East Side Kids - Kid Dynamite

Rating:
Summary: EAST SIDE KIDS SPARKLE WITH AD LIBBING.
Review: In this wartime (1943) East Side Kids picture, Muggs McGinnis (Leo Gorcey), East Side boxing champion, is scheduled to meet the West Side kingpin in the ring for the City title, but is kidnapped by several thugs just before the bout, resulting in Muggs' friend and fellow gang member, Danny Lyons (Bobby Jordan) replacing him and defeating the West Sider, only to have Muggs believe that Danny was responsible for the abduction in order to achieve glory. The film is marked by the clever ad libbing skills of the entourage which, while at times intentionally corny, help to propel the story rapidly along and the customary East Side mixture of boxers, gangsters, and patriotic propaganda is leavened with a dash of romance and a funny jitterbug contest featuring big band singer/comedienne Marion Miller, all competently directed by Wallace Fox.



Rating:
Summary: Kid Dynamaite Packs A Wallop!
Review: The story centers around Muggs and Bobby Jordan.Bobby fills in for Muggs at a boxing match and that's where the trouble starts. The film is fast, funny, and very entertaining. Huntz Hall and the rest of the gang are there too. Look for the scene with the dancing contest. It is very good! Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall put on a good and hillarious dance act! This film is a winner!

Rating:
Summary: Kid Dynamaite Packs A Wallop!
Review: The story centers around Muggs and Bobby Jordan.Bobby fills in for Muggs at a boxing match and that's where the trouble starts. The film is fast, funny, and very entertaining. Huntz Hall and the rest of the gang are there too. Look for the scene with the dancing contest. It is very good! Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall put on a good and hillarious dance act! This film is a winner!

Rating:
Summary: More drama than humor for this East Side Kids entry.
Review: This Monogram Picture of The East Side Kids is much slower than the later Bowery Boys incarnation. The last 15 minutes of this 64 minute movie is devoted to World War II patriotism. Nothing wrong with patriotism, this film just makes war look honorable. The beginning of the film aims at Muggs getting Kidnapped, but the bulk of the story is about the relationships between the gang members of The East Side Kids. Leo Gorcey's humorous banter is there for us to enjoy, and Huntz Hall is a scene stiller!
The FRONT ROW DVD is mastered from an original 16mm print, the sound is crisp and clear and the picture is sharp with good contrast. However the original print used in the transfer has many splices, at least four times a word of conversation is lost in a splice. Considering the "Poverty Row" aspects of Monogram Pictures I can accept this and enjoy the clear picture. The dark night scenes show some artifacting, but they are few and far between. Usually the picture is sharp and clear.