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

The East Side Kids, now sans Sunshine Sammy Morrison and Bobby Jordan but with Huntz Hall and Billy Benedict, rescue a rich passerby (Herbert Heyes, later to play Mr. Gimble in Miracle on 34th Street) from a mugger. The grateful tycoon invites the boys over to his pad, where a fully equipped gymnasium awaits them. There are subplots involving Heyes ne'e'r do well son (Johnny Duncan, a few years before playing Robin in the Columbia serial Batman and Robin )and his feisty daughter (Louise Currie). The otherwise unknown Al Stone delivers an amusing one-off performance as cousin Herbie, an erstwhile East Side Kid whose relationship with Muggs and Glimpy is somewhat convoluted. One of the wittier series entries.

They should have been called the Bowery Boys in my opinion. This film takes place during World War II in New York City and doesn't forget that there is a war going on the world at the time. Leo Gorcey plays Malone, the leader of the East Side Boys who live in the Bowery which was the poor side of Manhattan. In this film episode, the East Side Boys help a millionaire when he is attacked by thieves. The East Side Boys save the day and the millionaire's gratitude is quite generous. He invites the boys to his wealthy home and introduces him to the pretty young lady who is engaged to a questionable foreigner and his son who lives at home. The millionaire's other son is off in the war. There is a party and the boys help out. This film was cute for it's time period and doesn't shy away but also entertaining with some laughs along the way.

This installment of the East Side Kids finds the gang very much reformed and even, dare I say it, kind of sweet! Early in the episode, the gang see an old guy getting mugged...and they save the guy. Given the gang's reputation, the police immediately think THEY mugged the guy but the man speaks up for them. In fact, he's quite rich and invites them to use his gymnasium any time they want! The man seems great...and that's why things get tough later in the show. The gang realizes that one of the muggers was actually the man's own son!! But, learning that his oldest son was just killed in the war, Muggs and the rest conspire to not only reform the young man but beat the tar out of his 'associates'! Yes, the East Side Kids are, in effect, social workers!!

This is an enjoyable installment--one of the better ones in the series. I think most of this is because too often, Muggs was a complete jerk but here he's more likable and less jerkish! A definite improvement and an interesting story. My only real complaint are that a few of the 'kids' are really, really old...especially Herbie...who was really about 35 and supposed to be a teen!!!

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)