Boys Town1938Boys Town
1938
Father Edward Flanagan is convinced "there is no such thing as a bad boy" and builds a home for homeless and delinquent boys outside Omaha, where they govern themselves. Then Whitey Marsh, a cocky young tough whose brother is a convicted killer, arrives to test that faith.
The default: films the whole family can watch together; any scary or intense moments for the littlest viewers are flagged in the Context Notes.
Why it’s here
A priest who fathers the fatherless and a hardened boy brought to repentance. Mercy and discipline go together, and the boys learn responsibility by governing themselves.
Context notes
For parents, before you press play.
Whitey is defiant and mocks the boys' self-government; he suffers the consequences of his pride and repents after a little boy is struck by a car, which is a good talk about pride. A boy is accidentally shot in the leg and Whitey's brother's gang commits a robbery, and boys smoke and gamble early on as part of the life Flanagan rescues them from.
Boys Town (1938)
Discussion questions
When the credits end, go around the room. Each person gives the film a score out of ten and says why.
- What did Father Flanagan mean by "there is no such thing as a bad boy"? Do you agree?
- Why did Whitey act so tough?
- What finally changed Whitey?
- Would you want to live at Boys Town? Why?
Content advisory
IMDb parents guide: mild violence (a boy accidentally shot in the knee, a boxing match); a child struck by a car; other guides note boys smoking and playing cards for money.
Trailer
Best edition
The disc comes first.
Boys Town Blu-ray (Warner Archive Collection)
Blu-ray · September 22, 2026
Edition link coming soon.
Listing on Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)Coming later
Where to stream
Streaming services are not listed yet. When they are, this note stays secondary to the disc.