Tragedy strikes in Wild Boys of the Road.

Wild Boys of the Road is what they used to call a “Message Picture”. Made during the depths of the depression it tells the sad tale of teenagers Eddie and Tommy, best friends that run away from home in search of work because their families can no longer afford to care for them. They illegally ride the rails across the Midwest scrounging for food along the way.

They befriend a young girl traveling to Chicago to stay with her aunt. At first they assume she is a boy and, thinking “he” stole their sandwiches, Tommy gets in a fight with her. Once things get straightened out she invites the boys along and their fortunes seem to have changed for the better when they arrive in the Windy City and are warmly greeted by the aunt.

But this is a melodramatic morality tale so of course she gets arrested for prostitution within minutes of their arrival, and so the three of them are right back out on the road. They join up with many other kids and form a tent city outside of Cleveland. This leads to a confrontation with the local police that turns violent and they must move on again. Finally the road leads to New York City and the film’s climax.

Wild Boys of the Road was made before the Production Code took effect. The one scene where this is most evident takes place on a train. While everyone else is busy fighting off train inspectors a girl gets raped by a brakeman. The boys then come to her rescue and attack the man. He winds up falling off the train to his death. In another gruesome scene a boy gets his leg run over by a train. It is worth noting this ragtag group of runaways includes both Jewish and black boys.

The cast is peppered with familiar faces (and voices). Sterling Holloway plays one of the older boys. He would later make a name for himself doing voice-over work for Walt Disney, most memorably as the voice of Winnie-the-Pooh. Grant Mitchell plays Eddie’s father, his most famous role was as the frustrated homeowner besieged by The Man Who Came to Dinner. Uncle Henry from The Wizard of Oz (Charley Grapewin) plays a junk dealer. The ubiquitous Ward Bond plays the rapist brakeman. Alan Hale Jr. (better known as Skipper on Gilligan’s Island) made his movie debut as a judge’s son, although his part ended up on the cutting room floor. All that remains is his image in a photograph the judge looks at while presiding in court.

As the tagline attests Wild Boys of the Road is none too subtle. It’s pure melodrama about the plight of destitute youths during the depression. Remember this was before FDR’s New Deal, when the only financial safety net was the charity of churches and other social organizations. William A. Wellman keeps this tough little story clipping along. It’s not a great movie, some of the acting is amateurish, but it’s worth checking out.
 

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