Follow the Leader (1944): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1944, Follow the Leader is an action, comedy, drama and crime film directed by William Beaudine, running about 65 minutes. “FOLLOW 'EM FOR FUN...and Thrills Aplenty While the Kids Put a Hoodoo on the Hoodlums!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Muggs and Glimpy, two East Side Kids in the army, return to their neighborhood, supposedly on furlough; actually, Muggs has been honorably discharged with a physical defect, but he tells no one of this. Danny, another East Side kid, is in jail because a large amount of medical supplies have been stolen from the warehouse where he works. Muggs see Spider, a new member of the gang, flashing a large amount of money around, and Muggs shrewdly turns toughie, boasting that he has a dishonorable discharge because of thievery. This leads Spider to confide in Muggs that he is the one who has been aiding in the theft of supplies from the warehouse, and he gets paid for the loot by Larry, operator of a nightclub where Muggs' sister, Milly, is an entertainer. Fingers, a henchman for Larry, kills Spider when he learns that Muggs has been let in on the operation. The police then suspect Muggs of killing Spider.

Who’s in it. Follow the Leader stars Leo Gorcey as Muggs McGinnis, Huntz Hall as Glimpy Freedhoff, Gabriel Dell as W.W. "Fingers" Belmont and Joan Marsh as Milly McGinnis, among others.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on FlixFling and rent or buy it from FlixFling. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Follow the Leader page.

If you liked it. Fans of Follow the Leader tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.