Movie Review: Million Dollar Kid (1944)
Synopsis: When Muggs and the rest of the East Side Kids stop a mugging and recover a wallet full of cash, the wealthy victim, John Cortland, rewards them by giving them 24/7 access to the gymnasium in his mansion. The help from Muggs and company doesn't stop there. They also save a dinner party, stop Courtland's daughter from marrying a conman and, after learning Courtland's son, Roy, was one of the muggers, work to turn him away from a life of crime.
Who's in it? The movie stars Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Louise Currie, Johnny Duncan and Herbert Heyes.
Review: I couldn't make up my mind between a choice of three movies this morning, so I called an audible and looked for another East Side Kids/Bowery Boy film instead. Million Dollar Kid has been in my library for a while, and I finally gave it a try. It ended up being a good choice.
I think the thing I liked best about this movie is how the film does a good job showing why Muggs (Gorcey) is the leader of his gang. A lot of other films from the series portray him as being charismatic but not necessarily all that bright. This movie, in comparison, showcases his street smarts, maturity and tact - whether it is allowing the daughter, Louise (Currie), to find out her fiancé (Noah Beery) is lying to her on her own or knowing a telegram from the military is something Courtland (Heyes) should read in private and not in front of dinner guests.
While I would still probably describe this film as a comedy, there is a surprising amount of seriousness throughout as well. The part about Courtland's oldest son, for example, was well executed and added a somber, somewhat depressing element I wouldn't have expected. Muggs choosing to literally beat some sense into Roy (Duncan) so he didn't make matters worse by going to prison, was in character for him but the sound lecture right after was surprisingly deep.
The main conflict with the movie's primary villain, Lefty (Gabriel Dell) and his men added some entertainment value as well. On one hand, the East Side Kids had his men outnumbered by a considerable sum. However, Lefty both had Skinny (William "Bill" Benedict) as a hostage and made it clear he would name Roy as an accomplice if the police got involved.
In fact, if I had any complaints about the movie, it would be the decision not to lean into that a bit more rather than have an ending that resolved the problem without a whole lot of suspense. Fortunately, the rest of the movie is good enough for me to ignore that.
Final Opinion: It is an entertaining film that adds quite a bit of depth to the main East Side Kid. I'm glad I finally took the time to watch it.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other East Side Kids movies:
Movie Review: East Side Kids (1940)
Movie Review: Boys of the City (1940)
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