or take note of in evaluating a picture. I find that reviewing a film adds a deeper appreciation for the film. I enjoy all motion pictures, from the finer tried and true greats and classics to lesser ones, including B-pictures like "My Son Is Guilty." I rarely bother to offer thoughts on the great films, or even most of the class-A features, as usually many --if not dozens-- of reviews have already been offered on them.

My overall enjoyment from viewing a film is what I am looking for when evaluating, or reviewing, a film. It really comes down to assigning a value as to how much I "enjoyed" the viewing. Yes, I may expect just a little more (or maybe considerably more) polish and sophistication from a big studio, high-budget picture with valued star players than I do from a smaller B-picture, but as far as enjoyment is concerned, I can get just about as much enjoyment from a B-picture as I can from an A-picture.

"My Son Is Guilty" is a good case in point. Sure, it is obvious from the production values and editing that it was made on a lower budget, but I absolutely and thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated this little film. I loved the sets and the players and the economical pacing. The story was indeed fanciful, what with Harry Carey being so singularly naive, but it is easy to get wrapped up in the program and all the disruption and reactions that the return to town of the bad son engendered. Bruce Cabot played the unredeemable son smoothly and convincingly. Seemingly many raters of this film have given it five stars, and some even fewer, but I happily give it seven because I got a lot of enjoyment from watching it.

Police Officer Tim Kerry (Harry Carey) is a great cop...but he has a huge achilles heel...his son, Ritzy (Bruce Cabot). Ritzy is just no darn good and has just gotten out of prison but Tim thinks his son has seen the light and has changed. In fact, Tim helps Ritzy get a job...a job which he wants so he can help his gang with a robbery! About the only one who can see right through Ritzy is Barney (Glenn Ford)...a childhood acquaintance who knows he'll never change.

The acting is pretty good in this one though the film itself is yet another formulaic B-movie from Columbia. This doesn't mean it's bad...but it's also not particularly good because it's all pretty predictable. One of the few surprises is seeing Glenn Ford in one of his earliest roles (despite one reviewer saying it's Ford's first film, it isn't). The other is the message that cops sometimes just have to ignore civil rights and beat the truth out of suspects!! A decent time-passer that seems to promote occasional police brutality and not a lot more.

From the magic year in films, 1939, except the fairy dust didn't land on this movie.

My Son is Guilty is a B film starring Harry Carey as Tim Kerry, a 61-year-old cop still walking a beat in Hell's Kitchen. It didn't look like Hells Kitchen, and people seemed to walk aimlessly up and down the street.

Kerry's son Ritzy (Bruce Cabot) is released from prison after a two-year stint. He promises his dad he's going straight, but he's lying. One problem might stem from naming him Ritzy.

Ritzy joins a gang planning a heist. Since he's a radio expert, they suggest he talk to his dad about working the police calls at the department so he can delay the all cars notification when the robbery occurs. Most police departments definitely want an ex-con handling this so they hire him.

Twenty-three year old Glenn Ford plays a neighborhood kid in competition with Ritzy for the affections of Julie Bishop.

Despite a fine cast, not a good movie.

Look for Edgar Buchanan in a small role as a bartender.

We know pretty much know from the beginning of this film where it will wind up, since the Hayes code demanded that anyone who kills an innocent victim has to pay the ultimate price. However, there are a few turns and detours along the way that make the movie watchable.

Harry Carey is perfect as a beat cop, who sometimes performs the duty of a full detective (one of the drawback of the film). Bruce Cabot of King Kong fame goes against type as the cop's son who cannot escape his desire to be a big shot. The most interesting part of the film is watching the development of Glenn Ford in a supporting role as an old friend of the son and a rival for the usual love interest in all of these types of films.

There really is not much new here, but this is only one of two films I have ever seen where a father and son come to a very bad end; the other was Taras Bulba.