Tommy Bond Movies
Tommy Bond was five years old when he began posing for magazine ads in his native Dallas. Discovered by a talent scout for Hal Roach Studios in 1933, Bond and his grandmother headed to Hollywood where he was immediately put to work in Roach's Our Gang films. After playing a cherubic, tousle-headed kid named Tommy for two seasons, he left the Our Gang series to freelance at other studios, building up a reputation as one of Hollywood's most reliable movie brats. He was brought back into the Our Gang fold in 1937; this time around, he was cast as scowling neighborhood bully Butch, one of the series' most memorable and sharply-defined characters. He continued to play Butch in 1940, by which time Roach had sold Our Gang to MGM. During this period, he also bedeviled such adult comedians as Andy Clyde, Charley Chase, Laurel & Hardy, and Walter Catlett. Despite the nastiness of his movie characters, Bond was well known as one of the nicest and most well-adjusted juvenile actors in the business. His best friend was his onscreen "worst enemy," Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer; in fact, whenever Switzer began misbehaving or cutting up on the set, it was usually Bond who calmed him down. Long after their Our Gang days, Bond and Switzer co-starred in PRC's Gas House Kids films, a ripoff of Monogram's Bowery Boys. Though most of his 1940s roles were bit parts, Bond landed a meaty supporting role as cub reporter Jimmy Olsen in Columbia's Superman serials. Graduating from Los Angeles College in 1951, Bond left acting to work as a property master at L.A. TV station KTTV, a job that later expanded to all the TV outlets owned by KTTV's parent company Metromedia. Long married to a former Miss California, Bond retired in 1990. Still as nice and unassuming as ever, Tommy Bond has become a welcome addition to many a film and nostalgia convention, and has made innumerable personal appearances in connection with his 1993 autobiography, You're Darn Right It's Butch! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1951
The original Broadway musical Call Me Mister was a plotless revue. By the time the property made it to the screen, however, a storyline was grafted on and much of the revue's funnier (and dirtier) material was weeded out. Betty Grable stars as an American USO entertainer Kay Hudson, touring the bases in postwar Japan. Somewhere along the way she crosses the path of former husband Shep Dooley (Dan Dailey). Despite the presence of ardent suitor Capt. Johnny Comstock (Dale Robertson), Dooley begins a campaign to win his wife back. They are reconciled during a climactic stage show, which affords ample opportunity for both Grable and Dailey to demonstrate their terpsichorean skills (Busby Berkeley handled the choreography). Cast as a GI who hates the army, Danny Thomas (a holdover from the Broadway production) does a truncated version of his own nightclub act. Specialty numbers are provided by the Dunhill dance team, and by an unbilled Bobby Short. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Betty Grable, Dan Dailey, (more)
Forget what you've been led to believe: Bedtime for Bonzo is a most enjoyable film, and Ronald Reagan is not outacted by the chimpanzee. Reagan is cast as psychology professor whose reputation is sullied by the fact that his father was a convict. To prove that environment rather than heredity dictates a man's personality, Reagan uses Bonzo the chimp to test out his theories. The hairy little guy seems to be responding to the kindnesses lavished upon him--and then he is accused of robbery. Reagan nearly goes to jail in Bonzo's stead, but everything turns out all right in the end (we're not giving anything away; after all, everybody knows that there was a Bonzo Goes to College in 1952). While it's an uphill climb, Ronald Reagan and his able costars Diana Lynn and Walter Slezak manage to keep Bonzo from running away with the picture. And yes, director Fred DeCordova is the same guy who produced Johnny Carson's late-night show in the 1980s and 1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diana Lynn, Walter Slezak, (more)
- 1950
