1940’s Juvenile Delinquents & Delinquency Prevention Film

That Boy Joe is a highly enjoyable film that attempts to confront preventing juvenile delinquency with judicial and religious instruction. Joe, a teenager who makes poor decisions, faces criminal charges after stealing cigarettes while intoxicated. In court, the judge condemns Joe’s actions and his parents’ neglect. Then things get interesting. The judge goes on a rant about the evils of alcohol and loose morals that would make anyone in conservatism history blush. The causes of juvenile delinquency are as ridiculous as not having enough Boy Scouts around! The conservative Christian morality is heaped on this poor young man. But in the end, That Boy Joe exemplifies many of the common attitudes about temperance and moderation techniques that were pervasive in the mid twentieth century.