The story shifts to Whitey (Mickey Rooney), an extroverted braggart orphan who quickly makes both friends and enemies at Boys Town. Will Whitey make good, which means fitting in at Boys Town? Or will he join the bank-robbing gang of his older brother, Edward Norris? Is there really any doubt about which way things will turn out?
How others will see it. This well-known chestnut has two actors of interest to classic film fans, Tracy and Rooney. The story moves along quickly, and although the suspenseful moments seem contrived, that does not mean they are ineffective.
How I felt about it. The film's opening credits state:
There is such a place as Boys Town.
There is such a man as Father Flanagan.
What the credits omit is the statement, "Based on a true story." Because it would strain credibility. It is obvious that the entire movie is fictional aside from very basic information on Flanagan and Boys Town. Unless you believe that Whitey hobbled on one leg to hole up with his older brother's gang, told them he would confess, and was then rescued by the entire youth population of Boys Town. And you don't really believe that, do you?
One has to wonder. Could Hollywood have made a credible version of Boys Town? And if so, would it have been as good a movie? The answers to both questions are, probably not. Undoubtedly, there are many boys from troubled homes who went to Boys Town, and left years later to become productive citizens. A movie could have been made about any one of them.
But Hollywood knows that such a story would be boring, especially the long stretches where the kid attends classes and performs menial chores. The "happy ending" is a meat-packing job in the Omaha stockyards. No one wants to see that kind of movie.
So, instead, we get saintly Father Flanagan, whose kids transform from out-of-control street rats into adorable yet pious students once they live under his roof. Flanagan is always in financial trouble, mostly because he always wants to increase the scope of his child-rearing empire until, finally, he has 500 kids. Yet there is no need to worry. The miracle of donations will always come just in time. We want a happy ending, and we're certain to get it.
Mind you, I am criticising the movie, and not Father Flanagan. I believe he had the right idea. Remove troubled kids from their troubled environment, and they can become good kids. I just don't believe it is as easy, or works as consistently, as the film suggests.