If you are not familiar with the Mickey McGuire two reelers, their biggest claim to fame is they were the first cinematic showcase that displayed to the world the talent of young Joe Yule Jr. or as he is known today, Mickey Rooney. Mickey McGuire films were probably the best competition going against Hal Roach's "Our Gang" which preceded Mickey McGuire by several years. Although the general theme of mostly exaggerated wacky adventures carried out by young street urchins in the surroundings of 1920's-30's urban squalor is about the same in both series, the similarities end there. "Our Gang" kids mostly all shared the limelight as more of a community of kids, and although some kids in the Gang stood out more than others, the character of Mickey McGuire simply contained so much talent that he naturally shone out above the rest of cast. Having one character, playing the "king of the kids" as a focal point, and the regular appearance of Stinkey Davis, a mean, spoiled rich kid as a foil to McGuire, set this series of over 70 shorts apart.
Mickey's Touchdown is one of the best of these short comedies, and is all about that great sport, the game of football. Although "Touchdown" is not the only McGuire short to focus on the subject of gridiron competition is it the only one where USC Coach Howard Jones steps in to give Mickey and his Scorpions some timely advice about the game. Mickey's ever-present nemesis, Stinkey Davis hears about this of course and cooks up a plan to help his team win...meaning he cheats as usual. What Touchdown lacks in gimmickry (although it has some of that too) it makes up for in a story that starts out with some great laffs, progresses very well to it's critical point and ends with a exciting climax.
