This follow-up to "Boy Trouble" (second in a series of two) was an attempt for Universal to gain footing on MGM's Andy Hardy series and 20th Century Fox's almost forgotten Jones family series. While the Hardy series has been available on home video for decades, the Jones family series was practically lost until it popped up on DVD. However the more obscure family film series (two or three entries) have been lost and forgotten, even though this one stars Charles Ruggles and Mary Boland, paired for approximately a dozen films. The first film showed them dealing with adopting orphaned Billy Lee and taking in tough street kid Donald O'Connor and contained more pathos after setting itself up as a comedy. Now, O'Connor has been somewhat tamed, although he still refers to the initially boy hating Ruggles as Mr. Fitch while calling that old sweetie, Ms. Boland, mom.
Here, the issue of adopting O'Connor takes focus with his reluctance to be adopted and the sudden arrival of his feisty grandfather (Clem Bevans) who wants to make sure that O'Connor will be raised in a home he approves of. The issue is that Ruggles isn't the he-man whom Bevans feels his grandson needs as a father and this leads to several hysterically funny scenes where Ruggles ends up trying to pretend he's a macho dude while really a scaredy cat. Several scenes provide visual gags straight out of a Harold Lloyd silent movie (with Ruggles out on a ledge and a window washing contraption petfried) and the arrival of Ruggles' old school chum William Frawley who bullied him all throughout their growing up years. A very funny scene involves a ridiculous algebra problem (involving mounds of corn and the price of replacing that corn thanks to hungry chickens which Ruggles and Boland must act out), and another has Ruggles pretending to be a ladies' man which Frawley's arrival puts doubt on. Not as sentimental as the first film, this gets momentarily maudlin as O'Connor's future in the home is debated, but in just over an hour everything is wrapped up neatly. No third installment was made, so it's likely that Bevans' character remained on, and that in itself would have kept a few more features amusing as his elderly old coot steals the show.
Here, the issue of adopting O'Connor takes focus with his reluctance to be adopted and the sudden arrival of his feisty grandfather (Clem Bevans) who wants to make sure that O'Connor will be raised in a home he approves of. The issue is that Ruggles isn't the he-man whom Bevans feels his grandson needs as a father and this leads to several hysterically funny scenes where Ruggles ends up trying to pretend he's a macho dude while really a scaredy cat. Several scenes provide visual gags straight out of a Harold Lloyd silent movie (with Ruggles out on a ledge and a window washing contraption petfried) and the arrival of Ruggles' old school chum William Frawley who bullied him all throughout their growing up years. A very funny scene involves a ridiculous algebra problem (involving mounds of corn and the price of replacing that corn thanks to hungry chickens which Ruggles and Boland must act out), and another has Ruggles pretending to be a ladies' man which Frawley's arrival puts doubt on. Not as sentimental as the first film, this gets momentarily maudlin as O'Connor's future in the home is debated, but in just over an hour everything is wrapped up neatly. No third installment was made, so it's likely that Bevans' character remained on, and that in itself would have kept a few more features amusing as his elderly old coot steals the show.
