Wild Boys of the Road
Directed by William A. Wellman
Written by Earl Baldwin from a story by Daniel Ahern
1933/US
Warner Bros.
Wild Boys of the Road
Repeat viewing/Forbidden Hollywood Collection Vol.
Edward ‘Eddie’ Smith: Go ahead! Put me in a cell. Lock me up! I’m sick of being hungry and cold. Sick of freight trains. Jail can’t be any worse than the street. So give it to me!
Hard-hitting Warner Brothers pre-Code exposé about kids who leave home to seek work when their parents lose their jobs.
The story starts in small town USA where high school sophomores Eddie Smith (Frankie Darrow) and Tommy Gordon (Edwin Phillips) are trying to get into their class dance. Tickets cost 75 cents and they have only 75 cents between them. Their disguise attempt fails and the boys and their dates drive off in Eddie’s beloved jalopy. The kids are typical goofy teenagers.
The next morning brings bad news. Eddie’s father has been permanently laid off from his job. Eddie eventually sells his car for scrap to help out. Eddie’s father can’t find work and eventually his folks are threatened with eviction as their credit for groceries etc. is cut off.
Tommy’s mother has had very little work for months. The two boys think the best thing is to move to a big city and try to find work there. They plan to send money home to their parents.
So they start hopping trains. The first fellow migrant they find is Sally (Dorothy Coonan) who is traveling disguised as a boy. The three will stick together throughout the story. The little band keeps growing as more and more youth travel the rails in search of work. But there is no work and the railroad and police intercept any attempts to settle. Finally, the kids fight back against the relentless pressure to move on. With Sterling Holloway as one of the gang and Ward Bond as a predatory railroad guard.
This is powerful, terrific stuff up until the the abrupt and unearned ending. The lead, Frankie Darro, is splendid. He had the talent, energy and athleticism to be another Cagney but was hampered by his small stature. Wellman again shows his mastery of crowd scenes and love of trains. Recommended.
Trailer with commentary from Trailers from Hell (spoiler alert)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu6XZ-2Y6_w
Very nice clip montage set to “(I Am) A Poor Wayfaring Stranger”.
