A 12-year-old steals gold from killers, then avenges his brother's murder. Pre-Code chaos ensues.
A young, newly-appointed rookie state trooper, John Shields, is celebrating with his sister Jane, his younger brother Freddie and Tom Marlin, Jane's fiancé and also a trooper, when they hear over the radio that two bandits have just killed a lawyer and his watchman. John and Tom set out in their patrol cars in hopes of capturing the killers, followed by Freddie who hopes some day to qualify as a trooper. Freddie encounters the two two bandits, Spike Doland and Butch and manages to get away with the bag of gold they had stolen. While chasing Freddie they are recognized by John who they kill when he tries to arrest them. Freddie then takes matters into his own hands in seeking to capture the killers of his brother.
Acting
Frankie Darro's unhinged child-avenger energy carries every scene.
Direction
Leslie Goodwins crams 3 acts of tragedy into 57 breathless minutes.
Director
Leslie Goodwins
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Frankie Darro was 20 playing 12, a Hollywood age-fib so blatant it borders on surreal.
Released in 1937, this Pre-Code hangover film slipped shocking child-endangerment past censors already tightening the Hays Code screws.
US