The postwar hot-rod craze spawned a whole new movie subgenre. This Monogram entry, titled simply Hot Rod, stars Jimmy Lydon as David Langham, the son of a juvenile court judge (Art Baker) who'd like nothing better than to throw all hot-rodders in the slammer. It is inevitable, then, that David succumbs to the lure of the race track, mainly to impress his girlfriend Janie (Gloria Winters). Before long, David's vehicle is stolen by his rival Joe Langham (Myron Healey), who is promptly involved in a hit-and-run accident. For a while it looks like David's dad is going to throw the book at his own son. Will the truth prevail? Featured in the cast is Tommy Bond, the former "Butch" in the Our Gang series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Lydon, Art Baker, (more)
- 1950
The second of Columbia's Superman serials, the 15-episode Atom Man Vs. Superman stars Kirk Alyn in the dual role of Clark Kent and the "Man of Steel." This time, Kent/Superman is pitted against bald-pated Lex Luthor (Lyle Talbot), who, disguised as Atom Man, threatens to devastate Metropolis with any number of devilish devices-the deadliest of which is a disintegration machine. Luthor tumbles onto Superman's Achilles' heel: Kryptonite. Once our hero has been exposed to this fatal ore, Metropolis becomes a wide-open town for criminals of all varieties. But Superman regains his full powers in time to stop Luthor from laying waste to Metropolis with his latest demon machine, a sonic vibrator. Also appearing in Atom Man vs. Superman are Noel Neill as Lois Lane, Tommy Bond (the onetime "Butch" of The Little Rascals) as Jimmy Olson, and Pierre Watkin as Perry White. The serial is energetic enough, but the flying scenes (crudely conveyed via animation) are rather laughable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirk Alyn
One of the less famous Humphrey Bogart films is this 1949 drama about post-war guilt and remembrance. Bogart plays U.S. airman and war hero Joe Barrett. During the war, he believes, his wife Trina (Florence Marly) died in a Japanese concentration camp. But when Barrett returns to Tokyo and the bar named Tokyo Joe that he used to own, he discovers that Trina is not only alive, but she has married Mark Landis (Alexander Knox), an attorney, and they have a seven-year-old daughter Anya (Lora Lee Michel), whom he suspects is really his child. Baron Kimura (Sessue Hayakawa) forces Barrett into running an airborne smuggling operation by threatening to reveal publicly that Trina made wartime radio propaganda broadcasts. The shipment Barrett must fly includes three Japanese war criminals being brought back into the country, and Kimura insures that Barrett will comply by kidnapping Anya and holding her hostage. But the war criminals hijack the plane and are arrested. Barrett then tracks down Kimura and both die in a shoot-out which saves the life of Anya. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Humphrey Bogart, Florence Marly, (more)
- 1949
In this light drama, Clark Gable once again played his stock-in-trade role of a rogue with a heart of gold. Charlie King (Gable) runs a casino, but, in a business that thrives among the unscrupulous, Charlie takes pride in running an honest game and treating his customers with fairness and respect. However, Charlie's wife Lon (Alexis Smith) doesn't care if he runs a fair game -- she regards gambling as a dirty and corrupt business, and no matter how honest Charlie may be, he's still involved in a wicked activity. Charlie's son Paul (Darryl Hickman) is also against him; when Paul gets in trouble and Charlie bails him out of jail, he refuses to leave with him, instead going home with mother. Charlie invites Paul to see what his casino is like, and Lon agrees that Paul should know just what his father does. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clark Gable, Alexis Smith, (more)
- 1948
This adventure is the first live-action Superman serial and was one of the most successful multi-chapter films ever made. Superman is played by B-movie hero Kirk Alyn. The story centers upon the hero and the nefarious Spider Lady, who is trying to rule the Earth. If she cannot have complete control, she plans on shrinking it with her powerful reducer ray. Much of the episodes center upon Superman's relationship with Lois Lane and upon his ability to fly. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirk Alyn
- 1947
