As we classic film fans recall Spencer Tracy won an Oscar in the first of two films
where he played Father Frank Flanagan the founder of Boys Town, a refuge for
runaways and orphans with them also taking in on probation some juvenile
delinquents. Such a one in this film is Casey Siemaszko who got a friend badly
injured while they were joy riding. His drunk mother Barbara Rae can't be responsible so its Boys Town or juvenile hall.
Like Mickey Rooney in the Boys Town films Siemaszko is a hard case when he goes into a group room on the Boys Town grounds that is run by Darrell Larson and his wife Lisa Sloane. And like Rooney, Siemaszko plans to blow the joint as soon as he can with another hard case Reginald Dorsey. But the place does get to him after a while.
Presiding over all of this is Father Art Carney who was at Boys Town as a client when he was a lad. He's getting close to retirement and the place is going to have a new head with Father Jack Bannon. The two have differing ideas about how the institution should be run.
Art Carney did a fine job heading the cast in a film which is perfectly cast. Boys Town has broadened its policies, they have separate female quarters as well and its not a strictly Catholic operation. The presence of Larson and Sloane attest to that as Larson mentions his Protestant faith in conversation with Carney a scene I really liked.
You could never have a remake of Boys Town the original let alone this film given the current climate concerning the Catholic Church. With all the sex abuse scandals just the name of Boys Town would have it laughed off the screen.
Another reviewer was right, this indeed is a most old fashioned type film that we'll not be seeing the likes of again.
Like Mickey Rooney in the Boys Town films Siemaszko is a hard case when he goes into a group room on the Boys Town grounds that is run by Darrell Larson and his wife Lisa Sloane. And like Rooney, Siemaszko plans to blow the joint as soon as he can with another hard case Reginald Dorsey. But the place does get to him after a while.
Presiding over all of this is Father Art Carney who was at Boys Town as a client when he was a lad. He's getting close to retirement and the place is going to have a new head with Father Jack Bannon. The two have differing ideas about how the institution should be run.
Art Carney did a fine job heading the cast in a film which is perfectly cast. Boys Town has broadened its policies, they have separate female quarters as well and its not a strictly Catholic operation. The presence of Larson and Sloane attest to that as Larson mentions his Protestant faith in conversation with Carney a scene I really liked.
You could never have a remake of Boys Town the original let alone this film given the current climate concerning the Catholic Church. With all the sex abuse scandals just the name of Boys Town would have it laughed off the screen.
Another reviewer was right, this indeed is a most old fashioned type film that we'll not be seeing the likes of again.