The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-27
Promising Pictures Feature Programs or Local 7heaters
CRIME SCHOOL
 OPENS AT STATE
Exciting Film Tops Smash- ing Double Hit Starting
 Today

The newer, more modern methods of dealing with wayward boys will be compared with the brutal out moded conditions existing in some of the nations corrective institu- tions as Warner Bros. fearless eX- pose of these conditions flash across the screen of Warner Bros. State theater in the form of the exciting picture Crime School" which headlines the smashing double hit bill opening four day engagement at this popular theater starting this afternoon.
 Effectively utilizing the talents of the six New York boys who became famous in both stage and screen versions of Dead End" as well as such adult players as Humphrey Bogart and Gale Page, the latter a beautiful newcomer to the screen from radio, the new Warner picture makes a strong case for its basic theme-that the old type of boys reformatory is in fact Crime School"
 The newer methods of dealing with juvenile offenders-designed to prevent their developing into adult criminals-are effectively con- trasted with the old by passing the story on the determined fight made by an idealistic young official to introduce his ideas into a reforma- tory of the old type.
 The story makes the six Dead End" boys the storm center around which this fight rages. Bogart, for the first time in his screen career playing hero, is the idealistic com- missioner and he plays his role not only with sympathetic understand ing but also with the vigor and ag- gressiveness demanded of a charac- ter who successfully battles not only stupidity and prejudice but also po- litical hypocrisy and crookedness.
 Remarkably true-to-life per- formances by the six boys have much to do with making the pro- duction both entertaining and mov- ing.
 If there ever was any belief that their previous success was merely a happy accident, it is certainly dissi- pated by their work in Crime School" Every one of them-Billy Halop. Bobby Jordan, Huntz Hall, Leo Gorcey, Bernard Punsley and Gabriel Dell-proves again that he is swell little character actor, with young Halop in this instance carrying off top honors, not neces- sarily because ne is better trouper than the others but because he was lucky enough to have the part with the best opportunities.
 The tale which gives them all so fine an opportunity to display their talents was written by Crane Wilbur, and it adheres, for all the melodramatic excitement and humorous moments along the way, to an important theme-the event. ual fate of juvenile delinquents un- der contrasting systems of penology, that of the old, brutal. maladminis- tered, graft-ridden reformatory, and that of the modern corrective in- stitution.
 The six Dead End' boys are in this story typical products of the slum streets who are arrested for petty crimes.
 In addition. to the principals mentioned, other players who aid greatly in giving an. air of vivid truth to the picture include Weldon Hepburn, Cy Kendall, Paul Porcasi, Spencer Charters, Henry Offerman, Jr., Donald Briggs and Helen Mac Kellar.
 The program is completed with the presentation of the second