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I'd heartily agree with those above who praise this film. I've check Max Davidson's filmography on this site and it was interesting to see how lengthy his career was. I don't remember seeing another Davidson vehicle, but I will watch for them in future. Coogan, of course, is superb in this film. In my opinion, as good as he was in The Kid. The Rag Man is an American jewel and a wonderful snapshot of its times. Like Speedy, the New York City location footage in Rag Man is a great example of the "inadvertent documentary," literally freezing the Lower East Side in time. The two Yiddish intertitles are a treat. Sadly, sharp, but gentle contrast in ethnicity is almost lost as a comedic device in the wake of today's "political correctness" (who coined that stupid phrase anyway?) Face it kids, people are different and those differences can be humorous without being mean or berating. And finally, the film contains possibly one of the best Prohibition gags of all time when precious wine bottles are emptied for their value as recyclable glass. I highly recommend this sweet little movie.

An absolutely heart-warming tale about a young lad, Timmy Kelly, masterfully played by child star Jackie Coogan, who runs away from an orphanage after the shelter suffers major damage from a fire, The Rag Man,(Metro-Goldwyn, 1925), directed by Edward Cline,is truly a classic.

Young Timmy befriends a junk dealer, Max Ginsberg, poignantly played by Max Davidson. The two embark on a comical journey becoming close friends whereby each depends on the other. Young Timmy proves his loyalty and devotion to the man who took a chance on him whose sole companion to this point was an old Derby winning horse named Dynamite. Dynamite's oats bowl is a key element to this story too. You must watch to see what I mean.

The musical score was masterfully written by the late Linda Martinez.

This is a must-see film and I would be hard-pressed to believe anyone not enjoying this delightful film which has a running time of approximately 75 minutes. The film had a sequel later in 1925, titled, Old Clothes. The sequel is of particular interest because it features Joan Crawford in one of her earliest roles.

I sincerely hope these two wonderful films become available on DVD or VHS soon.

Tim Kelly (Jackie Coogan) runs away from his Lower East Side orphanage after it burns down. He's presumed dead and starts roaming the streets of New York. He encounters Max Ginsberg, an old Jewish junk dealer and begs to join him. They become the best of friends as the young boy tries to care for his aged senior partner.

Jackie Coogan was the child star of his day. This is not quite The Kid. He's a little older and this doesn't have Chaplin. The humor is nice and there are great bits like pouring out the bottles. It does need to get going with the drama faster. The patent story takes forty minutes to start. I can't believe the man's name is Henry Winkler. The story isn't that dramatic although the movie does have some fun moments.

The on location scenes showing 1920s New York were incredible, as were the performances of Jackie Coogan and Max Davidson. Especially liked the new score, it was perfect for this movie, you would not know it was not written in 1925. I don't generally like silent movies but this one was much better than most.

The teaming of Jackie Coogan and Max Davidson elevates this movie from a routine plot. Even though it is not an important production, it is quite enjoyable, well directed by Eddie Cline, and features a nice location cinematography in New York.

Linda Martínez score is excellent.