Lord Jeff

Drama / Black & White / Family
1938 / 85 minutes
RATING: 8/10

This is a fantastic film… and a hard sell for any modern audience. My 11-year-old gave it an 8.5 at the end, but she would never have picked it – that it’s black and white would have put her off. She only watched it because she was sick, bundled up on the couch, and had gotten bored enough with her book to check out what her dad was watching. And then it won her over.

The opening scene introduces us to the young and very spoiled Lord Geoffrey Braemer. His imperious ways don’t endear him to the hotel staff where he’s staying, but those same haughty manners put everyone off from questioning his lordship’s lordship. For Geoffrey is no aristocrat at all. He’s an orphan who has been taken in by two thieves, and when they visit a jewelry shop, the young “lord” fakes a faint, distracting everyone just long enough for one of his partners in crime to make off with a diamond necklace.

But when their cover is blown, only Geoffrey is caught. He’s sent to naval accademy for boys and told that if he doesn’t smarten up his next stop will be prison.

That’s all just the first 10 minutes.

What comes next is a hard boy gradually being soften. It’s one of the most believable of cinematic turarounds – he keeps getting in trouble, makes a mess of any potential friendships, but slowly starts recognizing the opportunity he has here. Mickey Rooney plays Terry, a leading student willing to take Geoff under his wing. And when Geoff want have it, Terry helps him anyways.

The reason this really is a must-watch comes near the end of story when Geoff hears from his two accomplices, who are looking for his help again. They did take him in when he had no one else, so he feels a fierce loyalty for him. But, as the Admiral spells it out for him, loyalty can be an admirable quality, but Geoff has two loyalties here, and he can only choose one: his former friends, or his new ones. So, which will it be?

While no trailer seems available online, you can find some video clips here.