The weakest and least known of all the film series spawned from the "Dead End" Kids were those made by Universal. These Universal films which were cranked out between 1938 and 1943, overlapped the concurrent "Dead End" Kids at Warner Bros (1938-1939), and The East Side Kids films (1940-1945) at Monogram. LITTLE TOUGH GUY was the first of Universals contribution to the series. This first entry is only passable. The first half is poorly directed and many elements are hard to take. The second half, when the kids go on a wild crime spree comes off better. Of interest to fans of the series is seeing Huntz Hall, in a departure from playing his usual dumbbell role, plays a real tough guy in this one. This was also David Gorceys first appearance in the series. His more famous brother Leo was not in this one (nor any of the subsequent Universal entries). Hally Chester also makes him debut as a gang member in this one (he previously had a bit part in CRIME SCHOOL.)
Review of Little Tough Guy
