For the tough son of career criminal Bruce Cabot, young Tommy Ryan doesn't seem to have a bright future until Cabot orders him to go stay with his maternal grandmother, Jessie Ralph, in the country. There's no love lost between Ralph and her son-in-law, and at first, she's hesitant to take Ryan in after he shows up in the middle of the night and scares the bajeebers out of her maid, Zasu Pitts. Local Dr Ralph Byrd treats the injury on Ryan's leg, and he is registered in the local school. But there's always the threat of cabbage showing up, and of course, there's the fact that Ryan was an accessory to his father's crime.
A moderately enjoyable Republic programmer, this features some great character performers that are normally in A films like Pitts and Ralph. Of course, Granny is a tough old bird on the outside and complete mush on the inside, especially as she gets to know her grandson. Pitts once again plays her nervous Nancy character, getting laughs even though we've seen her do this 100 times. It's a predictable melodrama that seems to have been greatly cut for TV syndication like so many other Republic films. The ending with a bunch of kids trapped on a school bus during a snowstorm, held hostage by Cabot, is truly exciting. Maybe one day full length restored prints will show up. A cinema fan can dream. There's one thing about the opening that made me curious. If this film is set in New York, a great mistake was made. Madison and Canal do not intersect.
A moderately enjoyable Republic programmer, this features some great character performers that are normally in A films like Pitts and Ralph. Of course, Granny is a tough old bird on the outside and complete mush on the inside, especially as she gets to know her grandson. Pitts once again plays her nervous Nancy character, getting laughs even though we've seen her do this 100 times. It's a predictable melodrama that seems to have been greatly cut for TV syndication like so many other Republic films. The ending with a bunch of kids trapped on a school bus during a snowstorm, held hostage by Cabot, is truly exciting. Maybe one day full length restored prints will show up. A cinema fan can dream. There's one thing about the opening that made me curious. If this film is set in New York, a great mistake was made. Madison and Canal do not intersect.
