This week’s mystery movie was the 1940 MGM film Gallant Sons, with Jackie Cooper, Bonita Granville, Gene Reynolds, June Preisser, Leo Gorcey, William Tracy, Tommy Kelly, Edward Ashley and El Brendel.
Screenplay by William R. Lipman and Marion Parsonnet.
Photographed by Sidney Wagner.
Musical score by David Snell.
Recording by Douglas Shearer.
Art direction by Cedric Gibbons.
Associate Howard Campbell.
Set decorations by Edwin B. Willis.
Miss Patrick’s gowns by Adrian.
Edited by Ben Lewis.
Directed by George B. Seitz.
Produced by Frederick Stephani.
Further information on Gallant Sons is available from the AFI Catalog.
Gallant Sons is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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Just for a change, I picked Gallant Sons because The New York Times review was published in the same batch as last week’s mystery movie, Third Finger, Left Hand. It received a pretty good writeup (by “alphabet critic” Abe Weiler) and has almost no screen caps on IMDB.
Weiler wrote (The New York Times, December 12, 1940):
This being the season for gratitude, this corner should record that Metro’s Gallant Sons, which arrived at Loew’s Criterion yesterday, is another small reason for being grateful. Not that the tale is a combination of all the cinematic virtues, which it isn’t, but simply because it avoids taking itself too seriously and emerges as a satisfying, amusing and smartly paced mystery. Legend from the West Coast has it that more than often studios surfeited with burgeoning juvenile talent find it hard to accommodate them all on the same lot at the same time. This time, however, Metro has succeeded in utilizing a fair portion of its younger players, and to good advantage.
Here’s a bonus photo of two future TV producers:
This is Gail Patrick, future producer of Perry Mason, and Gene Reynolds, future producer of MASH and Lou Grant.
For Monday, we have a mysterious juvenile.
Update: This is Gene Reynolds.
For Tuesday, we have an incarcerated mystery guest.
Update: This is Ian Hunter.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Monday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Monday’s mystery guest), Bob Hansen (Monday’s mystery guest) and Anne Papineau (Monday’s mystery guest).
For Wednesday, we have two mysterious guests.
Update: This is June Preisser and Leo Gorcey.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious inmate), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious inmate), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and both mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mysterious inmate), Sheila (Tuesday’s mystery inmate) and Megan and Thom (Tuesday’s mysterious inmate).
Note to Sylvia: The era is right!
For “Aha Thursday,” we have this mysterious youth.
Update: This is William Tracy and no, there are no lenses in those glasses.
And we have this mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Joe Yule, Mickey Rooney’s father.
And finally, this mysterious pair.
Update: This is Gail Patrick and Edward Ashley.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Blackwing Jenny (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery youth and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Boebert (Wednesday’s fugitive from the Bowery Boys), Suz n Chaz (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Benito (Wednesday’s fugitive from the Bowery Bows), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests) and Sylvia (Wednesday’s fugitive from the Bowery Boys.
For Friday, we have a mysterious pair in a jalopy.
Update: This is Bonita Granville and Jackie Cooper.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery guests), Sylvia (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Stacia (mystery movie, Wednesday’s fugitive from the Bowery Boys, and Thursday’s mystery guests), Robert Morrisey (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery inmate, Wednesday’s fugitive from the Bowery Boys and Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guests), Benito (Thursday’s mysterious woman), Megan and Thom (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast).
ladailymirror.com 
Robert Cummings in Hitchcock’s SABOTEUR.
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Spencer Tracy not looking for trouble.
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Frankie Darro?
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That’s one vote for Franie Darro (alas, I’m afraid not)
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Gene Reynolds.
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Gene Reynolds in The Penalty (1941)
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Frankie Darro?
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Two votes for Franie Darro…..
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It could be Gene Reynolds from the mid- to late-30s. Don’t know which movie.
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It could be Gene Reynolds, mid- to late-30s. Don’t know the movie tho.
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Gene Reynolds?
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Kind of has a Shemp Howard-y look.
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Is today’s guest John Garfield?
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An interesting guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Ian Hunter stuck in stir in “Gallant Sons”
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Ian Hunter today and GALLANT SONS.
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Just for grins I’ll guess that Billy Halop is Monday’s distraught young man.
This looks like a “juvenile delinquent” movie from late 30s early 40s. Noticing that some others have the same feeling judging by their guesses.
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Don DeFore
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Gene Reynolds and Ian Hunter in GALLANT SONS.
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Iam Hunter in Gallant Sons (1940).
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Iam Hunter in Gallant Sons (1940).
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Ian Hunter for Tuesday?
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Today’s guest is Ian Hunter.
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June Presisser and Leo Gorcey.
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June Preisser and Leo Gorcey-Gallant Sons!
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June Priesser and Leo Gorcey-“Gallant Sons”!
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June Preisser giving Leo Gorcey the side eye.
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Leo Gorcey on Wed.?
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GALLANT SONS 1940 with Gene Reynolds ? (Monday), Ian Hunter (Tuesday), June Preisser and Leo Gorcey (Wednesday)
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Leo Gorcey and babe
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June Preisser and Leo Gorcey.
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Today’s young man looks like a very young Leo Gorcey.
Maybe Tuesday’s guy is Saul Gorss? I’m really only guessing that because of my Mr Gorcey guess.
Will keep plowing along.
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William Tracy, Gail Patrick and Edward Ashley. Working on older guy.
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William Tracy, Mickey’s Pa — Joe Yule, Gail Patrick and Edward Ashley
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Joe Yule as guy behind screen.
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Gallant Sons 1940
Mon – Gene Reynolds
Tues – Ian Hunter
Weds – Leo Gorcey and June Presser
Thur – William Tracy, Joe Yule (Mickey Rooney’s father), Gail Patrick and Edward Ashley
That leaves Jackie Cooper, Bonita Granville and the reveal of Gene Reynolds for Friday.
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As someone who has actually seen this movie I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t realize what movie this was until this morning, when it finally dawned on me that the girl with Leo Gorcey was Bonita Granville: GALLANT SONS (1940)!
Monday is probably Jackie Cooper, Tuesday should be Minor Watson, Wednesday Leo and Bonita, Thursday is William Tracy, Joe Yule, and Gail Patrick and Ian Hunter as the mystery pair. Ian looks better without the moustache!
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Late to the game here!
We’ve got Leo Gorcey, Ian Hunter, William Tracy, and finally the lovely Gail Patrick, so IMDb – on three separate windows – tells me that this must be 1940’s Gallant Sons.
Thanks for your daily posts – one of the little pleasures of life!
Bob
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William Tracy, Joe Yule, Gail Patrick and Edward Ashley.
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Gail Patrick, aka future PERRY MASON producer, aka snobby sister in MY MAN GODFREY
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I meant to put this in yesterday. Our movie is Gallant Sons, with Gene Reynolds, Leo Gorcey, June Preisser, William Tracy, George Lessey, Gail Patrick, and Edward Ashley.
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Gallant Sons (1940) w/Ian Hunter, Gail Patrick, Leo Gorcy, Gene Reynolds, Bonita Granville, Jackie Cooper, William Tracy…
(Had to detour to get through, maybe next week I will get the original post)
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Bonita Granville and Jackie Cooper.
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Bonita and Jackie tooling around town.
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