frankie darro be a wonderful child actor who excel at play pugnacious little tough with gigantic chip on their shoulder . he appear in a couple of top film of the early 30 the public enemy ( 1931 ) and a ground break crime drama and wild boy of the road ( 1933 ) and a topical depression era movie about kid who ride the rail . he be essentially a young version of james cagney . although short of height and his willingness to do his own stunt keep him employ in a series of programmer when the big studio have no more use for him . crime school be suppose to be a remake of the mayor of hell but it have far more humour in it and feature the dead end kid and humphrey bogart a a very lay back deputy commisssioner . the mayor of hell be really a combination of hell house or crime school or boy town . even though cagney do not make his appearance until around the 25th minute his impact ( a usual ) be immediate . he play a hot head gangster who be on the payroll of a political group run by the mob . jimmy smith ( frankie darro ) and his gang ( include farina from our gang ) run a car wash racket but bite off more than they can chew when they rob a general store and push the owner through a plate glass window . they appear before the juvenile court and be sentence to go to the state reformatory . it be paint in glow term a model school where boy be give a chance to learn a trade . in reality and it be a hellish place run by a sadistic warden and mr. thompson ( outstandingly play by dudley digges ) . the only compassionate person be dorothy griffith and the live in nurse ( play by madge evans ) . patsy gargan ( james cagney ) have be give the job a the new deputy commissioner and a a favour . on his arrival at the school he witness a failed escape attempt and after talk to dorothy and realise the school need sweeping reform . he be soon run the school and brings in a system of self government rather along the line of boy town . even though cagney doesn not have a lot to do and the picture be carry along to it grip climax by the energy of darro . after patsy be temporarily out of the picture ( he accidentally shoot a mobster and have to leave the state ) and thompson return and his brutal treatment and result in the death of a boy ( skinny ) turn the rest of the boy into an angry mob . they burn down a barn and thompson fall to his death patsy return just in time to quieten the mob with some sobering talk . sure and all the boy seem to get be a stiff talk to for their crime but i do disagree with one of the reviewer thompson be more than just a meanie . his sadistic treatment result in a boy death . there be a scene at the beginning where the boy be serve some inedible slop thompson order ham and egg and keep pile the butter on his bread while talk to dorothy . allan jenkins play uncle mike and sheila terry and although bill only a a blonde have one of the most memorable line when she pout and say i think there be go to be young boy here and where be they . highly recommended .