Hell's Kitchen

Once again RONALD REAGAN is involved with The Dead End Kids, only this time the romantic interest is supplied by MARGARET LINDSAY rather than ANN SHERIDAN. Otherwise, the plot here resembles the studio's other Dead End Kids entry, ANGELS WASH THEIR FACES produced the same year, in that the Kids put the bad man on trial and eventually put him out of business.

GRANT WITHERS is the corrupt principal of a reform school who uses dirty tactics to keep his kids in line, even to the point of punishing a sick kid who fails to survive solitary confinement. It's up to Ronald Reagan, on the good side of the law with Margaret Lindsay, to urge the boys not to take vigilante justice.

Warner Bros. apparently intended this to be a showcase, not for Reagan or Lindsay, but The Dead End Kids who get all the prominence in the script. It's all got a familiar ring, but is directed in brisk style by Lewis Seiler and is lively enough to hold the interest.

Nevertheless, it never rises above the ordinary and the overall impression is that of a formula crime melodrama, the kind that Warners churned out pretty frequently in the late '30s and early '40s.

That doesn't mean "Hell's Kitchen" isn't worth a viewing though. The cast is fantastic, where you have the Dead End Kids, Ronald Reagan, the gorgeous Margaret Lindsey, and other familiar faces. Stanley Fields is a decent mug leaving the rackets, and Grant Mitchell also plays a fantastic evil head of the reform school.

Fields plays Buck, who is on probation and wants to clean up the school. There are some decent curiosities, like hockey footage that resembles a 1939 version of "Slap Shot," and Frankie Burke, the Cagney lookalike (and soundalike) first seen as a young Rocky Sullivan in "Angels with Dirty Faces." His film career lasted only four years but he managed to appear in no less than eighteen films.

As good as Stanley Fields is, it's tough to beat Cagney in "The Mayor of Hell," which also had the advantage of being pre-code. The Dead End Kids take over the movie, with Billy Halop and Leo Gorcey getting the most lines.

Overall, a decent enough movie, but not one you'll be in a rush to view again. Still, decent.

The first of two films in which Ronald Reagan was featured with the Dead End Kids was Hell's Kitchen where after one stint of time in reform school in Crime School, the boys are back in the juvenile joint. The adult players take a distinct back seat to the boys in both these films.

Crime School was an out and out remake of the James Cagney classic The Mayor Of Hell and this one also has aspects of those films in it as well. We've got a self righteous warden of the school in Grant Mitchell who's once again skimming off the tops and treating the kids like dirt. His infamous cooler is an old meat locker where he locks the kids in to 'cool' them off. When one of them dies, it all hits the fan.

Challenging him for control of the institution is paroled racketeer, Stanley Fields who is playing his role like a cut rate Wallace Beery. Ronald Reagan is his nephew and Margaret Lindsay is the secretary of the school under Mitchell and who is ready to quit when Caesar arrives on the scene.

Jack Warner must have really been in a bind here because he even acknowledges a hit film from another studio. One of the reforms that Fields wants to bring in is a kind of self governing institution by the kids like Father Flanagan's Boys Town. In fact I'm sure that's why this film was made, to cash in on the success of Boys Town.

No Oscar winning performances here though like Spencer Tracy's. Still it's entertaining enough.

The Dead End Kids are unfortunate residents of the crookedly run Hudson Boys Shelter. Paroled gangster Buck Ceaser is advised by his lawyer nephew that making a contribution to the shelter would be good for his image. For a while conditions at the shelter improve, but Krispen, the shelters warden, fears the contributions from Caeser might raise suspicion, and lead to an audit. An audit is the last thing Krispen wants. Krispen fears an audit would certainly expose his clever graft scheme. Krispen arranges for Ceaser to get into a fight, thus violating his parole. With Caeser out of the way, Krispen returns to his iron fist rule over the boys. Krispens favorite punishment is locking unruly boys in "the cooler." When Joey (Bobby Jorden) causes Krispens wrath, he locks Joey in the cooler. Joey, a weak sickly boy dies as result of his stretch in the cooler. Krispen arranges a private funeral. At the funeral the arrogant Krispen delivers an eulogy that blames the boys. This causes the boys to revolt and take control of the shelter. The boys put Krispen on a mock trial. The Verdict: Krispen is to "join Joey." This is my favorite Dead End Kids film. The boys are all in top form and they overshadow the films star lead Ronald Reagan. Frankie Burke, who played James Cagney as a boy in ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, plays a member of the gang in this one. His resemblance to James Cagney was uncanny.

The Dean End Kids are fine - Led by Billy Halop, the "kids" perform well. In fact, they are better in this "juvenile delinquent" genre than many others. Mr. Halop is strong, with Leo Gorcey, Gabe Dell and the others; they work well as a team. It looks like Bobby Jordan is directed (Lewis Seiler) to overplay, but he is endearing.

The "Adults" are not so good. Stanley Fields is okay, but his performance doesn't belong in this movie. Ronald Reagan isn't very good, with a performance that may not belong in any movie. Margaret Lindsay is pretty. Some of the performances are inappropriately comic.

There is a reference in this film to MGM's "Boys Town" (1938), which invites comparisons. It's direct enough for anyone who as seen the "Boys Town" films. The character played by Ms. Lindsay wants to use the techniques successfully employed by Spencer Tracy's character on the "Dead End" kids of "Hell's Kitchen".

The studio took the cheaper route with the "Dead End" series, obviously. The film is not technically competent. For example, a great "West Side Story"-type moment is ruined when the chanting on the soundtrack doesn't match the marching Dead Enders. Actors don't know how to play their parts - or don't play their parts at all. Still, the Dead End Kids make it enjoyable. Their terrific "Trial" for Headmaster Grant Mitchell is a most complete summation of the American justice system. Through all the bad editing, you'll get some suspense and action, too - including a "foul" hockey game, and a fire.

***** Hell's Kitchen (7/3/39) Lewis Seiler ~ Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, Leo Gorcey