Paramount Pictures
Not part of a collection.
KIDS GET IN HIS HAIR...but watch Charlie's youth come back when a couple of boys get into his heart
A fussy shopkeeper's life drastically changes when his wife takes in two homeless boys.
CinemaSerf
Feb 15, 2024 · via TMDB
I kept imagining Clifton Webb in the role of "Fitch" (Charles Ruggles) here! He is the salesman husband of "Sybil" (Mary Boland) and they are going through the rather staid routine of their middle-class lives. One day, she has a bit of a brainstorm and decides to adopt a young boy. "Joe" (Billy Lee) greets his new and unsuspecting father when he gets home from work one evening and immediately the old man's hackles go up. This only gets worse when an altercation next morning saddles them with the now injured "Butch" (Donald O'Connor) and we are now off on a rather predictable, but actually quite enjoyable series of larks that sees the two boys ally quickly and cause their fair share of mayhem, upset the rather puritanical and gossipy neigbhotes and, of course, put a degree of martial strain on their "parents". The kids deliver well here, especially the younger Lee who has that butter-wouldn't-melt look down to a T. Turn on the tears and the grown-ups are putty in their hands! It starts to wear a bit thin towards the slightly too sentimental conclusion which is actually quite rushed, but there's a decent on-screen dynamic going on for most of this and with the gentlest of digs at small-town attitudes is worth an hour or so of your time.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
Charles Ruggles
Homer C. Fitch
Mary Boland
Sybil Fitch
Donald O'Connor
Butch
Billy Lee
Joe
Joyce Mathews
Patricia Fitch
John Hartley
Wyndham Wilson
Andrew Tombes
Mr. Svively
Dick Elliott
Dr. Benshlager
Zeffie Tilbury
Mrs. Jepson
Sarah Edwards
Mrs. Moots
Sonny Bupp
Chester Platt
Harlan Briggs
Mr. Pike
Josephine Whittell
Mother
Georgia Caine
Mrs. Ungerleider
Russell Hicks
Magistrate
Charles Trowbridge
Mr. Tatum
Grace Hayle
Hefty Mother
Spencer Charters
Bradley
Doodles Weaver
Ralph
Wally Albright
Boy
Ethel Clayton
—
Nell Craig
Small Town Woman
Fern Emmett
Receptionist
Edward Gargan
Cop
Ruth Rogers
—
Pat West
First Bystander
George Archainbaud
Director
Lloyd Corrigan
Story
Jan 27, 1939
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Versus
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Mr. Boggs Steps Out
1938
Animals Are Beautiful People
1974
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Top Gun: Maverick
2022 · 11 wins
Joker
2019 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
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Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
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