Men of Boys Town

Plot

In this sequel to the 1938 boxoffice hit Boys Town, Spencer Tracy repeats his Oscar-winning role of Father Flanagan, with Mickey Rooney likewise reprising his characterization of reformed hoodlum Whitey Marsh. Still operating on the theory that "No boy is bad, if given a chance", Father Flanagan has created Boys Town, a nondemoninational sanctuary for wayward and homeless youngsters in Omaha, Nebraska. Despite the success of his operation insofar as building the character of his charges, the good Father is confronted with ever-mounting debts, and this time not even his old pawnbroker pal Dave Morris (Lee J. Cobb) can come to the rescue. Meanwhile, Whitey Marsh is adopted by the Maitlands, a wealthy couple--a fact that disillusions a sullen, crippled youngster named Ted Martley (Larry Nunn), who'd hoped that the Maitlands would choose him. Upon leaving Boys Town, Whitey tries to pay a visit to his old pal Miles Fenley, who is an inmate in a crooked reform school, but is denied entrance. Driving away from the reformatory, Whitey discovers that a boy from the school, Flips (Darryl Hickman), has stowed away in his car. Whitey agrees not to turn Flip in--a decision he has reason to regret when he is arrested for a robbery committed by Flip. Sent to the same reform school as Miles Fenley, Whitey learns first-hand of the institution's corruption and brutality. He manages to get word to Father Flanagan, who despite his ongoing financial woes takes on the reformatory's unsavory officials and secures a release for Whitey and Flip. But there is still one problem to overcome: Convincing the resentful Ted Martley that the world isn't as bad as he thinks it is. Boasting enough plots for ten films, Men of Boys Town may not have been as good as its predecessor, but it proved to be another box-office bonanza for Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Review

It's all familiar territory in Men of Boys Town, especially for those who have seen this sequel's far superior original, Boys Town. Some of that familiarity is by no means bad, at least when one is talking about the cast. Who is going to complain about having the irreplaceable Spencer Tracy back in one of his signature roles? Or about Mickey Rooney or Lee J. Cobb once again adding their talents? And some of the newcomers, including Larry Nunn, Darryl Hickman and Sidney Miller, add some extra zest. Indeed, when Tracy is in fighting form, Men really come alive, as it does when Rooney has the chance to lend his urchinly charm to a scene. But when it comes to the screenplay, the familiarity sticks in the craw. Haven't we all seen this before, in slightly altered form, in Boys Town? Worse, whereas the original Boys Town was sentimental without being drippy, Men takes the same basic material and drenches it in the maudlin. Sure, director Norman Taurog knows how to go for the heartstrings, but does he have to pluck them quite so loudly? The cast makes it worth a viewing, but overall Men disappoints. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

• Spencer Tracy - Father Flanagan
• Mickey Rooney - Whitey Marsh
• Lee J. Cobb - Dave Morris
• Larry Nunn - Ted Manley
• Bobs Watson - Pee Wee
• Darryl Hickman - Flip

Henry O'Neill - Mr. Maitland; Mary Nash - Mrs. Maitland; Sidney Miller - Mo Kahn; Addison Richards - The Judge; Lloyd Corrigan - Roger Gorton; George Lessey - Bradford Stone; Robert Emmett Keane - Burton; Arthur Hohl - Guard; Anne Revere - Mrs. Fenely; Ben Welden - Superintendent

Credit

Cedric Gibbons - Art Director, Harry McAfee - Art Director, Norman Taurog - Director, Frederick Y. Smith - Editor, Herbert Stothart - Composer (Music Score), Harold Hal Rosson - Cinematographer, John W. Considine, Jr. - Producer, Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer, James K. McGuinness - Screenwriter

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