Boys Town

""No boy is bad, if given a chance!""

1938 1h 36m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 109

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Devout but iron-willed Father Flanagan leads a community called Boys Town, a different sort of juvenile detention facility where, instead of being treated as underage criminals, the boys are shepherded into making themselves better people. But hard-nosed petty thief and pool shark Whitey Marsh, the impulsive and violent younger brother of an imprisoned murderer, might be too much for the good father's tough-love system.

“"No boy is bad, if given a chance!"”

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Cast

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
Judge
Minor Watson
Bishop

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Norman Taurog
Writers: Dore Schary, Dore Schary, Eleanore Griffin
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

88 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Boys Town Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Norman Taurog, shot by Sidney Wagner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Edward Ward. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Elmo Veron shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney and Henry Hull carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: ""No boy is bad, if given a chance!"".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0029942 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Norman Taurog directs. Sidney Wagner behind the camera. Edward Ward scores. Elmo Veron cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "Boys Town Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Norman Taurog, shot by Sidney Wagner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Edward Ward. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Elmo Veron shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney and Henry Hull carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: ""No boy is bad, if given a chance!"".
8IMDB entry: tt0029942 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 9 themes, including "priest", "juvenile delinquent", "catholic", "lincoln nebraska".