Pequeno Petulante

Kind of a combination of two mediocre, sentimental films..."Captains Courageous" and "Boys Town"...which, not surprisingly, results in a third mediocre, sentimental film. Give it a C.

Orphan Geoffrey Braemer (Freddie Bartholomew) pretends to be a young English Lord with his con artist accomplices. After getting caught, he is sent to a mercantile marine boys school run by Captain Briggs (Charles Coburn). Terry O'Mulvaney (Mickey Rooney) is the longtime honor boy.

Mickey Rooney's stardom is rising and would soon overtake Freddie Bartholomew's childstar status. The two actors should switch roles since they fit the other characters better. Freddie is much more the high society straight boy and Mickey is the low class brawler con-man. I can do without all the sailing talk. I don't know anything about any of that. As always, one gets a sense that Mickey holds more interior acting power while Freddie is good at his specific style. This is not the best example of a boys school movie, but it's always great to have these two kids working together.

Freddie Bartholomew played a sophisticated thief who worked with two adult criminals who raised him after his parents' deaths. Because of his sick upbringing, Freddie had no conscience. Despite this, when he was captured by police, he was sent to a training school for orphans, not reform school. However, despite getting a break, Freddie is a jerk and can't help but antagonize his peers--that is until he finally sees the light and turns to the side of goodness and fair play (huzzah).

This film came out the same year as BOYS TOWN and I assume one directly led to the other--as they are essentially the same film with a few changes here and there. Plus, although Mickey Rooney played a different type character, he was in both films--though in LORD JEFF he played a supporting character and Freddie Bartholomew was the lead. Heck, they even had a character in LORD JEFF that was much like Pee Wee, though fortunately, the British version did not have to die to make Freddie see the light! While this is a competent enough film, I was greatly disappointed because Charles Coburn was one of the leading characters BUT he was amazingly conventional. None of his usual pompous but charming persona is present. Apart from that, though, the film is pure late 1930s MGM family fare and is worth a look. But if you've seen BOYS TOWN, then you certainly don't need to see this, as it's just a rehash and predictably formulaic.

In "Lord Jeff" we have it all. A very talented Freddie Bartholomew and the quick learning Mickey Rooney. The script was gold, the boys endearing, and the men in charge were human. You never lose interest in a film so masterfully done as this. This is one of those movies everyone should see. It is a good representation of 30s movie making, and its endearing story ensures that it will resonate with generations to come. That being said, the film needs to be colorized so that modern generations will watch it. Young people won't watch black and white.

As another reviewer concluded, this film is very much like Boys Town and even features Mickey Rooney. However, this time, the troubled teen is Freddie Bartholomew as Jeff Braemer. Jeff is involved with a group of jewel thieves, but after being caught, is sent to a orphan school to learn to be a merchant marine. Jeff's rich life has left him jaded and uncooperative, but schoolmates Terry O'Mulvaney (Rooney) and Albert Baker (Terry Kilburn) refuse to give up on him.

The excellent cast makes this film worth watching many times over. There are lessons learned and friends made, but none of those things would be effective if it weren't for believable and likable characters. The subject matter is appropriate for all ages too. Sit down and enjoy this one with the family.