Mickey Rooney stars as Homer Macauley, a bright-eyed, fresh-faced, optimistic teenager living in Smalltown, USA during the height of World War Two. Even with soldiers passing through town, the war is still far, far away, and civilization can still be saved back on the homefront. Taking his brother's place as "the man of the family," Homer learns about hard work, fair play, compassion for others, and about disappointment and heartbreak as well. This is not a modern movie -- it isn't cynical or packed with obligatory violence, nor is it politically nuanced or notably subtle. But it is a fine document of its time, sort of an ultimate exposition of the best and most cheerful face that mainstream, white America could put on the underlying grimness that a total war mobilization meant for America and the world. It's a piece of homefront propaganda, but no less true to life, in its way, than any other film of the time.
The screenplay by William Saroyan is set in the author's home in California's fertile San Joaquin Valley. It's a fascinating slice of wartime historical hokum -- worth checking out its time capsule qualities, as well as for entertainment value. There are loads of great character actors and all-star cameos, including Frank Morgan (aka The Wizard Of Oz), as Homer's older mentor, Don Defore and (a very young) Robert Mitchum as babyfaced soldiers on leave, and Carl Switzler ("Alfalfa," of the Little Rascals) as a teenage hooligan. This movie is sappy, sure... but it's also worth checking out if you have any interest in understanding American society at this critical juncture in our national history.
