My Pal Gus

Richard Widmark is so adorable in this movie! If this was the first movie he ever made, instead of Kiss of Death, he would have had an entirely different career. He would have played nice, lovable guys, fathers, love interests - he might have even played alongside Frank Sinatra in Guys and Dolls - talk about the battle of the blue eyes!

He plays a single dad in this movie, and he enrolls his young son, George Winslow, in a daycare run by Joanne Dru. It's no surprise that he and Joanne fall in love, but can she help soften his edges? He's a businessman at heart who prioritizes work ahead of family. When he realizes how much his son needs him, how will he change? Or will his ex-wife, Audrey Totter, come back into the picture and ruin everything?

My Pal Gus is really sweet, but chances are you haven't heard of it. Richard Widmark isn't really famous for making cute movies. Try to find a copy of it if you can, because he's just too cute for words. There's something so endearing about a gangster-type reading stories to children. Remember how cute Brian Donlevy was in The Great McGinty? Now it's Dick's turn, and it's so easy to root for him and hope he, George, and Joanne can all work out together.