Good acting by Robert Montgomery,-- usually in upper-class boyfriend or husband leads in the '30s --- here having great fun as a young gangster-impresario, hiding out from the law in the home of innocent country farmers who don't suspect a thing. Montgomery has good chemistry with Maureen O'Sullivan, very natural and lovely as the farmer's daughter. Mickey Rooney is fun as the mischievous little brother with a hutch full of pet rabbits and a slingshot. Rooney shows off the talent for crying on cue that became one of his acting trademarks, and easily passes for no more than 11, though IMDb confirms he was 14 at the time. Tidy script combining a budding romance, gentle humor, and a look at an earlier era that seems slightly over-nostalgic from the perspective of 2016. This soft-focus is well offset by sharp support from Edward Arnold and Edward Brophy as two tough city cops. I think this could be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in history. "The Grapes of Wrath" it's not, yet the small farm family and their home are depicted honestly and without pretension. Children as young as 4 or 5 might enjoy seeing all the different farm animals who are (mostly) treated as loved pets.
Review of Hide-Out