The Gas House Kids, the very poor man's Bowery Boys, head for Hollywood. While en route to their destination, they accept the invitation of scientist Milton Parsons to spend the night at his home. Head "Gas Housers" Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer and Tommy Bond investigate strange nocturnal noises and discover a houseful of apparent ghosts and goblins. Actually, the noisemakers are a bunch of gangsters, searching for stolen money. Gas House Kids in Hollywood was the last of PRC's three-film "Gas House Kids" series, none of them exactly box office worldbeaters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1947
The second of three "Bowery Boys" rip-offs produced by bargain-basement Producers Releasing Corporation, Gas House Kids Go West finds the kids in question vacationing at a California ranch. City boys all, the Kids have a lot of difficulty adjusting to western life, none more so than former "Our Gang" members Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer and Tommy Bond. Unbeknownst to everyone but the audience, the ranch is being used as a hiding place for stolen cars. But Alfalfa and his compadres manage to thwart the bad guys and save the day, after numerous low-budget slapstick situations. Gas House Kids Go West was followed by Gas House Kids in Hollywood, released a scant two months later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vince Barnett, Bennie Bartlett, (more)
- 1946
The Beautiful Cheat was one of the last B pictures produced by Universal studios before its merger with International Productions. The title character, played by Bonita Granville, is the secretary at a boys' reformatory. Sociology professor Noah Beery Jr. shows up to study the juvenile-delinquent mindset. Not surprisingly, he ends up taking a post-grad course in amour from the winsome Ms. Granville. The supporting cast includes such reliables as Irene Ryan, Milburn Stone, and Tommy Bond (the immortal "Butch" from the Little Rascals flicks). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bonita Granville, Margaret Irving, (more)
- 1945
The little-known Twice Blessed was an MGM vehicle for the Wilde Twins, who were first introduced in Andy Hardy's Double Trouble. Not surprisingly, the film is predicated on a mistaken-identity gimmick, with "typical" teenage girl Terry Turner (Lee Wilde) trading places with her high-IQ look-alike Stephanie Hale (Lyn Wilde). Amidst a welter of comic complications, romance blooms between Terry's father Jeff (Preston S. Foster) and Stephanie's mother Mary (Gail Patrick). Fresh from Paramount's "Henry Aldrich" series, Jimmy Lydon co-stars as the boyfriend of one of the twins, though he isn't sure which one. Twice Blessed was directed by Harry Beaumont, whose association with MGM extended back to the early-talkie era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Preston S. Foster, Gail Patrick, (more)
- 1944
This 91-minute Republic "special" stars Michael O'Shea as Matt Braddock, an aggressive Henry Kaiser-like shipbuilder operating in 1880s California Though his business innovations are brilliant, Braddock's pugnacious attitude loses him the support of the locals when he plans to build a big new shipyard in a small coastal community. Eventually he perseveres, bringing the story to a rousing conclusion. Along the way, however, there's a bit too much emphasis on the hot-and-cold romance between Braddock and the lovely Diana Kennedy (Anne Shirley). Tommy Bond, the former Butch in the "Our Gang" comedies, registers well in a sympathetic supporting role (Bond later noted that this was one of his favorite films). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael O'Shea, Anne Shirley, (more)
- 1943
Written by Dudley Nichols and directed by French expatriate director Jean Renoir, This Land is Mine is one of those "inspirational" wartime dramas that just don't hold up too well when seen today. The scene is an unnamed European country, recently overrun by the Nazis (this takes place during a "silent" opening sequence that's the best thing in the film). Charles Laughton plays Albert Lory, a mama's-boy schoolmaster who is the object of his students' ridicule. A craven coward, Lory is held responsible when resistance fighter Paul Martin (Kent Smith), the brother of beauteous teacher Louise Martin (Maureen O'Hara), is executed by the Nazis, though in fact it was Lory's panic-stricken mother (Una O'Connor) who betrayed Paul by informing on him to his friend and collaborator George Lambert (George Sanders).
