“Baby Face Morgan” (1942)

 Baby Face Morgan

Brief Description:

When crime boss “Big Mike” Morgan is killed, his lieutenant, “Doc” Rogers, learns that Morgan has a son named Edward living in the country with his mother. Rogers has Edward brought to the city and installs him as the head of Acme Protective Agency, which, unbeknownst to Eddie, is just a cover for the gang’s racketeering activities…

(from Archive, slightly edited by me)

Date: 1942

Genre: American comedy crime

Running time: 59 minutes

Cast: 

Mary Carlisle (Virginia Clark)

Richard Cromwell (Edward “Baby Face” Morgan)

Robert Armstrong (“Doc” Rogers)

Chick Chandler (Oliver Harrison)

Warren Hymer (“Wise Willie”)

Charles Judels (“Deacon” Davis)

Vince Barnett (“Lefty” Lewis)

Ralf Harolde (Joe Torelli)

Hal K. Dawson (J.B. Brown)

Toddy Peterson (Mabel)

Kenneth Chryst (“Mouse”)

Pierce Lyden (Gap)

Director: Arthur Dreifuss

Production company: Producers Releasing Corporation

Wikipedia page

Watch on Archive

(watched on Tubi)

Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 4/5

Super 1940s in feel with plenty of contempoary-to-the-time jokes!

Characters: 4/5

I love Baby Face Morgan, haha! He is so sweet, but totally rises to the occasion when he has to. (He’s also super cute, just sayin’…) Virginia is such a spitfire and totally the perfect partner. Oliver is such a pain for most of the film but it’s worth it to see him at the end—and see Eddie deal with him! “Doc” and Torelli make good stereotypical gangsters, and Davis, “Lefty,” and Willie make good mobsters. As for Mabel, she’s a pain, but she does bring humour… 

Plot: 5/5

This screwball comedy is one of my favourite films—and I am not a fan of comedies in general! I like the plot, which is really interesting; I enjoy the humour, which relies several times on 1940s slang puns; I love the characters. It’s a very simple story, but the ending is full of twists and wraps everything up perfectly. 

Romance: 5/5

Eddie & Virginia are adorable. ;) 

Content: 4/5 (low)

Smoking; drinking; a girl with her skirt hitched up over her knees; mild language?? 

Violence: 4/5 (low)

Low; scene where the gangsters get rough with Eddie while giving him a crash course on how to act like a tough guy.

Overall: 5/5

One of my fav 1940 films and something I enjoy popping on when I need to unwind! I’ve heard that many people dislike it and it’s “best left to aficionados of the 1940’s,” and I accept that happily!