Other than using the same title this film has no connection to nor is there any film credit linking it to the poem by John Greenleaf Whittier. In this film, Kenneth Hale, a pampered, snobbish young boy is sent by his father, John Hale, who has served time in prison for a crime he did not commit, down to the country farm of an old friend, Calvin Whittaker. The barefooted, honest and plucky Billy Whittaker, his girlfriend, Pige Bennett, and punky Kenneth get involved with a "haunted" house and a gang of crooks, while Billy helps make a "better man" out of Kenneth. The teen team of Jackie Moran and Marcia Mae Jones isn't one of Hollywood's most endearing. They lack the nostalgia and box office of a Mickey/Judy (or even Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan), but in the late 1930's and early 1940's, they made half a dozen programmers at the low-grade Monogram which ended up on bottom half of double bills and often were overlooked by reviewers. While some of their films are acceptable in spite of low budgets and contrived plots, a few of them are rather mediocre, focusing on melodramatic twists and some ridiculous sudden developments that seem truly forced and put in simply to manipulate the audience's emotions without regards to whether they seem realistic or not.<br/><br/>While pretty much all of these stories take place in small communities and focus on simple family values, they add a big city mentality with the ruthless or criminal element coming in to disturb the peace of rural life. This deals with the calmness of teenagers Moran and Jones' life being interrupted by the arrival of spoiled and temperamental Bradley Metcalfe whose parents are separated due to his father's (Ralph Morgan) incarceration and will most likely end in divorce. Resentful of the belief that his father stole some valuable bonds, Metcalfe takes it out on everybody around him, even planning on running off with the missing bonds when he discovers them. This leads to a confrontation with crooks and a cruel prank played on the audience by the writers concerning Moran's beloved dog (played by Terry, aka "Toto"). A few light-hearted moments break up the monotony of the plot, but ultimately it is unsatisfying and majorly disappointing. Other than using the same title this film has no connection to nor is there any film credit linking it to the poem by John Greenleaf Whittier. <br/><br/>In this film, Kenneth Hale, a pampered, snobbish young boy is sent by his father, John Hale, who has served time in prison for a crime he did not commit, down to the country farm of an old friend, Calvin Whittaker. <br/><br/>The barefooted, honest and plucky Billy Whittaker, his girlfriend, Pige Bennett, and punky Kenneth get involved with a "haunted" house and a gang of crooks, while Billy helps make a "better man" out of Kenneth.<br/><br/>Filmed well, acted well, just a ridiculously slow, tedious, bland story.<br/><br/>It's mindless.
Jacores replied
295 weeks ago