Young Dynamite

David Sharpe has just joined the State Police, and younger brother Frankie Darro and sister Charlotte Henry are celebrating at breakfast, with Charlotte's fiance and fellow State Policeman, Kane Richmond. Frankie wants to be a State Policeman too, so when Richmond and Kane are called out to investigate a double murder, Frankie goes along. It turns out to involve a trigger-happy goon and forty thousand dollar's worth of illegal gold, and leads to Willy Costello, a man who owns a gold refinery.

It's one of ten movies that Maurice Conn produced from Peter B. Kyne movies from 1935 through 1937. They all starred Frankie Darro. They also were distributed through States Rights, which meant they were produced on the cheap, with people who used to be stars, but were now happy to get a regular paycheck. That certainly describes ex-child stars Darro and Henry.

Darro was born in 1917 and first appeared on the movie screen in 1924. As he aged out of juveniles, he played uncredited bits and even did stuntwork -- apparently he was the man in the Robbie the Robot suit in FORBIDDEN PLANET. He kept working at whatever he could get through more than 150 appearances in features and about 50 television roles, with time out to serve in the Navy as a pharmacist's mate during the Second World War. He worked throughout his life, and died on Christmas, 1976.

Frankie Darro stars in this poverty row feature about a young man who lives with his brother David Sharpe a California State Trooper, Sharpe's wife Charlotte Henry and another trooper Kane Richmond. There's also another boarder Frank Austin a cranky old dude in a wheelchair.

The Chips are out for someone selling illegal gold. This was a timely topic as FDR had just taken the USA off the gold standard and it was illegal to possess it in quantity.

Darro along with his brother answer a call of a robbery and the brother is killed and Darro narrowly escaping with stolen gold. Darro and Richmond are after the thieves and the murderer of Sharpe.

The direction is pedestrian, the plot is just silly and the coincidences too much to believe. Not to mention the editing is positively out of whack.

Where are Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox when we need them?

A good little programmer with a likable cast, just under an hour long. Enjpyable films, for me, are about people I would like to have as friends, and these "second features" seldom disappoint. Frankie Darro's character is very admirable, Charlotte Henry is demure as always, and the bad guys are true to form -- one even wearing a black shirt and white tie! I enjoyed looking at the old cars, old radios, and getting a glimpse of Southern California as it was many years ago. One could say that about most old movies; even so, this one was very nice for a Sunday afternoon. The film's values are sound and the acting is convincing. Charlotte Henry's name will live as long as there are W.C. Fields fans (she has the title role in "Alice in Wonderland"; he plays Humpty Dumpty!) and Laurel & Hardy enthusiasts (she can be seen every Christmas in "March of the Wooden Soldiers"), and it's fun to recognize her in these little low-budget films as well.