The Mayor of Hell (Warner Bros.) (1933)

THRILLING TEN-MINUTE BROADCAST FROM SENSATIONAL “MAYOR OF HELL” This picture, crammed with breath-takingly dramatic action and dialogue, lends itself naturally to this medium for the rousing of fan interest. Stations are always on the lookout for interesting material to fill unsold time, and for that reason the local radio man agement will readily take this sketch. Parts can be played by members of some dramatic society, by artists at the station or by members of your staff. If you are already using time on the air, you will welcome this snappy sketch; if you are not, it will be well worth your while to begin now. : ~.. EIGHT CHARACTERS —_—_—_—— PATSY GARGAN, racketeers’ appointee who reforms Boys’ Reformatory. WARDEN, Grafter and cruel disciplinarian ousted by Gargan. JUDGE, Compassionate magistrate forced to commit boys to reformatory. JIMMY SMITH, courageous and incorrigible lad who becomes boy ‘Mayor of Hell.’ MR. SMITH, Jimmy’s drunken and cruel father. MRS. SMITH, Jimmy’s weak and hysterical mother. DOROTHY, pretty and humane nurse at Reformatory. _ VOICE, one of the boys at the Reformatory. Routine Station Announcement followed by “ TNOUNCER: It is our priviNes and gentlemen, to enfor the next ten minutes = of the exciting action a Of% of “The Mayor of Hell,’ the Warner Bros. photoplay starring your LAGS, hard-fisted crony, Jimmy Cagney, and coming to the ........0..0: ee PPNOBtLG oo ate cet next Mr. Cagney is supported by a large and capable cast including Madge Evans, Allen Jenkins, Dudley Digges, Frankie Darro, “Farina,” Dorothy Peterson, John Marsten, Charles Wilson, Hobart Cavanaugh, Raymond Borzage, Robert Barrat, George Pat Collins, Mickey Bennett, Arthur Byron, Sheila Terry, Harold fluber, Edwin Maxwell, William V. Mong, Sidney Miller, George Humbert, George Offerman and Charles Crane. “The Mayor of Hell” was directed by the veteran Archie Mayo. This absorbing production is built around a group of young hoodlums who are sentenced to a reformatory, which is manned by appointees of a crooked political gang. Warden and guards are the typical slavedrivers, the boys’ only friend being Dorothy, the young nurse attached to the is sent by the reformatory. Cagney same gang as Deputy Commissioner, obligation. no intention of being of service to in payment for some political Coming with anyone but himself, he is gradually guided by the nurse to see the need of the youthful inmates—and finally institutes a new plan—in which the boys themselves govern the institution. Then begin the exciting complications which lead the story to Mr. has his most ingratiating role—and its thrilling climax. Cagney the leader among the boys, Jimmy Smith—is played by young Frankie Darro with a moving sincerity and strength which makes him a sure bet for coming stardom. Events leading up to the opening of the sketch will be briefly summarized by Mr. (Manager of Theatre or his representative). NARRATOR: Thank you (Name of Announcer.) Jimmy Smith, ditions improve at home? MRS. SMITH: Oh, no! Please! Please don’t send him there! JUDGE: But isn’t it the sensible thing to do? MRS. SMITH: No—no! I ean take care of him! He’ll never bother you again! I can— JUDGE: (Interrupting compassionately) I’m afraid you’re quite helpless, Mrs. Smith... a tough kid, son of a drunken father and a weak mother, is leader of a gang of Big Town gamins, who. pilfer from candy stores, wreck cars and beat up They finally arrested and brought before the Judge with their parents — Irish, Italian, Negro-—Finally the rival kid-gangsters. are Jewish, sullen Jimmy Smith and his father and mother| MBS. SMITH: Just one more stand before the bar. The Judge is chantr; ol idge please please ... reading the report the court attend ant das handad iin NARRATOR: So Jimmy Smith is sent to the Reform School... and with him go his gang, Tommy, Izzy, Smoke, Tony and the rest. We see them now after they have filed out The Judge is speaking: JUDGE: This boy has a remark able school record . . . up to this] of the State Reformatory bus, been year... then... absences ... ex-| driven into the big bare room by pulsion to a different school... (To| the guards and are shivering be fore the Warden ... all but Jimmy who is as sullen as ever. The Warden is speaking with unction but viciously: the boy) Why did you stop going toschool, James? JIMMY: (Sullenly) Don’t know. JUDGE: Isn’t there something in which you are interested? JIMMY: (Almost inaudibly) No. JUDGE: (To father) Can you account for the sudden change in your son, Mr. Smith? = oe MifH: (In sour gruffitéss) Naw ... I guess he’s just no good, that’s all.