''Boys' Ranch'' is a 1946 American film about a fictional ex-professional baseball player, "Dan Walker", who starts a ranch in Texas for neglected and delinquent boys.Boys' Ranch (1946) synopsis

Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcas ...

(retrieved 2018-06-30). Promoted by MGM as a successor to its award-winning ''Boys Town'' hit of 1938, the film is loosely based on ex-wrestler Cal Farley's Boys Ranch near

Amarillo, Texas Amarillo ( ; Spanish language, Spanish for "yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Potter County, Texas, Potter County, though most of the southern half of the city extends into Randall County, Texas, Randall County ...

. The film was shot on location near Amarillo.Thames, Stephanie
''Boys' Ranch''
tcm.com (Retrieved June 19, 2019).

Plot

Dan Walker, having retired from professional baseball, is concerned about the plight of neglected youth in his Texas town and persuades a group of community leaders to start a livestock ranch as a resident facility for troubled and neglected boys, to develop good character and self-reliance in a wholesome outdoor environment. The men urge Walker to run the ranch and wealthy landowner Davis Banton agrees to permit use of a portion of his property to set up the ranch on a provisional basis. Two of the boys, "Hank" and "Skippy", are the main protagonists. Hank is sincere and good-hearted, but repeatedly clashes with a cynical and devious Skippy, who mocks Hank as a "trusty". Skippy's misbehavior and thievery eventually cause the neighboring townspeople to call for the ranch's closing. The ongoing conflict between the two boys culminates in a fight in a cemetery when Hank tries to prevent Skippy from running away during a heavy rainstorm. Hank is rendered unconscious when he is knocked backwards and hits his head on a gravestone. Later, after he learns that Hank never returned to the ranch and is missing, Skippy returns to the scene of the fight and discovers the still-unconscious Hank perilously close to drowning in the rising floodwaters. Braving the raging torrent of water, Skippy rescues Hank. Remorseful that his misbehavior has caused so much harm and nearly cost Hank his life, Skippy tearfully confesses to the thefts and returns the stolen items, his reform complete.

Cast

* James Craig as Dan Walker *

Dorothy Patrick Dorothy Patrick (born Dorothea Davis; June 3, 1921 – May 31, 1987) was a Canadian-American film actress and a John Robert Powers model. Early life Patrick was born on June 3, 1921, in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of Mr. and M ...

as Susan Walker * Ray Collins as Davis Banton *

Skip Homeier George Vincent Homeier (October 5, 1930 – June 25, 2017), known professionally as Skip Homeier, was an American actor who started his career at the age of eleven and became a child star. Career Child actor Homeier was born in Chicago, Illino ...

as Skippy *

Darryl Hickman Darryl Gerard Hickman (July 28, 1931 – May 22, 2024) was an American actor, screenwriter, television executive, and acting coach. He started his career as a child actor in the Golden Age of Hollywood and appeared in numerous television seria ...

as Hank * Jackie "Butch" Jenkins as Butch * Sharon McManus as Mary Walker *

Minor Watson Minor Watson (December 22, 1889 – July 28, 1965) was a prominent character actor. He appeared in 111 movies made between 1913 and 1956. His credits included '' Boys Town'' (1938), '' Yankee Doodle Dandy'' (1942), ''Kings Row'' (1942), '' Guad ...

as Mr. Harper *

Arthur Space Charles Arthur Space (October 12, 1908 – January 13, 1983) was an American film, television and stage actor. Today's audiences know him as the eccentric inventor opposite Laurel and Hardy in '' The Big Noise'' (1944), and as veterinarian Doc W ...

as Mr. O'Neill *

Robert Emmett O'Connor Robert O'Connor, also known professionally as Robert Emmett O'Connor and Robert E. O'Connor (March 18, 1885 – September 4, 1962) was an Irish-American actor. He had a lengthy career as a stage actor on Broadway and in vaudeville from 190 ...

as Druggist *

Moroni Olsen Moroni Olsen (June 27, 1889November 22, 1954) was an American actor. Life and career Olsen was born in Ogden, Utah, to Latter-day Saint parents Edward Arenholt Olsen and Martha ( Hoverholst) Olsen, who named him after the Moroni found in the ...

as Judge Henderson

Reception

The comedic element added by Jackie Jenkins as "Butch" was praised by ''Variety'', which said his "every appearance is a guaranteed chuckle". According to MGM records, the movie earned $1,124,000 in the US and Canada and $378,000 elsewhere, for total revenue of $1,502,000. ''Boys' Ranch'' occasionally airs on ''

''.

References

External links

* * * {{Roy Rowland 1946 films 1946 drama films American black-and-white films American drama films Films directed by Roy Rowland Films set in Texas Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films with screenplays by William Ludwig Films scored by Nathaniel Shilkret 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language drama films