Mickey the Kid

Mickey the Kid
Mickey the Kid
Directed by	Arthur Lubin
Written by	Doris Malloy; Gordon Kahn
Based on	story by Alice Altschuler
Produced by	Herman Schlom
Starring	Bruce Cabot; Ralph Byrd; ZaSu Pitts
Cinematography	Jack A. Marta
Edited by	William Morgan
Music by	Cy Feuer
Production; company	Republic Pictures
Distributed by	Republic Pictures
Release date	July 3, 1939;
Running time	68 minutes; 53 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Mickey the Kid is a 1939 American drama film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Bruce Cabot, Ralph Byrd and ZaSu Pitts.^[1] ^[2] It was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures.

Plot

Dr. Ben Cameron is worried about 12-year-old Mickey, son of Jim Adams, a widower who leads a corrupt and complicated life. Jim rebuffs a request by Jim to have Mickey be raised by Veronica Hudson, the boy's maternal grandmother. Mickey idolizes his father and wants to remain with him.

Pulling a bank robbery, Jim shoots and kills an unarmed teller. While on the run from the law, he realizes Mickey would be better off with Veronica and leaves his son in her care. Veronica enrolls the boy in school. His teacher, Sheila Roberts, is engaged to marry Ben.

Jim sneaks into Veronica's house one night to see his son. He hides in the attic at night, then takes the boy along when he leaves. Desperate to get away, Jim hijacks a school bus filled with children. When the bus gets waylaid by a snowstorm, Jim abandons the kids and is unable to persuade Mickey to do the same. FBI agents shoot Jim, who realizes as he dies that Mickey's life will be better without him.

Cast

Bruce Cabot as Jim Adams
Jessie Ralph as Veronica
Ralph Byrd as Ben
ZaSu Pitts as Lilly
June Storey as Sheila
John Qualen as Mailman

Production

The film was known as Stand Up and Sing. It was based on the heroism of a school boy in a Colorado blizzard a few years previously. Cabot was cast in April.^[3] The title was changed in May.^[4] Filming started in May.^[5]

Reception

The Los Angeles Times called it "fairly good though slightly spotty."^[6]

Lubin considered the film "horrible" and said it was one of the eight flops in his career.^[7]

References

^ Vagg, Stephen (14 September 2019). "The Cinema of Arthur Lubin". Diabolique Magazine.
^ Mickey the Kid Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 6, Iss. 61, (Jan 1, 1939): 205.
^ SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD: Negotiations Under Way for Purchase of Film Rights to Dreiser's 'Sister Carrie' 'DARK VICTORY' WILL OPEN Premiere Today for Picture in Which Bette Davis and George Brent Are Stars Of Local Origin New York Times 20 Apr 1939: 21.
^ SCREEN NEWS HERE AND IN HOLLYWOOD New York Times 6 May 1939: 24.
^ Republic to Start Five Films in May The Christian Science Monitor3 May 1939: 15.
^ Melodrama Given Preview Los Angeles Times 23 June 1939: A10.
^ Flynn, Charles; McCarthy, Todd (1975). "Arthur Lubin". In Flynn, Charles; McCarthy, Todd (eds.). Kings of the Bs : working within the Hollywood system : an anthology of film history and criticism. E. P. Dutton. p. 364.