= JUDGE: (Rather severely) But surely, as his father— SMITH: You can take him away if you want to—I’m sick of sup Jimmy’s portin’ him anyway. JIMMY: (Doggedly) Yeah? When did you ever support me? JUDGE: You ean sit down, Mr. Smith sympathetically) Mrs. (To Jimmy’s mother, Smith, you account for your boy’s change? can MRS. SMITH: (With tearful eagerness) Please let me take care of Jimmy .. JUDGE: You've portunity to take opof hin, had care every haven’t you, Mrs. Smith. His record here shows . MRS. SMITH: (In whisper, as if ashamed of others who repressed must hear) I know. But I’m sure I ean change him again. He used to be such a good boy. When he finished school every day, he used to come right home, I could hardly get him out in the air. He used to sit home and draw... You know... JUDGE: But what happened? .... MRS. SMITH: I—I don’t know 5 Mr. Smith lost his job. He hasn’t been working for almost a year. Everything became .. . different. JUDGE: From your husband’s attitude, Mrs. Smith, I hardly feel that it would do any good to let James go on like this—do you? MRS. SMITH: Oh, he doesn’t mean what he said, Judge. He’s— he’s desperate—on account of not working for so long. JUDGE: Then don’t you think the wisest thing to do is to send James to the Reform School for a while... MRS. SMITH: (Wildly) No—no! JUDGE: —until such time as con get this straight from the start. You’re here because you're petty criminals. change you. If you behave yourselves you'll get along all right. Do as you’re told—don’t ask any questions. night make up your minds that yowre going ~ to work hard—and | fo WARDEN: I want you boys to But we're going to Before you sleep here one keep your mouths shut. Anyone that doesn’t like the idea can apply for a TIARY 52. your name, boy? PENITENWhat’s to the . Tight now... transfer JIMMY: (Grimly, after a pause) Jimmy Smith. WARDEN: We say ‘sir’ here, understand? JIMMY: (Insolently) Yeah? WARDEN: Drop that tone, boy Seb dda ee JIMMY: Let go o’ me... WARDEN: Youw’re in a Reform School now, me lad. What you want’s a coolin’ off. You’ll get it tomorrow, too, believe me. Something to look forward to... something you won’t forget. Get ’em outa here, guard. And be quick about it. It’s past my supper time now. Meet ya tomorrow... Jimmy Smith! NARRATOR: The Warden is in a quandary as to the real status of Patsy Gargan, the new commissioner, who is to visit the reformatory —the thrilling role played by James Cagney. To his shady henchman the Warden gives his opinion of Gargan— a cheap racketeer, a wardheeler, himself a product of the eity slums... but to Gargan’s face he is all smiles, apologies, the fatherly protector of the boys in the institution. Gargan knows his kind and is disgusted. Patsy Gargan’s visit has hardly begun, when young Jimmy Smith escapes. The siren wails, searchlights play over the bleak lands outside the reformatory walls, and Jimmy is at last captured. Bleeding and exhausted he is still unconquered. Dorothy, the pretty nurse, bandages his wounds, Patsy carries him to his bunk—wondering at her humane attitude, admiring her beauty—He is speaking: PATSY: The kid’s marked up bad, ain’t he? Say, what’s the idea of that barbed wire. . DOROTHY: You'll have to ask the warden. Good night. PATSY: Here, wait a minute. What’s the rush? ... Tm the. new Deputy Board Commissioner the damage—the boy is whipped o his allowance cut down. He’s sent tee see? And that’s what I’m up here for... to find out about conditions up here— DOROTHY: You saw a pretty good picture of it tonight, didn’t you, Mr.— PATSY: Gargan ... Patsy Gar gan... Yeah—but that kid in there’s a tough little monkey— DOROTHY: That’s nothing to what he’ll be when he leaves here ... “Reformed.” PATSY: Yeah ... sure... But you know as well as me that these kids are sent here because they ain’t old enough to go to the Pen . . that’s right, ain’t it? DOROTHY: No, Mr. Deputy—it’s wrong. PATSY: Why?