Gangster's Boy (1938)
Directed by William Nigh
Genres - Drama, Family & Personal Relationships, Culture & Society |
Release Date - Nov 16, 1938 (USA - Unknown), Nov 16, 1938 (USA) |
Run Time - 80 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Too old to play the cute MGM urchin any longer, 16-year-old Jackie Cooper signed with Monogram for a group of above-average programmers. Gangster's Boy was the second of this series, all of which followed a predestined pattern of shame and redemption. Young Cooper is a high-school honor student who is revealed to be the son of an ex-gangster (Robert Warwick). Shunned by former friends, Cooper nonetheless stands by his dad, defending him to a hostile community. Father and son eventually prevail over provincial bigotry, though Cooper seems happier about the whole thing than the ever-sullen Warwick (an actor better suited to the role of a business executive or Shakespearean ham). Sentimental to the nth degree, Gangster's Boy was a success, prompting a third Cooper Monogram "special" with a similar plotline, Streets of New York (39).
Characteristics
Themes
Keywords
gangster, high-school, honor-student, parent/child-relationship, bigotry, shame
