GamerTab That was an excellent one.

UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Pluskylang Great Film overall

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

blanche-2 Jackie Cooper leads a cast of young actors in "Gallant Sons," from 1940. A group of friends (Cooper, Leo Gorcey, Gene Reynolds, Bonita Granville, William Tracy, Tommy Kelly) set out to prove that Johnny's (Reynolds) father (Ian Hunter), who runs a gambling house, did not murder a woman. He was caught by the police standing over the body holding the murder weapon and was convicted. Byron's (Cooper) dad (Minor Watson) is a newspaper man and naturally covers it in the paper. Johnny and Byron are then on the outs.Byron asks Johnny, if they can find out what really happened the night of the murder, can they just shake hands and forget it, no matter the outcome? Johnny agrees.The kids soon become involved in what turns out to be a case with some interesting clues that also expose a long-held secret that Kate's (Granville) mother (Gail Patrick) knows, which concerns Johnny.Ultimately they take a page out of Hamlet's book in order to solve the case.It's a good story, given energy by the young talent. Jackie Cooper, who was a beautiful little boy and effective actor, made the transition to adult actor, as well as directing and producing and continued until retirement in 1990. In his grown-up years, he played likable men who did not seem to have a lot of angst,as opposed to the roles he played in childhood, and he was always very natural.Leo Gorcey gives the film his "Dead End Kids" performance, and Bonita Granville is her usual pretty and vivacious self. Gail Patrick, with her beautiful speaking voice, is elegant and lovely. Both Granville and Patrick are known for off-camera work -- Granville being the owner of TV's Lassie, and Gail Patrick as the producer of TV's Perry Mason.Enjoyable. I admit to loving Jackie Cooper - my mother used to talk about seeing him in the movies when she was a child, and I watched him faithfully on "The People's Choice" and "Hennessy."

DKosty123 This movie has all the trappings of kids film, but it is a who dun it. In a salute to Jackie Cooper, this gem was run recently on TCM but this movie has a whole ensemble cast with Cooper.It seems one of the kids in this has his father in jail for murder, a murder of which he is innocent. This one goes much deeper. It seems there is a real person who committed the crime. The kids here go through a long trail to find him. Then they invite him to the high school play they have put together to expose him.Though this was an MGM B picture without Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland, it has a much too serious tone for those stars. This one is well produced and the cast features some of the East Side/ Dead End Kids from other films. I found it quite engrossing as it is kind of a "Saved By The Bell " only this is the adult version and it is pulled off about as well as it could have been done.George Seitz who directed the Andy Hardy series did this one and it gives you the feeling of the veteran director's work.

David (Handlinghandel) This is such a find and succeeds so far beyond any reasonable expectations one might bring to it, I'm tempted to rate it a "10."The only flaw, to my mind, was including Leo Gorcey in the cast of juveniles; but he is relatively toned down.Gene Reynolds was a most appealing actor playing in this age range. Here, we see him looking a little plump (especially in the derriere); but he was handsome and a fine actor. Too bad his career as a star didn't continue into adulthood. (He made a big name for himself behind the scenes, but that was a loss, because here and in such movies as "The Get-Away" he was an excellent actor.)The plot involves two friends, one of whose father is put in jail for a murder he didn't commit. The other's father is a newspaper man who printed the story.These two and their pals do some good sleuthing and come up with a suspect. To smoke him out, they put on a play, a la the play within the play in "Hamlet," which they feel will make him confess.It's all suspenseful, exciting, and fun.

cinema_universe For fans of mystery films, this is not the stuff of great whodunits, but if you like Saturday Matinee fare with an "A-Film" look (though not budget), then don't pass this up.It stars some of the cream of the period's juvenile actors, in their teenage prime. The only one who is older than his "star-kid" days is Jackie Cooper. (but he went on to a successful adult acting career, anyway-- mostly on TV).Bonita Granville, who received 2nd billing to Cooper, did her best (which is not much different than her 'Nancy Drew' roles at Warners). I've always been fond of Granville in supporting roles (or B-film leads), but a little bit of Bonita can go a long way. She wisely gave up acting before outgrowing her youthful charms.Gene Reynolds, who was billed 3rd, was easily the best of all of this film's young actors. As the central character, who's innocent father is imprisoned for a murder that all the teens set out to solve, he pretty much steals the show.Reynolds, a good-looking and accomplished young actor, made many films as a teenager but none as an adult. He did, however, go on to become an extremely successful (and extremely rich) TV producer-director. Reynolds would become best known for winning numerous Emmys for his long-running hit television series, "M.A.S.H.".Leo Gorcey, fresh out of the 'Dead End Kids', but before starting in Monogram's 'East Side Kids' series, isn't given much to say in this film, and is actually relegated to a role as one of the 'background' kids! He probably never forgot this experience. -- When Gorcey was adult enough to have a hand in producing the 'Bowery Boys' films, he made sure that he had ALL the lines, and that the other guys (except Huntz Hall) had only enough lines to discern them from the backdrops.Gail Patrick, the leading female adult in "Gallant Sons", has a pivotal role in this story playing Bonita Granville's mother. A much under-rated actress, Gail Patrick gives a lot to this supporting part. She received 4th billing, after Cooper, Granville and Reynolds.The film has the usual MGM polish, though none of the excesses of the Rooney-Garland juvenile extravaganzas produced in the same period. (And, thank goodness, no singing & dancing...)I thoroughly enjoyed "Gallant Sons", and I especially liked seeing Gene Reynolds handle the most complex role of any of the young characters. Certainly more endearing than Cooper or Gorcey, I can't help wondering why Reynolds didn't pursue acting as an adult. Could he have seen the coming bonanza that television producing would bring his way?