A Universal Picture
Produced by Ben Verschleiser
Directed by Edward Ludwig

CAST

May Robson . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    Mary Jane Baxter (Queenie)
Henry Armetta . . . . . . . . . . . .    Tony Orsatti
Herman Bing . . . . . . . . . . . . .     Walter Merkin
Frankie Darro . . . . . . . . . . . .     "Blackie"
Billy Burrud . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    "Doc"
William Benedict . . . . . . . . . .    "Flash"
Charlotte Henry . . . . . . . . . . .    Julia
Laurence Grant . . . . . . . . . . .    Wilfred Edgar
Lillian Harmer . . . . . . . . . . . .    Elmira Wiggins
Henry Kilker . . . . . . . . . . . . .    Crippets
John Miljan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    "Boss" Benton
Hale Hamilton . . . . . . . . . . . .    Ralph
Noel Madison . . . . . . . . . . . .    Stanley
Hedda Hopper . . . . . . . . . . . .    Mrs. Cummings
Tommy Dugan . . . . . . . . . . . .    Bill

    This entertaining piece of comedy / action / drama is a wonderful showcase for not only Frankie Darro but the entire cast!
    The plot revolves around Mary Jane Baxter, the richest woman in the world, who is wealthy in money but poor in friends and relations.  She's a strong-headed woman who would rather spend money on her own dog than donating funds to help cure the ills of the less-privileged.  After she purchases not only a hotel in Europe (because they wouldn't allow her dog inside) but also buys out a performance of an opera for herself and her dog, her relatives insist she be subjected to an insanity hearing (in the hopes of gaining control of her money).  Even her lawyer is concerned when she buys an entire city block for the sole purpose of walking her dog there.  The newspapers explode the story all over the front pages, announcing her million dollar purchase and outraging the struggling citizens of New York.
    Among the outraged is Tony, the owner of a local barber shop located in Hell's Kitchen.  In addition to his own daughter, Tony has taken in three boys named Blackie, Flash and little Doc (a sickly boy with a limp whose parents, who used to live upstairs from Tony, passed away).  Doc is an enterprising young man who sells old magazines on the street corner to try to help make ends meet (although his real ambition is to become a doctor).
    The two world's collide in the park when Mary Jane's carriage runs out of control after backfire from the kids' borrowed  jalopy startle the horses.  Mary Jane is thrown onto the ground and knocked unconscious.  At Doc's urging, they take the "poor old woman" home with them to take care of her.
    Not long after Mary Jane awakens in the home of Tony and his kids, she learns from a newspaper that authorities believe she has been kidnapped.  The paper further explains that she is to be committed to an asylum if and when she is found.  She announces that she plans to stay in hiding with the family, and if they so much as let anyone know where she is she will accuse them of being her kidnappers!  The family is scared into silence.
    As Mary Jane, who is affectionately named "Queenie" by the family, gets to know these lower class people, she comes to realize how misguided and selfish she has been with her money and her love.  She even plays matchmaker between Blackie and Julia, sharing with them the story of her own lost love and warning them against letting happiness pass them by.
    Meanwhile, a group of crooks are bemoaning the fact they themselves didn't think to kidnap the old woman themselves.  They want in on the deal, but the only lead to finding the woman (who has never been photographed) is to find her dog.  They spot the dog in Tony's shop and late one night break into the apartment behind the shop and kidnap Queenie and injure Doc.
    Blackie takes it upon himself to help rescue Queenie.  He infiltrates the gangster's hideout by pretending to want to get in on the kidnapping deal.  The leader, "Boss" Benton, plays along with Blackie and takes him along when he makes the ransom call, but he overhears Blackie attempting to phone the police and shoots him.
    Tony and the kids are taken into custody when themselves and Blackie are implicated in Queenie's kidnapping (a setup arranged by Boss Benton).  There they learn Blackie has been shot.  In reality, Blackie is in the hospital convincing the police to let him help rescue Queenie.  Since the kidnapping has been pinned mostly on him, the police announce on the radio that he has died to give the kidnappers a false sense of security.  They set a trap for the kidnappers and Blackie attempts to break into the gangster's hideout to rescue Queenie.  Queenie gets as far as the trunk of the gangster's car, where she's trapped during a wild chase and shootout, but the kidnappers are caught and Queenie is rescued, only to be institutionalized in the sanitarium.
    Queenie is brought before the courts to defend her sanity, and she is backed up by Tony and the kids.  The court rules in her favor and she stays with Tony and the kids, with the promise of a better life ahead for all.

Highlights:

The movie features a rare musical performance of "Lookie Lookie Lookie, Here Comes Cookie," one of the few times Frankie and William Benedict get to sing on screen.  Frankie even throws in a classic back flip while William ad-libs a few dance steps!

For once, a romantic role for Frankie!  And he actually gets the girl at the end!  One interesting and unique romantic scene shows Frankie giving his girlfriend a shampoo in the barber shop.

William Benedict and Frankie Darro would work together again in the Bowery Boys movies (Billy Benedict would go on to play Whitey in that series).  This early appearance with the two of them together is a real treat for their fans!