mark.waltz Making the Dead End Kids mayor of New York for a week is a fatal mistake they may not recover from. In 2013, the race for mayor truly is a circus, so one of the mayoral candidates could be as intelligent as this mayor and his cabinet. The story originally focuses on reform school kid Gabriel Dell who moves to a new neighborhood with sister Ann Sheridan, finding he can't escape his past, even though he's quickly adopted by the Beale Street gang which consists of Dead End Kid veterans Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall. When a nasty criminal element takes over, Dell is framed for starting a tenement fire which kills a crippled young boy and results in Dell's being sentenced to ten years in adult prison. This leads to the rest of the gang to use their week in city government to prove Gabe innocent. Dell reforms thanks to an adult, here played by that master of screen art, Ronald Reagen. The boys are supported by Sheridan who is romanced by Reagen, and by Bonita Granville, with Margaret Hamilton as their judgmental teacher and Berton Churchill as the rolly-poly mayor who looks nothing like Fiorello La Guardia. Marjorie Main is particularly haunting as the mother of the dead boy who gets support by the entire neighborhood in a touching scene. Hamilton is initially seen chastising Dell for his past in front of the other boys, then discourages the gang's mayoral candidate, and is noticeably upset when he wins. She represents the type of teacher who discourages as opposed to encourages, a genuine problem in public school education. Some tough action sequences, particularly a fight between Dell and the gang when they first meet, the blazing fire which is blamed on the new kid on the block (resulting in a climactic trial which reveals the corruption in some parts of city government), add much needed excitement to the initially comic structure. The simple message of the film is to never under- estimate the young. They start fighting for their future the minute they see what's at stake and how past generations have screwed it up. Warner Brothers did their own version of MGM's "Babes in Arms", released the same year, which ironically featured Hamilton as a city busybody fighting to get kids off the street and into a reform school.

wes-connors After a stint in reform school, fresh-faced Frankie Thomas (as Gabe Ryan) is ready to go straight. Upon release, he moves to "Beale St.", with pretty big sister Ann Sheridan (as Joy Ryan). The siblings don't know it, but the neighborhood is populated by young hoodlums and organized crime. Young Thomas quickly joins "The Dead End Kids" (as "The Termites") lineup of Billy Halop (as William R. "Billy" Shafter), Bernard Punsly (as Luke "Sleepy" Arkelian), Leo Gorcey (as Leo "Mousy" Finnegan), Huntz Hall (as Huntz Garman), Gabriel Dell (as Luigi Petaren), and Bobby Jordan (as Bernie Smith).While Thomas scuffles with his "Dead End" pals, sister Sheridan is courted by handsome lawyer Ronald Reagan (as Patrick "Pat" Remson). This irks crime lord Eduardo Ciannelli (as Alfred Martino), whose romantic advances are reproached by Sheridan. While Sheridan organizes efforts to clean up the neighborhood, mobster Ciannelli counters with a horrific plan to frame brother Thomas for an arson incident, which may cause the death of a "Dead End" comrade...In the sixth series film (depending on how you count them), the law of diminishing returns is clearly catching up with the "Dead End Kids". There are too many characters and situations rotating on screen, although most of them are enjoyable. The first part of the film involves (mostly) Frankie Thomas, a good addition to the group. Then, Billy Halop (mostly) takes center stage, becoming "Boys' Week Honorary Mayor", to help clear Thomas of arson.Sheridan and Reagan make a great pair, as the likable, and level-headed adults; note, this is one of future President Reagan's most appealing early roles. The many other stand-outs include: James Cagney's young look-alike Frankie Burke welding a knife, wicked schoolteacher Margaret Hamilton, and grief-stricken mother Marjorie Main - each of these characters is "bigger" than the movie, which makes it all seem even more cluttered. But, it is a fun picture.***** The Angels Wash Their Faces (8/26/39) Ray Enright ~ Frankie Thomas, Billy Halop, Ann Sheridan

bkoganbing Although Ronald Reagan and Ann Sheridan are the romantic leads here, the film really belongs to the Dead End Kids. Angels Wash Their Faces is NOT a sequel to Angels With Dirty Faces, it doesn't come close to that classic. Still it's an enjoyable film.The Dead End Kids are joined by Frankie Thomas and Bonita Granville who Warner Brothers had been using in their Nancy Drew series. In those films Granville was the lead and poor Thomas was her earnest boyfriend who she got involved in all of her cases. Here Thomas is the lead and Granville his romantic interest and would you believe, Leo Gorcey's sister. That's nothing, in one of the Bowery Boy features Gorcey got a young Ava Gardner as his sister.There's been a rash of fires in the neighborhood, somebody's got a nice little arson racket going. The crooks try to pin this on Frankie Thomas who's a new kid moved into the neighborhood with his sister Ann Sheridan. Ronald Reagan as the Assistant District Attorney reluctantly prosecutes.What happens then is Dead End Kid leader Billy Halop gets himself elected boy mayor of the city and uses the power of office quite creatively to help Thomas and find the arsonists. Some arcane laws which are still on the books turn out to be of real value.Best in the cast is Frankie Thomas who's quite appealing as the kid in trouble and Bernard Nedell as the slick crook who gets quite a comeuppance from the Dead End Kids.Fans of the Kids will like this one.

flynn1909 Angels Wash Their Faces, is basically a sequel to the 1938 hit Angels with Dirty Faces. The film is rather enjoying during the scenes with the "muggs" the Dead End Kids. They're a rather rambunctious group. What I don't like about the film is the drama that occurs between one of the group members death. It takes away from the comedy and it becomes a bit to serious for a film that was generally aimed at teens of the late 1930's. Ann Sheridan returns from Dirty Faces in a small and pointless role. She plays the role straight faced, and definitely from the looks of her is itchy to dig into a more serious role. Ronald Reagan also stars as another card board character. The films main stars are the "dead end kids", their the ones with the great lines and their the ones who shine throughout the picture. The adult characters of the film are left in the background, with not much to do. Still check it out if your a fan of the "dead end kids". ** out of ****