Frankie Darro
Tommy Ryan
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Synopsis
A streetwise boy accepts blame for a burglary committed by his foster family's son and is sent to a reformatory. The institution offers punishment instead of guidance, with corrupt guards and a harsh doctor controlling the inmates. Surviving its routines forces him to reconsider the sacrifice that placed him behind its walls.
Cast
DirectorsHoward Bretherton
Historical context
Frankie Darro's young protagonist brings the prison-exposé format into a juvenile institution. The film links family loyalty to a wider question about whether supposedly corrective establishments protect vulnerable children or reproduce the violence surrounding them.
Sources and availability
The synopsis and editorial text were written for this collection. The references below were cross-checked to identify the film and its copy; each editorial section identifies its reference.
Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.
The reference concerns the original work. Restorations, colorization, translations and other territories may have different conditions. This site uses the player enabled by the channel.
Availability checked on September 10, 2026.
Photograph credit
Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.
- Frankie Darro — Film screenshot (Monogram Pictures) · Public domain
- Grant Withers — trailer screenshot (RKO) · Public domain
