Little Men (1934)

This version is the best rendering of Ms. Alcott’s story, "Little Men." The acting was believable, especially from the young stars. Frank Darro was an excellent choice, having that "rough look" but a tender side as well.

Although Darro was in his late teens, he still was able to capture a youthful boy, a downfall in his career. Having seen Darro in other movies, this is one of his better performances, as we can see a tough kid, versus the softer side with the littler boys (helping them). The more remade this movie got, the worse the acting was. This is the perfect version because the acting was pretty good, not overdone. See this one first, then the others.

Ralph Morgan, Erin O’Brien-Moore, Junior Durkin, Cora Sue Collins, Phyllis Cerf, Frankie Darro

1934, B&W, 72 minutes