''Come Out Fighting'' is a

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which Nuclear weapon, nuclear weapons Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have been used in combat. Events Below, ...

American film directed by

William Beaudine William Washington Beaudine (January 15, 1892 – March 18, 1970) was an American film actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres. Life and car ...

. It was the last in the Monogram Pictures series of "

East Side Kids The East Side Kids were characters in a series of 22 films released by Monogram Pictures from 1940 through 1945. Many of them were originally part of The Dead End Kids and The Little Tough Guys, and several of them later became members of The ...

" films before the series was reinvented as "

The Bowery Boys The Bowery Boys are fictional New York City characters, portrayed by a company of New York actors, who were the subject of 48 feature films released by Monogram Pictures and its successor Allied Artists Pictures Corporation from 1946 through 1 ...

. Film critic

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fi ...

described the film as "grating," giving it one and a half out of four stars.

, ''Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide'', page 256, 1998.

Plot

The East Side Kids are ejected from their clubhouse in a raid brought on by complaining neighbors, they have no place to train for an upcoming boxing tournament. The police commissioner is worried that his son Gilbert, who prefers

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...

, is turning out to be a wimp, so he offers the gang a deal: he'll lay off them if they will take his son in their gang and toughen the boy up. Gang member Muggs McGinnis takes an instant dislike to Gilbert, and sets Gilbert up to get in a fight with Danny More, the gang's best boxer, but is impressed when he sees Gilbert use ballet moves to avoid getting hit, and instead knock out Danny. Later, the East Side Kids learn that Gilbert's girlfriend Rita has taken Gilbert to an illegal casino owned by local gangsters. The East Side Kids get to the casino just before cops raid the place. Muggs is able to sneak Gilbert out, but Danny is injured, and Muggs himself is caught, and is therefore barred from entering the boxing tournament. Gilbert agrees to participate in the tournament, and is in bad shape after the first two rounds. Muggs advises Gilbert to use his ballet moves, which enables Gilbert to win the match. Gilbert then confesses the truth about having been at the casino, and his police commissioner father clears Muggs of all charges.Amy Dunkleberger, Patricia K. Hanson, ''American Film Institute Catalog Motion- Feature Films, 1941-1950'', Volumes 1-2; Volume 4, page 459, 1971.

Cast

The East Side Kids

Leo Gorcey Leo Bernard Gorcey (June 3, 1917– June 2, 1969) was an American stage and film actor, famous for portraying the leader of a group of hooligans known variously as the Dead End Kids, the East Side Kids and, as adults, The Bowery Boys. Gorcey was ...

as Mugs McGinnis *

Huntz Hall Henry Richard "Huntz" Hall (August 15, 1920 – January 30, 1999) was an American radio, stage, and movie performer who appeared in the popular " Dead End Kids" movies, including ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938), and in the later " Bowery ...

as Glimpy *

Billy Benedict William Benedict (April 16, 1917 – November 25, 1999), was an American actor, perhaps best known for playing "Whitey" in Monogram Pictures' The Bowery Boys series. Early years Benedict was born in Haskell, Oklahoma, After his father's dea ...

as Skinny *

Gabriel Dell Gabriel Dell (born Gabriel Marcel Dell Vecchio; October 8, 1919 – July 3, 1988) was an American actor and one of the members of what came to be known as the Dead End Kids, then later the East Side Kids and finally The Bowery Boys. Acting car ...

as Talman (a.k.a. Pete) * Mende Koenig as Danny *

Buddy Gorman Charles J. "Buddy" Gorman''Hollywood's Made-To-Order-Punks: The Complete Film History of the Dead End Kids, Little Tough Guys, East Side Kids, and Bowery Boys,'' Richard Roat, BearManor Media, 2010. (September 2, 1921 – April 1, 2010) was an A ...

as Sammy

Remaining cast

* June Carlson as Jane Riley *

Amelita Ward Amelita Ward (July 17, 1923 – April 26, 1987) was an American film actress. She played supporting roles in over 20 films between 1943 and 1949, generally in B Pictures such as ''Gangway for Tomorrow'' and '' The Falcon in Danger'' (1943). She w ...

as Rita Joyce * Addison Richards as Police Commissioner James Mitchell *

George Meeker George Meeker (March 5, 1904 – August 19, 1984) was an American character film and Broadway actor. A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Meeker made several films such as ''Crime, Inc.'' (1945) and ''A Thief in the Dark'' (1 ...

as Silk Henry * Johnny Duncan as Gilbert Mitchell *

Fred Kelsey Frederick Alvin Kelsey (August 20, 1884 – September 2, 1961) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. Kelsey directed one- and two-reel films for Universal Film Manufacturing Company. He appeared in more than 400 films betw ...

as Mr. McGinnis, Sr. * Douglas Wood as Mayor *

Milton Kibbee Milton Kibbee (January 27, 1896 – April 17, 1970) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 360 films between 1933 and 1953. He was the brother of actor Guy Kibbee and his daughter was actress Lois Kibbee. He died in Simi Vall ...

as Police chief * Pat Gleason as Little Pete Vargas *

Robert Homans Robert Edward Homans (November 8, 1877 – July 28, 1947) was an American actor who entered films in 1923 after a lengthy stage career. Life and career Robert Homans was born November 8, 1877, in Malden, Massachusetts. Although he studied ...

as Police Sergeant Tom Riley *

Patsy Moran Patsy Moran (born 1951) was an Irish hurler who played for club Kilkenny Championship clubs Muckalee/Ballyfoyle Rangers and St Martin's. He played at senior level for the Kilkenny county team for a brief period, during which time he usually ...

as Mrs. McGinnis * Alan Foster as Whitey * Davison Clark as Officer McGowan * Meyer Grace as Jake * Betty Sinclair as Stenographer

References

External links

* 1945 films 1945 comedy films 1940s English-language films American black-and-white films Monogram Pictures films Films directed by William Beaudine American comedy films Films produced by Sam Katzman American boxing films East Side Kids 1940s American films {{1940s-comedy-film-stub