Hell's Kitchen

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.