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.

The fact that this is a remake of a 1933 film and a reworking of a film made in 1938 is not that unusual for Warner Brothers. Often they remade films only a year or two or three later. Other studios often did the same but Warner seemed to do it a lot.

In spite of this being a remake, and I usually hate remakes, I found I enjoyed this every bit as much as the other two films--perhaps a little more. This is because instead of the tough guys Cagney or Bogart playing the lead, this one had Stanley Fields who brought an entirely different element. He was much larger and scarier looking but also had a comedic edge to him--sort of like a big criminal teddy bear!! The only part that didn't work for me was the whole hockey team angle--that was weird and the street kids seemed practically like champion skaters almost immediately! Still, this is an enjoyable Warner film and another chance to see the early (and best) incarnation of the Dead End Kids--a group that morphed and changed a lot over the years as the East Side Kids and the Bowery Boys (which were almost like a parody of the Dead End Kids). Well worth seeing.

When you come down to it, THE DEAD END KIDS were a teenage version of OUR GANG/THE LITTLE RASCALS, only with more trouble on their hands! These guys were a phenom when they all made their debut in the iconic DEAD END (1937) for Warner Brothers. And it's not to say, as I have mentioned in my last review, that they didn't drive ole Jack Warner and company bonkers with their antics, both on and off the screen! That said, the kids had an immense amount of talent, of course lead by the outrageous Leo Gorcey! Gorcey admitted in a 1960s radio interview (on YOUTUBE) that they did a lot of crazy stuff on the lot and were very lucky. No one in Hollywood had ever seen their likes before, and perhaps that was made them so original. Here, the gang goes after distinguished Grant Mitchell, who runs a reformatory like a prison. This scenario is not new by any means, but it makes for some dynamic confrontations, including poor Bobby Jordon being locked in a freezer by Mitchell and eventually dying.

The kids are aided by Stanley Fields (as Buck) a Runyanesque character if there ever was one, playing a reformed gangster himself who steals a lot of scenes here! Fields was in high demand throughout the 1930s up until his sudden death in 1941. This film marks Ronald Reagan's first appearance with the Dead End Kids, portraying Jim, a social worker who is watching over the boys. It was either Gorcey or Huntz Hall, in later years, that said Reagan (behind the scenes) was originally a bit scared of them and kept his distance! At least in this film. Beautiful Margaret Lindsay plays Beth, the other social worker and, of course, love interest for Reagan. There are some publicity shots of Lindsay and Gorcey kidding around and look like they are genuinely enjoying each others company (she was not married at the time!), so there are two sides to a story! Gorcey also said he had a crush on Ann Sheridan, who he worked with at WB. Also the great Vera Lewis is in the cast as Sarah, who majored in matronly roles for decades, later to appear in the Bowery Boys SPOOK BUSTERS as a mean old lady! She was in many classics. Note the cool names the guys have; Gorcey plays Gyp, Hall plays Bingo and Gabe Dell as Ace. This was directed by veteran German silent film director EA DuPont, who did a superb job, especially with the powerful ending. Always on Warner Brothers box set dvd.

Dead End kids may get the billing, but it's really Stanley Fields' (Buck) movie. A Wallace Beery look-a-like, his fractured English and Runyonesque manner hit the right notes for what is really a soft hearted gangster. Seems he's got to help out at a boy's home or he's off probation and into the slammer. Trouble is the boys' home is run by cruel supervisor Krispan (Grant Mitchell in a fine performance), who's also skimming money from donors. So Buck uses gang money to buy in and run the home in a more humane manner. But the scheming Krispan's got other ideas.

The subplot here is interesting since it's the wayward boys and the soft-hearted gangster who come across as humane and just, while the politically connected, respectable guy is the real crook. It's sort of a reversal of what is usually expected, but perhaps not unusual for the restive 1930's.

Anyway, Bobby Jordan (Tony) shows his chops in a nicely calibrated emotional scene, while Gorcey (Gyp) does his tough guy bit, and Halop shows leadership abilities. Surprisingly, Huntz Hall (Bingo) has a secondary, non-comedic role, unlike his later dominating role in the long- running series. Reagan fans may be disappointed since his is also a secondary role, but at least he gets the girl as played by the fetching Margaret Lindsey.

All in all, the movie's an entertaining combo of serious themes seasoned with humor. However that hokey hockey game looked anything but real since there was neither officiating nor penalties for roughhousing. But that's a relatively minor point in an otherwise well executed production.

Hell's Kitchen (1939)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The Dead End Kids star in this remake of The Mayor of Hell and Crime School. This time out (again) a gangster (Stanley Fields) gets out of going to prison but he must do good in the community so he gets involved with a reform school where he soon learns that the owner is abusing the boys. If you've seen either of the previous versions then you won't be shocked by anything that happens here but Fields is good enough to raise the material to a watchable level. There's several failed attempts at humor, which brings the film down some but the drama is pretty strong throughout. Ronald Reagan plays Fields lawyer.