My Pal Gus

Word around school at the time was you had to see Foghorn Winslow to believe it. So we all trooped dutifully to the theatre where we heard this little kid sound like an adult who'd had about 1,000 cigarettes too many. Plus, he had this Buster Keaton deadpan that never changed expression. So we all laughed at a kid who didn't look or sound like any kid we knew. And a good thing he was pretty funny because I don't remember caring much for the adult end.

Now I can appreciate the adult end even though the movie sags a bit in the middle. I guess it's to the credit of the Kanin's that the story is as generally intelligent as it is. After all, most of us simply assume it's kids who need to be sensitized into an adult world and not vice-versa. But the movie shows us how sometimes the latter is more important than the former; that is, if we're going to succeed with the former. The ending too is a good little lesson in values, though I'm not sure how many folks could make the same gutsy decision Dave (Widmark) does.

Looks like Widmark was looking for a career change since a suburban dad seems a little tame for the likes of Tommy Udo, Kiss of Death (1947). He does surprisingly well, especially as the hard-driving business tycoon. But I'd really like to enroll in whatever school Miss Marble (Dru) is teaching at. She's a knockout, making it hard to believe there're not a hundred guys crowding around her. On the other end, I hope they paid Totter double for impersonating a mother from heck.

Anyhow, I'm glad I caught up again with this little programmer after so many years. Despite my much earlier impression, there really is a lot more to the movie than an unusual little kid, good as he is.

Any movie with George " Foghorn " Winslow is fun ! I know that's a generalization of the first magnitude , but it happens to be true. This is a little movie - but a good one . It's definitely a 50's style family affair . Richard Widmark softens his act and comes across as very believable . When " Foghorn " is on screen , however , the film belongs to him . Enjoy .

I'm sure Richard Widmark probably fought to get a role where he wasn't a tough guy, good or bad. If so My Pal Gus fits the bill perfectly for a man who wanted a little diversity in his roles.

Widmark is a divorced father whose wife Audrey Totter ran out on him and his young son George Winslow. Widmark in those years has made quite a name for himself and a lot of money to boot. But he's consumed with making money that responsibility for his temper tantrum throwing kid leaving that to butler Ludwig Donath and cook Lisa Golm.

That changes when he enrolls Winslow in Joanne Dru's private school and Dru takes an interest in him and the boy.

There are certain plot similarities between My Pal Gus and the John Wayne-Donna Reed film Trouble Along The Way. Of course the major difference was the economic position of disgraced football coach John Wayne and businessman tycoon Richard Widmark.

One thing that was exactly the same was the mother role. Neither Marie Windsor or Audrey Totter would win mother of the year. Totter especially if you envision your mom as a mother cobra than Totter is perfect casting. She had the juiciest role in My Pal Gus and made the most of it.

The end result is for Widmark to learn he's a father first and everything else is second. How he learns it is for you to see My Pal Gus.

Once again, we have an example here of a movie that has been lost to the limbo of cable TV somewhere.

It is unfortunate that when AMC lost Nick Clooney as a host, and decided that movies 5 or 10 years old and in COLOR should be CLASSICS, and then chose to forget about some movies that were 'middle-aged', (being from the '50s) and black & white.

Talk about discrimination !!!

Well, maybe Turner Classics or the Fox Movie channel may think otherwise someday, but for now we seem to be deprived of some real treasures.

For example, here is a family classic deserving of praise, as well as being seen much more often.

Here we have tough-guy Richard Widmark showing off his 'soft side' and his parenting skills.

Or, rather the lack of them.

It seems that his son Gus, played by George Winslow (old 'Foghorn')is not behaving himself, so his frustrated male parent takes him to a nursery school, run by Joanne Dru.

As we all know, or should know, Ms Dru is not the usual image one would conjure as a 'schoolmarm', which also doesn't escape the notice of Mr Widmark.

While it is not long before Gus is well-behaved, now the father wants to stay after school with 'teacher'.

Naughty, Naughty !!!!

Well, not really !!!

You see, Father is divorced and has sole custody of the child, (a rare thing in the 1950's), and considering wife Carolyn Jones and HER parenting skills, who can blame the court.

It appears that being a businessman takes a great deal out of his time (Widmark runs a company that makes ice-cream and candy).

WHAT ????????

Yes, you heard right, tough-guy RW makes bons-bons, not BOMB-BOMBS !!!

Anyway the teacher obliges by tutoring Father about kids in general, and in so doing allowing him to win his son's love and respect, and in the end winning the teacher's hand.

But, things don't work out well when his wife names the teacher in her divorce action, resulting in a nasty trial that nearly undoes everything.

But my friends, trust old time Hollywood to win the day, as all turns out well in the end.

Of course, this was the usual Hollywood studio effort before television and the studio system was broken up to make room for those NEW CLASSICS on AMC.

Too bad Hollywood had to grow up !!!!

Hope we don't !!!

And I hope we see this gem again real soon.

I saw "My Pal Gus" many years ago, in Australia, but it is one of the movies that have remained in my memory ever since. I think the main reason I enjoyed this particular film was because it was so different from the usual roles that Richard Widmark played. This is one of the films that I would enjoy seeing again as it would be interesting to see how it has stood up to the "test of time". I particularly remember the scene at the kindergarten where the children were playing in the dirt, which culminated in Richard Widmark having a rather unusual taste treat, and some of the children had questions his character found difficult to answer. A really enjoyable film, without any bad language, torrid love scenes or violence - a great family film.