Two Bright Boys
Cast & Crew
Joseph Santley
Jackie Cooper
Freddie Bartholomew
Melville Cooper
Dorothy Peterson
Alan Dinehart
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Young Rory O'Donnell and his widowed mother Kathleen are trying desperately to complete the drilling of an wildcat oil well on their rundown farm in Texas. The O'Donnells face opposition from Bill Hallitt, a ruthless oil baron who is determined to seize the land for himself. Hallitt's opportunity presents itself in the form of Hilary Harrington, an Englishman who lives by his wits. When the oil baron catches Hilary cheating in a card game, Hallitt offers him and his son David the choice of going to jail or working for him to steal the O'Donnell's land. Father and son reluctantly choose the latter and to pass themselves off as Londoners with banking connections in order to acquire the claim to the well. David wins Rory's confidence by saving the well when an accident threatens destruction, and the families become good friends. With his last penny spent, Rory mortgages Hilary the land for $3,000 and Hilary signs the note over to Hallitt. As Hallitt anxiously waits to foreclose, Hilary and David pitch in to help Rory while sending false reports to Hallitt about the progress of the well. On the night that Rory's driller, Mike Casey, discovers the cap rock layer that covers the oil, Hallitt learns of their progress and orders his men to wreck the O'Donnells' rig and equipment. Furious at the Harringtons' deception, Rory orders them off his land. In hopes of bringing in the oil before Hallitt can foreclose on the note, Mike detonates the well, and perishes in the explosion. Determined to risk everything to make up for the trouble they have caused, Hilary and David forge Hallitt's name on a check to buy new equipment and order it delivered to the O'Donnell ranch. Just as Rory brings in his gusher, the sheriff comes to arrest Hilary for forgery. As he leads Hilary away, the sheriff suggests to him that the law will be lenient because of Hallitt's crooked schemes, and Kathleen tells Hilary that she will be waiting his return.
Director
Joseph Santley
Cast
Jackie Cooper
Freddie Bartholomew
Melville Cooper
Dorothy Peterson
Alan Dinehart
Willard Robertson
J. M. Kerrigan
Eddie Acuff
Hal K. Dawson
Harry Worth
Eddy C. Waller
Joe Whitehead
Fred Santley
Clyde Dilson
Ralph Sanford
Herbert Heywood
William Ruhl
Monte Montague
Eric Hansen
Marty Faust
Crew
Elwood Bredell
Bernard B. Brown
Val Burton
Phil Cahn
John Ewing
William Fox
R. A. Gausman
Edmund L. Hartmann
Hal Herman
"brownie" Johnson
Phil Karlstein
Burt Kelly
Jack Otterson
Charles Previn
Robert Pritchard
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working titles for this picture were Bad Company, Forgotten Boys and Bright Victory. It was the second collaboration of actors Tom Brown, Jackie Cooper, Joseph Santley and Burt Kelly; their first picture was Universal's 1939 picture Spirit of Culver. Although the onscreen credits list Robert Pritchard as sound technician, the copyright records credit William Fox in that position. According to a news item in Hollywood Reporter, the film was shot on location at the Municipal Airport in Los Angeles, CA.