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, (more)
- 1941
Fred MacMurray is a breezy New York street photographer; Mary Martin is a small town girl hoping to make her fortune in the Big Apple. Fred and Mary meet, bicker, fall in love, fall out of love, fall in love again, and so it goes. The main story is occasionally leavened by subplots involving such indispensable supporting players as Lynne Overman, Akim Tamiroff, Cecil Kellaway, Eric Blore and Iris Adrian. Robert Preston is the second lead who loses Mary Martin to Fred MacMurray, though Preston and Martin would re-team on Broadway 25 years later in the musical I Do, I Do. Instantly capturing the audience's attention with a remarkable opening "single take" which establishes the personalities of several apartment dwellers, New York Town is a diverting and agreeable Paramount romantic comedy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred MacMurray, Mary Martin, (more)
- 1941
A minor heart-tugger filmed on leftover Mr. Smith Goes to Washington sets, this Columbia production stars the very British Herbert Marshall as US senator John Coleridge. Befriending young Marty Driscoll (Gene Reynolds), a tough kid from the proverbial wrong side of the tracks, Senator Coleridge tries to put Marty on the right track by installing him as a Senate page boy. When Marty sells top-secret information to the press, Coleridge refuses to punish the boy himself: instead, Marty is tried before a jury of his peers-the rest of the pages, who've been anxious to show what they've learned while observing the senators at work. Virginia Bruce does what she can with the thankless role of a DC newspaper sob sister. The link between Adventure in Washington and Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is strengthened by the presence in the cast of Dickie Jones and Pierre Watkin, both of whom had appeared in similar roles in the Capra film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Herbert Marshall, Virginia Bruce, (more)
- 1940
Teenaged soprano Gloria Jean plays the Little-Miss-Fixit heroine in Universal's Little Bit of Heaven. The most precocious member of an impoverished 10th Avenue family, little Midge (Gloria Jean) makes an impulsive appearance on a "man in the street" radio interview show. Catapulted to stardom, Midge becomes the primary support for her family, all of whom begin behaving atrociously and overspended insanely. The only one who doesn't go over the top is Midge's lovable Grandpa (C. Aubrey Smith), with whom our heroine concocts a scheme (straight out of Shirley Temple!) to teach her relatives a lesson. In the previous Gloria Jean starrer If I Had My Way, Universal featured several former Broadway favorites, including Blanche Ring and Julian Eltinge, in cameo roles: the studio repeats this stunt in Little Bit of Heaven, showcasing such silent-movie greats as Maurice Costello, Noah Beery Sr., Charles Ray, Monte Blue, William Desmond and Pat O'Malley as the heroine's "adopted uncles". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gloria Jean, Robert Stack, (more)
- 1940
Like the other entries Columbia's "Five Little Peppers" series, The Five Little Peppers at Home is based on characters created by Margaret Sidney. Edith Fellows stars as Polly, the oldest child of the Pepper clan, while her four siblings are portrayed by Dorothy Ann Seers (as Phronsie), Ronald Sinclair (Jasper), Charles Peck (Joey) and Davey (Bobby Larson). This time around, Polly and the kids try to figure out a way to save their mother (Dorothy Peterson) from bankruptcy, with the help of crusty-but-lovable Mr. King (Clarence Kolb). After a slow-moving hour or so, the film picks up tremendously in the final reel when the kids are trapped in a copper mine cave-in, sparking a tension-filled rescue effect. A bit too syrupy sweet for modern tastes, Five Little Peppers at Home is redeemed by the cynical performance of Rex Evans as a sneering butler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Fellows, Dorothy Ann Seese, (more)
- 1940
Having struck pay dirt with its Blondie films, Columbia Pictures launched another "domestic" film series, based on Margaret Sidney's "Five Little Peppers" stories. The third and last entry in the series was The Five Little Peppers in Trouble, neither the best nor worst of this negligible project. Once more, Dorothy Peterson plays the widowed Mrs. Pepper, while her five precocious and resourceful offspring are portrayed by Edith Fellows, Dorothy Ann Seese, Charles Beck, Tommy Bond (best remembered as "Butch" in the Our Gang comedies) and Bobby Larson (replacing Jimmy Leake, who appeared in the first Pepper outing in 1939). Unable to watch over her kids and go to work at the same time, Mrs. Pepper bundles the little Peppers off to boarding school. The Five Little Peppers in Trouble is describable only as "cute"; you take it from there. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Fellows, Dorothy Ann Seese, (more)
- 1940
