Where Are Your Children? is a 1943 American crime film directed by William Nigh and written by Hilary Lynn and George Wallace Sayre. The film stars Jackie Cooper, Gale Storm, Patricia Morison, John Litel, Gertrude Michael and Anthony Warde. The film was released on November 26, 1943 by Monogram Pictures.
Good boy Danny Cheston meets an equally good and innocent girl, Judy Lawson. They go dancing at a club with Danny's delinquent friends Herb and Opal. Opal spikes Judy's coke with alcohol, and she gets drunk. Juvenile delinquency officer Linda Woodford happens to be there, and takes Judy home. She talks to Judy's guardians, her brother and his wife.
Meanwhile, Linda speaks to the city council to try and address the root causes of teen crime, but they refuse to acknowledge kids from good families could be involved. Especially Danny's mother, who does not know who her son hangs out with. She also does not approve of his recent enlistment in the Navy.
Danny and Judy fall in love, but Danny has to go to San Diego to prepare to go to war. Judy finds Opal, Herb and another young man, Jerry, in Danny's car on their way to San Diego. She decides to go with them so she can see Danny. On the way however, Jerry murders a gas station attendant. The kids are arrested, and Danny tries to make it to court in time to clear Judy's name.
Tropes:
- But Liquor Is Quicker: Judy's brother accuses Danny of trying to do this.
- Bludgeoned to Death: How Jerry kills the gas station attendant. He hits him over the head with a pipe wrench.
- The Big Damn Kiss: Danny and Judy have one at the end.
- Big Band: The music the kids are into.
- Can't Hold His Liquor: Judy is stumbling around and giggling after one drink.
- Carload of Cool Kids: The very first shot is Opal, Danny and Herb pulling up to the dance club in Danny's car. Later, Opal and her friends steal the car to go to San Diego. Smoking, drinking and killing along the way.
- Cat Fight: Opal starts one with the other girls in custody.
- Clear Their Name: Danny clears Judy's name when he tells the judge Judy didn't really know the other kids, and was only trying to come and see him.
- Drunk Driver: The gas station attendant notices Jerry is drunk, which pisses him off enough to kill him with a pipe wrench.
- Fiery Redhead: Opal.
- Garden of Love: Danny and Judy fall in love in a garden.
- Glamorous Wartime Singer: The film opens with one.
- "Dear John" Letter: Danny sends a letter to Judy saying it would be best if she just forgot about him, which inspires her to go looking for him.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Opal.
- Happy Ending: Judy and Danny get married, and Linda gets the youth centre and daycare opened she'd been petitioning for.
- High on Homicide: Opal really enjoyed seeing Jerry kill someone.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Linda, the juvenile court officer. She empathizes with the kids and states her job is to keep them out of court, not bring them in.
- Society Is to Blame: Linda's theory.
- Troubled Teen: They all are, but Judy fits the trope the best. Opal is a full on psychopath.
