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Boys Town

Boys Town

Drama · 1938

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.

Movie details

Boys Town

“"No boy is bad, if given a chance!"”

1938 Drama 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

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.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Boys Town?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Norman Taurog

Written by

Dore Schary · Eleanore Griffin · John Meehan

Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy

Father Flanagan

Mickey Rooney

Mickey Rooney

Whitey Marsh

Henry Hull

Henry Hull

Dave Morris

Leslie Fenton

Leslie Fenton

Dan Farrow

Gene Reynolds

Gene Reynolds

Tony Ponessa

Edward Norris

Edward Norris

Joe Marsh

Addison Richards

Addison Richards

Judge

Court is in session

Put Boys Town on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.