Shantytown

Many film-making refugees from Nazi Germany found employment at Republic (as writers, associate producers and set/art) during the early-40's, and most of the B-features they worked on at Republic reflect themes and styles not normally associated with Republic's usual-lively B-features. Bordering on plumb depressing at times. Like this one.

Elizabeth "Liz" Gorty (Mary Lee) lives with her mother (Anne Revere) and stepfather (J. Frank Hamilton)in a ramshackle boarding house in "Shantytown" on the "wrong side of the tracks." Bill Allen (John Archer)and his wife Virginia (Marjorie Lord) rent a room from the Gorty's and "Liz", always a tomboy, resolves to become a lady like Virginia, who is expecting a baby. Bill is a fugitive from the law because he was innocently involved in a crime pulled off by the "Ace" Landers (Noel Madison) gang. Landers locates Bill and the latter is forced to drive a get-away car in a bank robbery. The gang is caught but Bill escapes. Meanwhile, Virginia is ill and is attended by kindly old "Doc" Herndon (Harry Davenport.) "Liz" manages to get on an amateur-hour broadcast, sings "On The Corner of Sunshine and Main" and "It Had To Be You", accompanied by Marty Malneck and his Orchestra , and she tosses in a plea for Bill to come home.

No matter what hovel they were hiding in or how hunted they were, film fugitives always have a radio handy and tuned to the Amateur Hour. Bill was no exception.

The film grabbed me from the very start and thoroughly entertained me til the very end. Completely cute movie. It'll make you laugh, it'll make you smile. It gives one surprise after the other. Dialog is so snappy. Mary Lee is immensely talented as an actress and singer.