Boy of the Streets is a 1937 American drama film directed by William Nigh and written by Gilson Brown and Scott Darling. The film stars Jackie Cooper, Maureen O'Connor, Kathleen Burke, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Marjorie Main and Matty Fain. The film was released on December 8, 1937, by Monogram Pictures.
Chuck Brennan is a high school drop-out and the leader of a gang of boys. He adores his father, who he believes to be a high-up political advisor. He is good hearted, but hardened by the crime and poverty that surrounds him.
One day, his neighbour is taken away in an ambulance, leaving her daughter Nora all alone. Chuck doesn't want her to be taken to an orphanage, so he helps get her a job singing in a saloon. But, she is almost arrested when it is discovered she is only 16. Luckily, one cop, Officer Rourke, goes easy on the kids of the neighbourhood and cuts them a break.
Chuck soon discovers a group of Italian youths ratted Nora out, which starts a massive street brawl between the two gangs. As Chuck and another boy duke it out in the street, a truck comes barreling towards them. Spike, the youngest of the gang, who Chuck told not to get involved in the fight, pushes Chuck out of the way. He is hit by the truck and is killed.
After Spike's funeral, Chuck decides to go straight. He goes to his father's office to see if they will hire him, but discovers his father has been lying to him his entire life.
Later, while playing pool with his friend, he overhears mobster Blackie Davis threatening the pool hall owner into paying for protection, but doesn't understand what's going on. Thinking Davis is trying to cut the man in on more dough, he tells the man to take the deal. Davis realizes Chuck's mix of boldness and naivety would make him a good asset and offers to "go into business" with him.
Chuck, believing the men are really financiers, joins up with them despite his father's warnings. He unknowingly tells them how they can break into the local tailors, and they set it on fire since they wouldn't go in on their protection racket. While fleeing the scene, Officer Rourke chases after them. The mobsters shoot him and Chuck is shot trying to protect Rourke.
Tropes
- Black Dude Dies First: Spike, the only black member of Chuck's gang, is killed while saving Chuck's life.
- Break the Badass: Chuck, a regular hoodlum, can't handle the hardened mafia lifestyle.
- Broken Pedestal: Chuck towards his father.
- Coming of Age Story
- Corrupt the Cutie: Sort of. While Chuck isn't exactly a total innocent, he is a good kid who wants to do good by his community. Blackie Davis takes advantage of his insider knowledge and trusting nature, hoping to use the kid as a dumb informant on his friends.
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Dawson Casting: Inverted. Jackie Cooper was 15, playing a character just about to turn 17. - The Don: Blackie Davis.
- Does Not Like Guns: Chuck is appalled that the mobsters use guns, considering it unfair.
- Dumbass Teenage Son: Chuck is street smart in many ways, but is also naive and uneducated.
- Emo Teen: Chuck.
- Evil Parents Want Good Kids: Chuck's parents don't want him to end up a criminal, like Chuck's father.
- Friend on the Force: Officer Rourke is this to Chuck.
- Gayngster: After Chuck agrees to keep his mouth shut about the money Blackie gave him, Blackie tells him "Good job, baby." and slaps him on the ass as he leaves.
- High-School Hustler: Chuck, when he fools the saloon into hiring Nora and passes himself off as her manager.
- High-School Rejects: Chuck and his boys.
- Innocent Soprano: Nora.
- Kick the Dog: Right after Spike's funeral, Chuck's mother tells him his death was all his fault.
- Liar Revealed: Chuck discovers his father's lies when he goes to see him at his supposed-office.
- The Mafia: Chuck joins up with the mob.
- Mafia Princess: Rusty, Blackie's girl.
- Noble Shoplifter: The florist and his daughter actually leave a couple of flower arrangements out so that the boys can steal them for Spike's funeral.
- Pet the Dog: While the rest of the gang is attempting to peer pressure Spike into stealing some furniture they can sell, Chuck, seeing how scared he is, tells him to just go home.
- Protection Racket: What Blackie is trying to set up in Chuck's neighbourhood.
- Prank Call: The film opens with Chuck and the boys making a number of prank calls to the police. For example, telling them there is "a Murder in apartment 5." The tenant is a man with the last name Murder.
- Posters Always Lie: Well, YMMV on how true the claim is that this is Jackie Cooper's greatest role.
- Shout-Out: The poster references some of his previous roles; Skippy, The Bowery and The Champ
- Rags to Riches: Nora is taken in by a doctor and his girlfriend, the apartment landlord.
- Shoe Shine, Mister?: Spike is a shoe-shiner.
- Supermodel Strut: Chuck tries to teach Nora how to do one, but she is just too awkward.
- Taking the Bullet: Spike does this for Chuck, and later, Chuck does this for Rourke.
- Troubled Teen: As Rourke explains, they're good kids trying to survive in a cruel world.
- Uncle Tomfoolery: Spike, while not exactly a comic relief character, he does speak this way.
- Unconfessed Unemployment: Chuck's father.
- Urban Hellscape: The setting of the film.
