Au seuil de la vie

This movie is rather entertaining although some parts seem a little off-the-wall. For instance, there is one scene in the film where the three friends go to visit one of the boys hip, young aunt living in a pent house and she does cartwheels over to the piano and the four start singing. Other than odd instances, this movie is very good for any era.

This is a great movie. The one and only film to starr Jackie Cooper, Mickey Rooney and Freddie Bartholomew together. Mickey Rooney in my opinion steals the show from both of them. The scene where he hears his father being electrocuted is so dramatic. There is just something about the life that Mickey Rooney adds to a movie. His tough but gentle demeanor. Those dramatic facial expressions. The way he can make you laugh and tear your heart out at the same time. If anyone watches a Mickey Rooney movie and and says he cannot act don't know what acting is. Mickey Rooney can do it all and is still doing it today! LONG LIVE THE MIGHTY MICK! This is a great film Very well acted. The story is endearing! You will not be disappointed. It will be playing on TCM later this year (2005).

Three little tough guys learn the value of friendship & loyalty, during family crises and troubles with the law.

While overlong & predictable, THE DEVIL IS A SISSY is the only chance to see all three of MGM's little 1930's princes in one film. Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper & Mickey Rooney (12, 14 and 15 respectively when the film was released) are a great deal of fun to watch & make a terrific cinematic trio.

At this point, they were all at different stages in their careers. Jackie's heyday as a child star - including a stint with Hal Roach's celebrated OUR GANG - was in the past. Freddie was in the very midst of his intense, brief major stardom. And Mickey was exhibiting glimpses of the talent that in a few years would make him the biggest star in Hollywood.

Although a ‘youth picture' in every way, there are several good performances from a small crowd of adults, most notably Englishman Ian Hunter, as Freddie's sincere, honest father. Also appearing to advantage in smaller parts are Kathleen Alexander as Freddie's emotional mother; Gene & Kathleen Lockhart as Jackie's stern parents; and Peggy Conklin as Mickey's free-spirited aunt. Little Etienne Girardot appears as a fierce school principal, as does Jonathan Hale playing a sympathetic judge and Grant Mitchell as a serious suitor to Mickey's mom.

Harold Huber, Stanley Fields & Frank Puglia are a gang of brutal thugs who run afoul of the three youngsters, while Hattie McDaniel's older sister, Etta, makes the most of her one scene as Miss Conklin's maid.

That's an unbilled Dorothy Peterson doing a fine job as Mickey's mother. Movie mavens should recognize Christian Rub as a funerary stone mason; Ian Wolfe as a pawnbroker; and George Davis as a French diner owner - all uncredited.

The good production values bestowed by MGM are also a great asset to the film, particularly in the neighborhood scenes.

Without this film anyone having a classic movie collection just thinks they have a classic movie collection. It is a fine old movie with lots of good, old-fashioned humor in it.

Most of all, it has three of the top child actors preceeding World War II. All three of these came together just one time to do a movie. And, do a movie they did. See Freddie Bartholomew, Mickey Rooney, and Jackie Cooper star together as, once again, good triumphs over evil.

The Devil Is a Sissy may have a really silly title, but it's a triple threat: Freddie Bartholomew, Jackie Cooper, and Mickey Rooney are the three leads in this surprising drama. All three child stars in one movie! You'd think it would be the most adorable movie ever made, but it's actually a really tragic drama that gives all three of the boys a chance to show off their acting chops.

Freddie takes the lead, as a product of divorce. He spends six months with each parent, and his dad Ian Hunter lives in a poor area of New York City. Sent to public school with a bunch of young hoodlums, Freddie desperately wants to make friends and be accepted. Because of his cultured accent and his naiveté, everyone picks on him, but his optimism is infectious and he continues to try to hang out with the cool kids. The leader of the "cool" gang is teen-heartthrob-in-the-making Jackie Cooper, the oldest of the bunch. As fresh as Freddie is, Jackie is experienced. He's so relaxed in front of the camera, it's as if he's been acting for thirty years, and his confidence is startling. Mickey Rooney is the second-in-command, and he propels the plot in his quest to buy a glorious tombstone for his father, who was given the death penalty at the start of the film.

They each have their sorrows and struggles. Freddie comes from a broken home and compromises his morals in order to make friends with punks. Jackie is regularly beaten by his father, Gene Lockhart, and he shows the audience the heartbreaking road of a child turning to crime. Mickey not only has to bear the burden of his father's death, but he sees his mother dating again and knows there's nothing he can do to stop it. There's a particularly powerful scene in which Mickey brags to Jackie how many volts of electricity it took to kill his father. He's proud, but also sickened, and the audience gets a harsh look at the wrong side of the tracks.

You've got to see this movie. It's always a marvel to see talented child actors, and with all three of the 1930s darlings, you can't afford to miss The Devil Is a Sissy. It's pretty dark, so be prepared. But since everyone gives such great performances, it's worth it. You'd never guess from watching Gene Lockhart in Christmas movies that he'd be able to play someone so terribly evil!