My Pal Gus (1952)

Director:

Robert Parrish

Writers:

Fay Kanin (original screenplay) and
Michael Kanin (original screenplay)

Release Date:

1 December 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Dave Jennings is a successful, self-made man in the business world, but he can't control his son, Gus...

Plot Keywords:

Son | Divorce | Brat | School | Teacher

Cast

Richard Widmark	...	Dave Jennings
Joanne Dru	...	Lydia Marble
Audrey Totter	...	Joyce Jennings
George Winslow	...	Gus Jennings
Joan Banks	...	Ivy Tolliver
Regis Toomey	...	Farley Norris
Ludwig Donath	...	Karl
Ann Morrison	...	Polly Pahlman
Lisa Golm	...	Anna

Also Known As:

Top Man (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved | Sweden:15

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Carl Betz's movie debut.

Quotes:

Gus: Please, Daddy, I'm not somebody big. Don't do a trick on me.

Richard Widmark DOES have a soft side.

Once again, we have an example here of a movie that has been lost to the limbo of cable TV somewhere.

It is unfortunate that when AMC lost Nick Clooney as a host, and decided that movies 5 or 10 years old and in COLOR should be CLASSICS, and then chose to forget about some movies that were 'middle-aged', (being from the '50s) and black & white.

Talk about discrimination !!!

Well, maybe Turner Classics or the Fox Movie channel may think otherwise someday, but for now we seem to be deprived of some real treasures.

For example, here is a family classic deserving of praise, as well as being seen much more often.

Here we have tough-guy Richard Widmark showing off his 'soft side' and his parenting skills.

Or, rather the lack of them.

It seems that his son Gus, played by George Winslow (old 'Foghorn')is not behaving himself, so his frustrated male parent takes him to a nursery school, run by Joanne Dru.

As we all know, or should know, Ms Dru is not the usual image one would conjure as a 'schoolmarm', which also doesn't escape the notice of Mr Widmark.

While it is not long before Gus is well-behaved, now the father wants to stay after school with 'teacher'.

Naughty, Naughty !!!!

Well, not really !!!

You see, Father is divorced and has sole custody of the child, (a rare thing in the 1950's), and considering wife Carolyn Jones and HER parenting skills, who can blame the court.

It appears that being a businessman takes a great deal out of his time (Widmark runs a company that makes ice-cream and candy).

WHAT ????????

Yes, you heard right, tough-guy RW makes bons-bons, not BOMB-BOMBS !!!

Anyway the teacher obliges by tutoring Father about kids in general, and in so doing allowing him to win his son's love and respect, and in the end winning the teacher's hand.

But, things don't work out well when his wife names the teacher in her divorce action, resulting in a nasty trial that nearly undoes everything.

But my friends, trust old time Hollywood to win the day, as all turns out well in the end.

Of course, this was the usual Hollywood studio effort before television and the studio system was broken up to make room for those NEW CLASSICS on AMC.

Too bad Hollywood had to grow up !!!!

Hope we don't !!!

And I hope we see this gem again real soon.