This week’s mystery movie was the 1937 Warner Bros. film Penrod and Sam, with Billy Mauch, Frank Craven, Spring Byington, Craig Reynolds, Jackie Morrow, Philip Hurlick, Charles Halton, Bernice Pilot and Kenneth Harlan.

Directed by William McGann.

Screenplay by Lillie Hayward and Hugh Cummings.

Photographed by L. Wm. O’Connell.

Art direction by Hugh Reticker.

Edited by Thomas Pratt.

Dialogue director Hugh Cummings.

Further information on Penrod and Sam is available from the AFI Catalog.

Penrod and Sam is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.

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I picked this version of Penrod and Sam by going through the trades. It has Harry Watson of the famous Watson brothers and features Penrod (Billy Mauch) defending a Black youngster (Philip Hurlick/Phillip Hurlic) who is being bullied by a bigger, older boy (Jackie Morrow).

I’m guessing The New York Times passed on the film, or fobbed it off on one of the “alphabet critics.”

Nailed it. The film gets two-paragraph review from TMP, possibly Thomas M. Pryor (March 29, 1937):

Little but the title of Booth Tarkington’s story remains in the Warner’s third film edition of Penrod and Sam at the Palace. The scenarists have done a completely uninspired rewrite job. For some unknown reason, which the end achieved does not justify, scenarists Lillie Hayward and Hugh Cummings converted Mr. Tarkington’s lovable lads into junior G-men.

Their adventures are exciting enough, but we could not accept that sequence in which the youngsters knock three killers insensible while the sheriff and a veritable army of police and federal agents, armed with submachine guns and tear gas bombs, prepared to storm the deserted barn in which the boys are believed to be captives. Penrod, his pal Sam and the troublesome Rodney Bitts appear in name only.

For Monday, we have a mystery woman.

Update: This is Mildred Gover.

For Tuesday, we have a mysterious lad.

Update: This is Philip Hurlick/Phillip Hurlic.

For “Hm Wednesday,” we have another mysterious lad.

Update: This is Harry Watson.

For “Aha Thursday,” we have an enigmatic couple.

Update: This is Spring Byington and Frank Craven.

Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Anne Papineau (mystery movie and all mystery guests).

For Friday, we have our leading mystery lad.

Update: This is Billy Mauch.

Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guests), Suznchaz (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Sylvia E. (Thursday’s mystery guests).