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Boys Town (1938)
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Overview
User Rating:
Your Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
9 September 1938 (USA)
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Tagline:
Greater than the imagination of the best writers! more
Plot:
Against all odds Father Flanagan starts "Boys' Town" after hearing a convict's story. Whitey Marsh comes there...
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Awards:
Won 2 Oscars.
Another 3 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Quiz: Who won two consecutive Oscars?
(From Gold Derby. 9 February 2010, 4:42 PM, PST)
Meryl Streep sets new record with 16th Oscar nomination
(From Gold Derby. 2 February 2010, 4:58 PM, PST)
(From Gold Derby. 9 February 2010, 4:42 PM, PST)
Meryl Streep sets new record with 16th Oscar nomination
(From Gold Derby. 2 February 2010, 4:58 PM, PST)
User Reviews:
A Classic
more (33 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Spencer Tracy | ... | Father Flanagan | |
| Mickey Rooney | ... | Whitey Marsh | |
| Henry Hull | ... | Dave Morris | |
| Leslie Fenton | ... | Dan Farrow | |
| Gene Reynolds | ... | Tony Ponessa | |
| Edward Norris | ... | Joe Marsh | |
| Addison Richards | ... | The Judge | |
| Minor Watson | ... | The Bishop | |
| Jonathan Hale | ... | John Hargraves | |
| Bobs Watson | ... | Pee Wee | |
| Martin Spellman | ... | Skinny | |
| Mickey Rentschler | ... | Tommy Anderson | |
| Frankie Thomas | ... | Freddie Fuller | |
| Jimmy Butler | ... | Paul Ferguson | |
| Sidney Miller | ... | Mo Kahn |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Boys' Town (USA) (poster title)
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
96 min | 93 min (DVD version) | West Germany:107 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification:
USA:Approved (PCA #4528) |
Canada:G (video rating) |
USA:Passed (National Board of Review) |
West Germany:12 |
Finland:S |
Australia:G
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Freddie Bartholomew was considered for the part of Mickey Rooney's best friend, but was not cast because the producers felt he was too associated with Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936) and so would not be believable in this film.
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Goofs:
Continuity: The blackface Whitey wipes off in line doesn't match when he arrives back at the barber.
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Quotes:
Freddie Fuller:
There's our baseball field... last year one of our players was drafted by the St. Louis Browns.
Whitey Marsh: Well, I like the Yankees.
Freddie Fuller: You would!
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Whitey Marsh: Well, I like the Yankees.
Freddie Fuller: You would!
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Movie Connections:
Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies (2006) (TV)
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This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (33 total)
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I have enjoyed this movie since I was a child. I saw it for the first time when I was about ten-years-old and have watched it many times since. While parts of it may seem "hokey" by today's standards, the performances of Tracey and Rooney are memorable. The tensions between the "tough-love" priest and the wise-mouthed swaggering delinquent make for timeless drama. I have to admit though, that every time I watch this movie, there is a part of me that wants Whitey Marsh to stay bad, remain a delinquent and fail to succumb to the straight-laced rules of Boys Town. (Perhaps, that is the rebellious residue of a Catholic education.) In any event, I agree with the sentiments reflected by a prior poster, that when Pee Wee gets hit by the car, and Whitey starts sobbing, well, it is hard not to sob along with him.