When a Feller Needs a Friend is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by Harry A. Pollard and written by Frank Butler and Sylvia Thalberg. The film stars Jackie Cooper and Charles "Chic" Sale. The film was released on April 30, 1932, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Eddie Randall is an 8 year old boy who wears a leg brace. The other kids in the neighbourhood, who call him Limpy, exclude him. His parents are overly protective and refuse to treat him equally to his cousin/adoptive brother, who bullies him.
Eddie's best friend is his eccentric Uncle Jonas, who tries to teach Eddie to stand up for himself. When this results in Eddie getting a split lip from cousin Froggy, his parents kick Uncle Jonas out of the house.
A doctor tells Eddie his leg cannot be fixed. Distraught, he goes to find his uncle, who has been fired and is being taken to the "Poor Farm"note . Froggy and the others show up to mock Jonas for this, which infuriates Eddie. He beats the ever loving tar out of Froggy and earns the respect of the other kids. In the end, the parents invite Jonas back home and Eddie is accepted by everyone in the neighborhood.
Tropes:
- All of the Other Reindeer: All of the kids in the neighborhood (save for Diana), exclude and bully Eddie for his disability.
- Bearer of Bad News: Eddie's father must tell his son the specialist they brought in from Germany can't help Eddie after all.
- Bullying the Disabled: Freddie aka Froggy loves doing this to Eddie.
- Bully Turned Buddy: After Eddie beats up Froggy at the end, they become friends.
- Boxing Lesson: Jonas gives one to Eddie when Froggy threatens to beat him up if he shows up at a girl's birthday party.
- Big Brother Bully: Froggy towards Eddie.
- Cool Old Guy: Uncle Jonas. At least, in the eyes of Eddie.
- Eccentric Mentor: Uncle Jonas is this to a tee.
- Handicapped Badass: Eddie is this by the end of the film.
- Happy Ending: The parents invite Jonas back into the house, thus avoiding the Poor Farm. The other kids, including Froggy accept Eddie, and Jonas gets his job back (somehow). They all ride off on Jonas's streetcar in the end, with Eddie driving, singing Happy Days Are Here Again.
- I Have No Son!: Jonas tells Eddie he'll disown him if he doesn't hit Froggy back.
- Innocently Insensitive: Right after Eddie learns his leg cannot be cured, Diana runs up to him and excitedly talks about how great it will be when his leg is healed... Yikes...
- Papa Wolf: Eddie's father, Tom, is very protective of him. When he see's him being beaten up, he hugs him and takes him inside.
- Parental Obliviousness: Eddie's parents never see Froggy bullying Eddie, and Eddie is too afraid of his cousin to tell them. Jonas tries to, but they don't believe him.
- Prone to Tears: Eddie. Though, it's usually justified.
- Puppy Love: Eddie and Diana.
- Rambling Old Man Monologue: Jonas does these a lot. Eddie loves his long-winded (mostly made up) stories.
- Retired Badass: What Jonas makes himself out to be.
- Tough Love: Uncle Jonas's philosophy for raising Eddie.
- Trauma Conga Line: Eddie is excluded by the other kids. When his parents adopt his cousin, he immediately starts bullying Eddie. He kicks him, and then throws his baseball glove in the mud. When Eddie is finally able to play with the other kids, Froggy gets them to turn on him and kick him out. Eddie takes the toy gun he'd lent him away in retaliation and throws it down the sewer. Froggy then tries to shove Eddie down the sewer, and ends up giving Eddie a bloody nose instead.
- What Have We Ear?: Eddie puts a girls locket in his ear and makes it come out his mouth as a trick. Unfortunately, Froggy slaps him on the back and causes him to swallow it.
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Wheelchair Woobie: Eddie. Though, it's a leg brace in this case.
