Mickey's Crusaders: Kids Being Kids, Mostly Loudly

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, that depends on your patience for 1930s kid-actor energy. If you have a soft spot for grainy, high-pitched chaos where everyone is yelling over each other, you’ll probably find something to grin at here. If you prefer your movies to have, you know, a plot that doesn't just evaporate every five minutes, you might want to look elsewhere. It’s definitely not for anyone looking for a quiet evening.

The whole thing feels like it was filmed in a backyard with a camera that was barely holding on. You’ve got Mickey Rooney acting exactly like you’d expect him to—loud, fast, and constantly looking for the next bit of trouble. The other kids are just trying to keep up. It’s like watching a group of ants trying to build a castle, but they keep bumping into each other and knocking the walls down.

The Rhythm of the Thing

There’s this weird, frantic pacing to the whole production that I kind of loved. It doesn't waste time with intros or character development. We’re just in it. The kids are running, the adults are confused, and the camera is just trying to frame the mess as best it can. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in Kid Days, though this one feels a bit more unhinged.

I noticed a moment where one of the kids is supposed to be doing a serious bit of acting, but he keeps glancing at the camera like he’s waiting for a cue. It’s not even a big deal, but once you see it, you can't unsee it. It adds this strange layer of "let's just get this done" that feels very real for a short from this era. Nobody was aiming for perfection, clearly.

• The sound quality is exactly as crunchy as you'd imagine.
• Some of the reactions are so over-the-top they’d make a silent movie star blush.
• I’m pretty sure one of the sets was just a pile of wooden crates and a dream.
• Mickey Rooney really was just a force of nature, wasn't he?

There’s a scene about halfway through where they try to set up a business, and it just devolves into pure shouting. It’s not even funny in a traditional way, but it’s just so loud. It reminded me of the messy, impulsive energy in Moan & Groan, Inc.. You can tell they were just having fun and hoping the film didn't run out. 😅

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely a coherent thought, really. But there’s something charming about how little it cares about being polished. It’s just a snapshot of kids running around while someone shouts "action." Sometimes that’s all you really need.