Low-budget independent drama directed by Howard Higgen in late 1931 but seeming to come out of 1928; almost no music, static camera angles, and stilted acting by much of the cast. But the film had two future stars in it, and saw a healthy reissue life (thanks to Astor Pictures). Junior Durkin is a very nice 14-year-old who is suddenly orphaned and shows up at the doorstep at his Aunt and Uncle in the Big City. Trying to help them out in those Great Depression times, he gets a job answering the phone for boarder Pat O'Brien, not knowing that O'Brien's a bootlegger. When the place is raided, Junior's the only one there, and takes the rap and heads to Reform School and SAY, didn't the Dead End Kids do this about 10 times? There, he becomes pals with sickly Junior Coghlan, and when I say pals, I mean I've had girlfriends who didn't act as icky as THESE two do. Anyway, Junior (Durkin, not Coghlan) keeps the faith, sure that buddy O'Brien will use his connections to spring him while Junior (Coghlan, not Durkin) gets weaker from a heart ailment. And Aunt and Uncle and O'Brien girlfriend Bette Davis wonders where the kid went. Bette is VERY good and very pretty in this film, and five times the human being Pat O'Brien is. She makes the movie. Million-dollar Dialog: Kid to Reform School Doctor: 'I swallowed a couple of peas!' Doctor: 'Whatever! You were lucky to GET peas!' Kid: 'No, not peas, Ps - in the print shop!' That's just about the only bit of humor in the whole film, which is so sentimental, occasionally mawkish, and over-dramatic that it's nearly painful to watch. The BD has an iffy first reel but after that it's mostly a terrific picture; the sound is exactly what you'd expect in a low-budget film of the era. The only extras on the disc are trailers for other Kino Classics films. An okay film that's a must-see for Miss Davis, who would, I've heard, go on to better things.