That Gang of Mine | 1940 | Comedy | Drama | Sports | Family | Teen Gang Film

That Gang of Mine (1940)

Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Studio: Monogram Pictures
Starring: Leo Gorcey (Muggs Maloney), Bobby Jordan (Danny), Clarence Muse (Ben), Dave O’Brien, Ernest Morrison, Sunshine Sammy
Release Date: September 6, 1940
Runtime: 62 minutes
Format: Black & White | Mono | Sound | Live Action
Country: United States
Language: English
Genres: Comedy | Drama | Sports | Family | Teen Gang Film

Summary:
In That Gang of Mine, the East Side Kids return for a heartfelt tale of ambition and friendship centered around the world of horse racing. When Muggs Maloney and his pals meet a kindly African American horse trainer named Ben, they help him train a spirited thoroughbred named Bluenight. Muggs dreams of becoming a jockey, but he's got more guts than skill—and a lot to learn about trust, humility, and sportsmanship.

Blending streetwise charm with underdog determination, the film is a wholesome mix of laughs, lessons, and racetrack excitement. It’s one of the earliest entries in the East Side Kids series and features strong themes of perseverance, loyalty, and cross-cultural respect during a time of racial tension in America.

Background:
That Gang of Mine was the third film in the East Side Kids series, a continuation of the popular Dead End Kids films. Produced by Monogram Pictures, known for their low-budget but fast-moving B-movies, the film helped further develop the scrappy gang’s on-screen chemistry.

Director Joseph H. Lewis—who would later earn cult status for his stylish noirs like Gun Crazy—directed this early entry with a focus on character and simple moral lessons. The movie is notable for casting Clarence Muse in a dignified and prominent role, rare for Black actors in 1940s Hollywood, and for tackling themes of equality in a light but forward-thinking manner.

Trivia:

One of the few 1940s films to feature a Black character (played by Clarence Muse) as a wise and sympathetic mentor rather than a caricature.

Leo Gorcey and Bobby Jordan were real-life friends whose chemistry helped drive the East Side Kids series’ popularity.

Clarence Muse was a trailblazer for African American performers and was also a screenwriter, composer, and director.

Joseph H. Lewis would go on to direct cult classics like The Big Combo and Gun Crazy in the 1950s.

The horse Bluenight plays a central role and was featured in promotional materials.

The film has since entered the public domain, making it a staple in classic film compilations and bargain DVD sets.

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Видео That Gang of Mine | 1940 | Comedy | Drama | Sports | Family | Teen Gang Film канала The Eclectic Domain