And if Warner Brothers had cut the "Dead End Kids" loose sooner, "The Little Tough Guys" (Harris Berger, Hally Chester, Charles Duncan. Billy Bendict and David Gorcey) wouldn't have had any days. But, somebody at Universal liked the studio's own fabricated version of the Dead Enders and kept an ever-fading version around when the Dead End Kids moniker (and most of the original gang minus Leo Gorcey and Bobby Jordan, who popped up at Monogram as The East Side Kids) became available. After that, instead of THE LITTLE TOUGH GUYS (upper case) above the titles it became THE DEAD END KIDS (upper case) and The Little Tough Guys (lower case) above Universal titles. But, over the years, most of the original "Little Tough Guys" gained membership into "The East Side Kids" and "The Bowery Boys." But no Dead Enders in Universal's The Little Tough Guys in CODE OF THE STREETS. And no, "The Little Tough Guys in Code of the Streets" is/was not an alternate title, although some sources seem to think that any film with an "in" billing on the title sheet qualifies as such.
This solo-flying "Little Tough Guys" entry has hoodlum Tommy Shay (Paul Fix)sentenced to die for the murder of Police Lieutenant Carson (Monte Montague), although Tommy was in a poker game at the time with a man calling himself "Denver" Collins (Marc Lawrence.) Collins has disappeared, and perjured evidence leads to Tommy's conviction.
Tommy's younger brother Danny (James McCallion) and his gang of alley kids,"The Little Tough Guys"--- "Sailor" (Harris Berger), "Murphy" (Hally Chester), "Monk" (Charles Duncan), "Trouble" (William Benedict) and "Yap" (David Gorcey)---scheme to save Tommy from the electric chair. Police Lieutenant John Lewis (Harry Carey), who arrested Tommy, believes he is innocent and goes to the District Attorney and tries so insistently to have the case reopened that he is demoted to a patrolman in the sticks. Bob Lewis (Frankie Thomas), John's son, a radio bug with detective ambitions, starts out on his own to solve the crime and help his father.
Searching for Collins, Bob meets Danny and the Little Tough Guys and they join forces. Acting on a tip, they go to the gambling club owned by Chick Foster (Leon Ames)and tell him the Police have reopened the Carson case and suspect him of being implicated. There, they see a man named Halstead whom they believe to be the missing "Denver" Collins.
And with the aid of a phony telegram and a dictaphone planted by Bob, The Little Tough Guys begin to bring law and order to the Gotham streets.
Have fun Little Tough Guys...the Dead End Kids just arrived on the lot.