—Ain’t these mugs abuncha little crooks? DOROTHY: Only because they’re unfortunate enough to be the children of poor and helpless parents. PATSY: I don’t get you. DOROTHY: Suppose a boy whose people are fairly well off steals some money from a news-stand—or throws a stone through a window . PATSY: Yeah? DOROTHY: His parents pay fox; _ without sunner—and_+tho rgotten..... PATSY: So what? DOROTHY: There isn’t a man in the world who didn’t do something like that when he was a boy. PATSY: Yeah—but you don’t know kids like this. I do, see? You gotta give ’em plenty of this, sec? Punch it into ’em. Or they’ll run all over you. DOROTHY: (With fire) Certainly they will .... When the men in charge are brutes—or grafters who are interested only in how much they can put in their own pockets. PATSY: (Gives an admiring whistle) Wait a minute, sister. Take off them brass knuckles—you don’t have to talk that way to me—What do you mean, grafters? DOROTHY The boys aren’t even fed properly—that’s enough, isn’t it? PATSY: Yeah. Well, what would you do here? DOROTHY: I’d_ give chance to be human beings caged animals hedged barbed wire ... You won’t see the school tomorrow as it really is! When the Investigating Committce comes up here— PATSY: The warden gives ’em the works, huh? Why don’t the kids bellyache? DOROTHY: They’re much_ too afraid of him. And no one else cares enough to really find out what other States are doing. PATSY: Like what? DOROTHY: Letting their reform schools be self-governing—letting the children decide that they want to be honest—responsible—not trying to force them to be—letting them have their own government— have their own courts—punish themselves—I’ve been talking too much Sea LM ROLES. oe PATSY: (With vigor) No—go on! I like to see yuh burned up! DOROTHY: Do you? PATSY: Sure! When you start getting sore, I could put my arms around you and give yuh a big kiss! (Door slams smartly) them a ete NOL around by a minute. Ferd Eto W ys bite PATSY: Hey, wait Come on back out, miss . mean nothing... NARRATOR: Patsy’s power over the political gang gets him—temporarily at least—the right to oust the Warden and himself take the helm. Patsy and the nurse plan proceedings. We are now in the big mess room of the reformatory where the boys are waiting in line about the bare tables for the sound of the whistle. On the raised platform sit Patsy, Dorothy, and the former roughneck aide, Mike. Patsy is a bit flustered as to the right way to begin. He is speaking: PATSY: Fellers! No whistle from now on! Sit down and begin eatin’ when you like. And stop when you’re finished. (Sounds of shuffling feet, benches moving as boys sit) And listen, fellers. From now on—no marchin’ in here. When you hear the bell just drop what you’re doin’ and come and get it ... (Murmur of voices) But I’m sorry for you mugs anyway. From now on nobody eats with dirty hands or ears...see... no washee...mno eatee ... see... Hey, you in the kitchen there. . BRING IN THE WORKS! (Murmurs) E republic . . is guy here. This is your Uncle Mike! CUT THAT CAKE, UNCLE MIKE! (Kids let out a whoop) Here’s the plan, fellers. It’s simple. We—uh—we—suppose that this is a city, see! Like any other city. © That’s the way we’re gonna run it. We got a mayor—a treasurer—a— a District Attorney—a chief of Police—the whole works!! Now—uh— DOROTHY: (Prompting him) The court ... their own... PATSY: Oh, yeah ... Now look. Suppose somebody tries to pull a fast one... Suppose somebody gets pinched for something, O.K. The Chief of Police nabs him—the District Attorney—grabs him—and he’s brought up before the Court, see? He gets a trial... with a jury. He’s got his own Mouthpiece—and he tries to beat the rap. All on the up and up. Now... ah. DOROTHY: (Again prompting him) Paid for working... PATSY: Oh yeah. Everybody is going to get paid for the work they do. DOROTHY: The store... PATSY: And Ill tell you how. We’re havin’ a store. The only way you can buy anythin’ is by stickin’ to the job. If you don’t, you’re outa luck... But I’ll explain all that to you mugs later. The first thing we wanta do now is...uh... DOROTHY: Nominations for MayOPS. PATSY: Yeah . . . nominations for Mayor... Who nominates who for Mayor? (Pause) Come on... somebody start it! Talk up! Come on now... who do you think oughta be Mayor. Somebody say somethin’... VOICE: JIMMY SMITH! (Loud murmur of voices .. . cries of Jimmy Smith’... fading into gay music) NARRATOR: And this is only the beginning of the thrilling action of “The Mayor of Hell,’ Jimmy Cagney’s most sensational picture—The picture you'll see and see again and want all your family and friends to see. At the Strand next. Till then, good night. . mee Page Seven