Probably my favorite East Side Kids movie, and outside of the early dramatic A films they did, one of the best of their long run (1937-1958) through the Dead End Kids, Bowery Boys and all the other incarnations. It's funny to learn Mugg's real name in this, but even funnier is the lively performance of Minerva Urecal as a society matron who struck it rich, lived in France, and returns to the old neighborhood to teach her grandson Fred Pressel about street kid scrapiness, a quality she's missed among society teas.
When Pressel gets in a scrap with Muggs, Urecal is thrilled, and obviously at her influence, her grandson and Muggs and his gang are sentenced to probation...together! The East Side kids are obviously what she wanted to find in her old neighborhood and even tells off a snobby New York matron over her treatment of Muggs, Glimpy and other members. Urecal, who would appear in many films of the series as a variety of nice and mean characters, is a delight in this. Another added plus is the presence of Bernard Gorcey in a small part similar to his later role as sweet shop owner Louis.
Another really good aspect of this is the snappy dialogue as well as an energetic jitterbug between Leo Gorcey (Muggs) and Roberta Smith (Jinx) that includes moves seen years later in break dancing, although here it's presented comically to make Gorcey look ridiculous. The presence of Harold Langdon in a small role is however a waste of his talent, not at all showing off his comical skills. Pressel's French accent is presented as a burlesque, complete with beret. But in spite of these shortcomings and cliches, I found this one delightful.
When Pressel gets in a scrap with Muggs, Urecal is thrilled, and obviously at her influence, her grandson and Muggs and his gang are sentenced to probation...together! The East Side kids are obviously what she wanted to find in her old neighborhood and even tells off a snobby New York matron over her treatment of Muggs, Glimpy and other members. Urecal, who would appear in many films of the series as a variety of nice and mean characters, is a delight in this. Another added plus is the presence of Bernard Gorcey in a small part similar to his later role as sweet shop owner Louis.
Another really good aspect of this is the snappy dialogue as well as an energetic jitterbug between Leo Gorcey (Muggs) and Roberta Smith (Jinx) that includes moves seen years later in break dancing, although here it's presented comically to make Gorcey look ridiculous. The presence of Harold Langdon in a small role is however a waste of his talent, not at all showing off his comical skills. Pressel's French accent is presented as a burlesque, complete with beret. But in spite of these shortcomings and cliches, I found this one delightful.