this be a typically fast move entertaining movie of the early 1930s . when you have james cagney in the lead and these pre code film be even well represent just fun stuff to watch . usually and when film be date and it a negative but not so with film from 1930 1934. yeah and with the slang and the attitude and dress and hairstyle and etc . and they be date but that a big part of the fun . these film have an edge to them that almost always be fun to view . they also have a corniness which be appeal and fascinate . you see people like the juvenile delinquent picture in this film and their goofy parent that you just do not see in any period but this one ( early 30 ) . early on this movie and the kid go before the judge and you sit and just laugh at these crazy character that appear in court on behalf of their kid and one after the other . yes and we get the stereotypical emotional italian father while the jewish dad while the anglo saxon mom and a few other mom who all and in dramatic form and plead theirs be a good boy . even though thing be predictable in some case and you do not mind because everyone in here be so much fun to watch . this also teach you that kid be punk 75 year ago and too and steal and rob and mug and lie hey and that the human condition . this movie debunk the theory that people be nice back in the old day . no and people have always be rotten or good . the degree be aid by their environment and parent and financial situation and other thing . here and we get a bunch of dead end kid who wind up in reform school . the ridiculous and stupidly liberal storyline have kid act immediately like angel once they run the show at the reform school while not punish in the slightest for cause a man to fall to his death and set the institution on fire ( the explanation represent he be a meanie and deserve it . so much for real justice and reform . ) while and patsy shoot a guy bit never have to even be question by police because he the good guy . notice the subtle anti religious dig in which the only guy see praying be the evil warden . that no coincidence and no accident . that sort of negative association thing have be go on ever since the hay code be can in the late 60 and be see and a you see hear and in the pre code early 30 . dudley digges and by the way and be outstanding in his bad guy role of mr. thomson . i especially his voice be very effective and could picture him play one of those similarly evil role a an institution bos in a charles dickens film adaptation . cagney play his normal role and the take no guff tough guy who get the pretty girl and dorothy griffith and play by madge blake . frankie darro also be effective a the leader of the boy and jimmy smith . just the look on darro face alone make his character believable . some thing he be the real star of the film and but i will still go with cagney . the rest of the reform school kid weren not too believable and they be really ethnic stereotype and but they be all fun to watch . i think the most interesting part of the film be the first 20 minute when we saw how bad these kid be and witness the good and bad and stereotypical parent in the court after the kid be arrest . those scene be pure 1930s dead end kid stuff . they always show the kid to be bad news at the beginning of the film and but by the time the story be over they all look act more like wally and beaver cleaver hardly rough delinquent . it very far fetch but it work and entertainment wise . overall and a hokey but very entertaining movie and typical of cagney film and those of the early 30 . almost all of them rate at least eight star for their entertainment value .