ON DRESS PARADE (Warner Brothers, 1939) directed by William Clemens, became the sixth and final "Dead End Kids" installment for the studio, and their least known and revived. Taken from an original screenplay credited to Tom Reed and Charles Belden, the story elements, especially during its second half, is actually revamped from an earlier military academy musical-drama, SHIPMATES FOREVER (1935) starring Dick Powell and Ruby Keeler. The only original idea is not having the "Dead End Kids" working together as a group of teens who end up in trouble, either getting involved with a gangster(s) or ending up in reform school. Regardless of top billing going to Billy Halop in the closing credits, ON DRESS PARADE rightfully belongs to the fifth-billed Leo Gorcey, that as an unruly character of high intellect.
The story begins with a prologue during the World War in 1918 where Michael Riker (John Litel) risks his life on the battlefield saving William Duncan (Donald Douglas), forming a lifelong friendship. Following a montage through the passage of time, 1920, 1927, 1929, 1933 and to modern-day 1939, the story resumes with Colonel Riker, now head of the Washington Military Academy for Boys, receiving note that William Duncan is dying and wants to see Riker immediately. Before he dies, Riker is asked from Duncan's deathbed to take care of his son. Following a meeting where Slip Duncan (Leo Gorcey), a hard-to-handle teenager living under the roof of Mrs. Neeley (Cissie Loftus), who would rather drink beer and play pool all day, gets the impression that he will be sent to reform school, thus, accepting Riker's invitation to enlist at his academy of cadets instead. While there, Slip refuses to abide by the rules and gets written up by his superiors. Cadet Major Jack Rollings (Billy Halop), commander of the regiment, is the only one who feels Duncan should be given a second chance to reform himself, regardless of getting the silent treatment from his fellow cadets, Johnny Cabot (Huntz Hall), Ronny Morgan (Bobby Jordan) and Georgie Warren (Gabriel Dell), following a serious accident among one of the other cadets. Co-starring Frankie Thomas (Cadet Murphy); Douglas Meins (Hathaway) and Aldrich Bowker (Father Ryan). Bernard Punsley, usually a member of the gang, is the only one of the "Dead End Kids" not part of the group. He's simply close friend of Slip back in the city with only two brief scenes.
With Leo Gorcey carrying on the first name of Slip, one would immediately think of that very name he used in his popular and long-running "Bowery Boys" series (1946-1956) for Monogram Pictures. Huntz Hall, best remembered as Gorcey's sidekick, Sach, from that same series, doesn't get much to do in ways of comedy, in fact, neither do the other Dead End Kids members as well. It might have been better off had ON DRESS PARADE been a solo Gorcey effort instead, for which that is what it appears to be. There are no female counterparts here for romantic interest, only the elderly Cissie Loftus for one brief scene. The film plays quickly, in fact, 62 minutes, with scenes briefed and no long-winded dramatics. Regardless of its overly sentimental dramatics as a whole, ON DRESS PARADE benefits more for the elevation in stardom for Leo Gorcey for his future films range of both "The East Side Kids" (1940-1945) and "Bowery Boys" series to come.
Shown once in a while on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. ON DRESS PARADE has been placed on DVD with another Dead End Kids drama, HELL'S KITCHEN (1939) on its flip side. (**)
