Boys Town

Year:

1938

Duration:

96 min | 93 min (DVD version) | West Germany:107 min

Genres:

Biography | Drama

IMDB rate:

7.3

Director:

Norman Taurog

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1938-09-09

Filming Locations: Boys Town, Nebraska, USA

Cast

Actor

Character

Bobs Watson

Boys Town

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

Martin Spellman

Skinny

Mickey Rentschler

Tommy Anderson

Frankie Thomas

Freddie Fuller

Jimmy Butler

Paul Ferguson

Sidney Miller

Mo Kahn

Robert Emmett Keane

Burton

Victor Kilian

The Sheriff (as Victor Killian)

Boys Town Acapella Choir

The Choir (voice) (as Boys Town A Cappella Choir)

Arthur Aylesworth

Tim (uncredited)

King Baggot

Derelict in Mission Next to Weasel (uncredited)

Barbara Bedford

Catholic Nun (uncredited)

James Blaine

Court Officer (uncredited)

Stanley Blystone

Guard (uncredited)

Edwin Brian

Boy (uncredited)

Everett Brown

Darky (uncredited)

Orville Caldwell

Warden (uncredited)

Bennie Chorre

Young Thunder (uncredited)

Richard Clucas

Boy (uncredited)

Roger Converse

Newspaper Reporter Lane (uncredited)

George Cooper

Tramp (uncredited)

Nell Craig

Catholic Nun (uncredited)

Helen Dickson

Catholic Nun (uncredited)

Calvin Ellison

Boy (uncredited)

Wesley Giraud

Butch (uncredited)

Robert Gleckler

Mr. Reynolds (uncredited)

Donald Haines

Alabama (uncredited)

John Hamilton

Warden (uncredited)

Murray Harris

Hillbilly (uncredited)

Billy Hazard

Newsboy (uncredited)

Edward Hearn

Train Guard (uncredited)

Al Hill Jr.

Apples (uncredited)

Al Hill

Rod (uncredited)

Donald Hull

Newsboy (uncredited)

George Humbert

Calateri (uncredited)

Gladden James

Doctor (uncredited)

Raymond Kelly

Boy (uncredited)

Don Latorre

Boy (uncredited)

Billy McCullough

Boy (uncredited)

Claire McDowell

Catholic Nun (uncredited)

Jackie Morrow

Boy (uncredited)

Paul Nichols

Boy (uncredited)

Ray Nichols

Boy (uncredited)

Tommy Noonan

Red (uncredited)

Jay Novello

Gangster (uncredited)

Ronald Paige

Jimmy (uncredited)

Charles Ramos

Mex (uncredited)

Kane Richmond

Newspaper Reporter Jackson (uncredited)

Kent Rogers

Tailor (uncredited)

Nelson Scott

Commissioner (uncredited)

Jimmy Sommerville

Newsboy (uncredited)

Bobby Stone

Boy Mopping Floor (uncredited)

Chuck Stubbs

Slats - in Prologue (uncredited)

A.W. Sweatt

Jackie - in Prologue (uncredited)

Phillip Terry

Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)

Johnny Walsh

Charley Haines (uncredited)

Frank Whitbeck

Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Sonny Boy Williams

Boy on Bannister (uncredited)

Robert Winkler

Boy (uncredited)

William Worthington

Governor (uncredited)

John Wray

Weasel (uncredited)

Walter Young

Judge (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Actor Don Barry was spotted at a UCLA game with a Texas All-Star team. Mickey Rooney attended the game with John Wayne. Even though his team lost 21-14, Barry impressed the two actors who offered to open doors for him if he wanted a film career. Rooney got him a job on "Boys' Town," but Barry kept blowing the scene with Tracy he had been assigned and was replaced.

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The day after Spencer Tracy won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in this film, an MGM publicist released a statement - without consulting Tracy first - that the actor would donate his Oscar to the real Boys Town in Nebraska. Tracy agreed to make the donation if the Academy would send him a replacement Oscar. When the replacement arrived, the engraving on the award read: "Best Actor - Dick Tracy."

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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

Pee Wee is hit by a car. Whitey rushes to see whether he is injured. You'd expect the car driver to come and see as well, but the driver has disappeared.

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In the march to the tavern, Tony is to the left in all but two shots when he is to the right.

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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.

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Father Edward J. Flanagan: I know that a mother can take a whip to the toughest boy in the world, and he forgets it because he knows that she loves him.

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Dan Farrow: [panicky, about to die in the electric chair] How much time have I got, Father?

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