Boy Trouble

I kept imagining Clifton Webb in the role of "Fitch" (Charles Ruggles) here! He is the salesman husband of "Sybil" (Mary Boland) and they are going through the rather staid routine of their middle-class lives. One day, she has a bit of a brainstorm and decides to adopt a young boy. "Joe" (Billy Lee) greets his new and unsuspecting father when he gets home from work one evening and immediately the old man's hackles go up. This only gets worse when an altercation next morning saddles them with the now injured "Butch" (Donald O'Connor) and we are now off on a rather predictable, but actually quite enjoyable series of larks that sees the two boys ally quickly and cause their fair share of mayhem, upset the rather puritanical and gossipy neigbhotes and, of course, put a degree of martial strain on their "parents". The kids deliver well here, especially the younger Lee who has that butter-wouldn't-melt look down to a T. Turn on the tears and the grown-ups are putty in their hands! It starts to wear a bit thin towards the slightly too sentimental conclusion which is actually quite rushed, but there's a decent on-screen dynamic going on for most of this and with the gentlest of digs at small-town attitudes is worth an hour or so of your time.

BOY TROUBLE (Paramount, 1939), directed by George Archainbaud, might sound more like a Warner Brothers social drama dealing with a rebellious youth causing trouble in a reform school, but in fact, is a heartwarming comedy-drama centering upon the trials and tribulations of a middle-aged couple, Homer and Sybil Fitch, as enacted by Charles Ruggles and Mary Boland, a popular couple of fine screen chemistry that started in 1932.

As for the plot, Homer C. Fitch (Ruggles), a storekeeper and family man with a wife (Boland) daughter, Patricia (Joyce Matthews), and an adopted son, "Butch" Smiley (Donald O'Connor), decide to take in another orphan, Joey (Billy Lee) with the possibility of adopting him. Homer proves himself the perfect father when devoting all his time to Joey after he becomes seriously ill. As for Butch, the pre-teen agrees to let Homer become a member of the "Golden Arrow" boys club. However, trouble links into the Fitch household when Homer, in a fit of anger, socks Mr. Snively (Andrew Toombes), his employer, causing him to lose his position and his chances of keeping Joey when news of this incident reaches the adoption agency.

The supporting cast features John Hartley as Wyndham "Windy" Wilson, Patricia's love interest; Zeffie Tilbury as Mrs. Jefferson; and Dick Elliott as Doctor Benslinger, among others.

This long forgotten programmer was a typical time filler in theatrical houses at the time, and not a bad little film at that. BOY TROUBLE was to have been the start of a proposed movie series, following the tradition of MGM's Hardy Family ("Andy Hardy"), Republic's Higgins Family, and Columbia's Bumstead Family ("Blondie"), but after only two installments, the second and much better being NIGHT WORK (1939), the series came to a close.

In spite of Mary Boland's name heading the cast, the story is devoted more to the second billed Charlie Ruggles. A fine character actor of numerous diversified roles, it is his performance that carries on the film. Little Billy Lee and Joyce Matthews would appear in other motion pictures before fading away from the Hollywood scene, but of the youths, only Donald O'Connor's career succeeded the longest, through adulthood in films, television and night clubs performances.

BOY TROUBLE, which runs at 66 minutes, is fine family viewing, especially those who enjoy old-fashioned entertainment such as this, but sadly this had been out of circulation on the television markets since the mid 1970s, and may never be seen again, but to know and love the wonderful team of Boland and Ruggles, watch the old video releases of SIX OF A KIND (1934) and/or RUGGLES OF RED GAP (1935). (**1/2)

This is the second Donald O'Connor movie I'm reviewing in chronological order. He's one of the orphans (the other being Billy Lee) being adopted by Charles Ruggles, who's had to deal with bratty boys at his clothing store so he's not so tolerant at first. But his wife-Mary Boland-immediately loves them. I'll just stop there and just say there's some funny scenes with Ruggles and some of those bratty boys at the store but also some touching scenes especially concerning little Billy. O'Connor himself has a charismatic toughness about him as the near-teen one. So on that note, Boy Trouble is very much recommended for anyone with a taste for the obscure old movies. P.S. Besides Lee who was in Mike Fright, other players who were in Our Gang shorts include Sonny Bupp who was in Men in Fright and Zeffie Tilbury who was in Second Childhood. And, since I always like to cite anyone from my favorite movie-It's a Wonderful Life-in other films, here, it's Sarah Edwards-Mrs. Hatch there-as one of the neighbors here.

Charley Ruggles is a tightfisted little man who likes his routines and dislikes outsiders, so when daughter Joyce Mathews brings home a young man, and wife Mary Boland adopts two oprhaned boys, he's particularly grumpy.

Two comedy pros like Rugges and Miss Boland can play anything for laughs, but it always helps to have good writing, and the writing here, by Laura and S. J. Perelman is surprisingly dull. Even Donald O'Conner and Billy Lee can't bring much of a smile to the audience's faces as they go about being annoyingly boyish ad winning Ruggles' affection. Clearly intended to tap into the audience for Andy Hardy, the Smith family, and other family series that were becoming perennials among second features, this doesn't offer much in the way of charm, even for fans of players.