Eric Linden's cinema debut as the egotistical punk Eddie Brand, drew superlative reviews from the critics. His film career started so brightly, but his best performances (ie "Life Begins" (1932), "The Silver Cord" (1933)) came early in his career and some of his later ones proved disappointing. Big things were also expected of two other newcomers - Adorable Rochelle Hudson played "good" girl Mary and she did have a reasonable career playing - what else - "sweet young things". Although she is mostly remembered for playing Shirley Temple's big sister in "Curly Top"(1935), she also gave her voice to "Honey" in the Bosko cartoon series. Arline Judge played Flo, the baby vamp and continued to play the same role in various movies - "Girl Crazy" (1931), "Sensation Hunters" (1933) etc, until she left films at the end of the thirties to concentrate on marriage and divorce. There is no way she could ever be compared or even come close to the incomparable Clara Bow, no matter what other reviewers may think. Others in the cast were an unbilled Ralf Harolde as the prosecutor and the original "Our Gang" sweetheart Mary Kornman.
Eddie Brand is on top of the world - he has the love of adorable Mary and is the apple of his Grandma's eye. (Beryl Mercer performs with real restraint and gives an excellent performance). "You are going to hear from me one day" - "I'm going to be somebody", prophetic words that Eddie, already with the beginnings of an egotistical temperament, is always saying. When he misses out on representing the class in an oratory contest he sinks into a depression and falls victim to the school vamp, Flo. (Arline Judge and Eric Linden became quite a movie team of sorts, she vamping him in "Young Bride" (1932) and "The Age of Consent" (1932)). She introduces him to the seedy side of school life - jazz bands, bootleg hooch and easy money - the kind not earned by working Saturdays at his part time job!!! Time passes and he becomes a bragging ring leader, ditching sweet Mary and home life on the way. While out on a booze hunting spree Eddie and his pals break into an old family friend, Heinie's, delicatessen and Eddie, in a drunken fight, kills the elderly gentleman.
The film comes into it's own during the court room scenes when to Eddie's egotistical delight, he finally becomes someone that reporters want for the front page of their paper. He fires his lawyer, he is convinced he can represent himself and he seems to be on the right track, but when he foolishly puts his friend Nick on the stand, Nick, who has been riddled with guilt and remorse, confesses the truth - that all three boys are guilty!!! (Ben Alexander, who plays Nick, had been a child actor in the 20s and ended up as Sgt. Joe Friday's right hand man in "Dragnet"). Eric Linden has some really fine moments - when Nick breaks down, Eddie becomes hysterical and during the last scene when as a condemned man he recites the Lords Prayer (which apparently bought most cinema audiences to tears). Eric Linden once said "I played the real me in the end. The boy who said the Lord's Prayer was Eric Linden".
Highly Recommended.
Eddie Brand is on top of the world - he has the love of adorable Mary and is the apple of his Grandma's eye. (Beryl Mercer performs with real restraint and gives an excellent performance). "You are going to hear from me one day" - "I'm going to be somebody", prophetic words that Eddie, already with the beginnings of an egotistical temperament, is always saying. When he misses out on representing the class in an oratory contest he sinks into a depression and falls victim to the school vamp, Flo. (Arline Judge and Eric Linden became quite a movie team of sorts, she vamping him in "Young Bride" (1932) and "The Age of Consent" (1932)). She introduces him to the seedy side of school life - jazz bands, bootleg hooch and easy money - the kind not earned by working Saturdays at his part time job!!! Time passes and he becomes a bragging ring leader, ditching sweet Mary and home life on the way. While out on a booze hunting spree Eddie and his pals break into an old family friend, Heinie's, delicatessen and Eddie, in a drunken fight, kills the elderly gentleman.
The film comes into it's own during the court room scenes when to Eddie's egotistical delight, he finally becomes someone that reporters want for the front page of their paper. He fires his lawyer, he is convinced he can represent himself and he seems to be on the right track, but when he foolishly puts his friend Nick on the stand, Nick, who has been riddled with guilt and remorse, confesses the truth - that all three boys are guilty!!! (Ben Alexander, who plays Nick, had been a child actor in the 20s and ended up as Sgt. Joe Friday's right hand man in "Dragnet"). Eric Linden has some really fine moments - when Nick breaks down, Eddie becomes hysterical and during the last scene when as a condemned man he recites the Lords Prayer (which apparently bought most cinema audiences to tears). Eric Linden once said "I played the real me in the end. The boy who said the Lord's Prayer was Eric Linden".
Highly Recommended.