In his final Our Gang appearance, Tommy Bond essays his usual role as the Gang's eternal nemesis Butch. This time, Butch wins the heart of little Darla Hood, leaving heartbroken Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer to cry in his alphabet soup. Mistaking the boy's doldrums for indigestion, Alfalfa's dad (William Newell) prepares to give his son a good dose of Seidlitz Powder -- or, as Alfie calls it, "Settles-It" Powder. Later on, the kids pay a visit to Butch's jerry-built chemistry lab, where the young troublemaker is mixing up what he thinks is an explosive. Recognizing the mixture as Settles-It Powder, the crafty Alfalfa offers himself as Butch's guinea pig, "bravely" downing the concoction in hopes of impressing Darla. Alas, the powders haven't been properly combined, and before long a bloated Alfalfa is floating into the sky, while the rest of the gang frantically scurries to his rescue. Filmed in November of 1939, the one-reel Bubbling Troubles was held back from release until May 25, 1940. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1940
Pleasing time-fillers at best, Columbia's "Five Little Peppers" films were otherwise undistinguished spinoffs of the best-selling literary series by Margaret Sidney. In the case of Out West With the Peppers, the title and plotline are virtually interchangeable. Once again in dire financial straits, the Pepper family is forced to pull up stakes and head westward. Upon arrival in the Wide Frontiers, the Pepper kids get into mischief in a lumber camp. As usual, the plot is resolved by Edith Fellows as eldest Pepper child Polly, who manages to stumble upon a financial windfall which proves benefical not only to her family but practically everyone else in the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Fellows, Dorothy Ann Seese, (more)
- 1939
Former Our Gang kid Scotty Beckett makes an amusing return appearance to the series as the title character in the one-reel comedy Cousin Wilbur. Much against his will, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer invites his sissified Cousin Wilbur (Beckett) to join the All 4 One Club. The enterprising Wilbur immediately increases the membership by offering cash compensation (usually a penny or two) for every black eye and busted nose administered by neighborhood bullies Tommy "Butch" Bond and Sidney "Woim" Kibrick. When the two tough guys try to muscle in on the club, Wilbur surprises everyone by proving himself to be the best bare-knuckle fighter on the block! Cousin Wilbur was originally released on April 29, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1939
Upset that his youthful sweetheart Darla Hood has once again thrown him over in favor of neighborhood bully Tommy "Butch" Bond, Our Gang member Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer tries to forget his troubles by watching a sidewalk performance by famed hypnotist Professor William Delmore (John Davidson). Chosen as a subject, Alfalfa is hypnotized into believing that he is the fearless D'Artagnan, of Three Musketeers fame. Armed with this bold new personality, Alfie not only sweeps Darla off her feet, but also challenges the dumbfounded Butch to a duel. The results, while not deadly, are devastating for both Alfalfa and Butch. The one-reel Our Gang comedy Duel Personalities was originally released March 11, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1939
The Our Gang kids must raise 37 cents to pay off neighborhood bully Tommy "Butch" Bond. After earning a dollar for taking care of an injured dog, the kids hit upon a sure-fire moneymaking scheme; they'll "rescue" every dog in town, thereby collecting a dollar from each grateful owner. Naturally, the pet owners are upset when their pooches mysteriously disappear, and before long the gang is in hot water with the cops. Originally released on July 1, 1939, Dog Daze is a substandard Our Gang one-reeler that even the presence of guest star Scotty Beckett (repeating his "Cousin Wilbur" characterization) cannot rescue from mediocrity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
- 1939
In this, the first entry in four-part series, children's movie, Polly Pepper takes care of her siblings while her mother toils at a factory. Polly's newest friend is Jasper, a rich kid who likes to play with the Pepper kids. Trouble ensues when the littlest Pepper comes down with the measles and infects Jasper and his grandfather, Mr. King. They all wind up stuck together in a quarantined house. After the devoted Polly collapses from working too hard, Mr. King moves the Pepper clan into his mansion. The plucky family finally garners a fortune when it is discovered that Polly has inherited the controlling shares in a mine that the grandfather wants to purchase. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edith Fellows, Clarence Kolb, (more)
- 1939
The Our Gang kids' hopes to win the upcoming Kidmobile Race Classic are nearly dashed when town bully Tommy "Butch" Bond arranges for the gang's pet pooch Whiskers to be picked up by the dog pound. But instead of demoralizing the gang, the impoundment of Whiskers merely gives them a stronger reason to win the race and claim the prize, with which they will pay the dog's license fee. Only temporarily foiled, Butch and his pal Sidney "Woim" Kibrick try every dirty trick in the book to sabotage the gang's homemade "auto." The one-reel Our Gang comedy Auto Antics was originally released on July 22, 1939. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George "Spanky" McFarland, Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, (more)
