In 1938 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced Boys Town, a timeless classic about Father Flanagan's home for wayward boys. Now you may read how MGM's "Dream Machine" came face to face with a celebrated priest's "Character Factory." New research presents the backstory to fans of the film. Movie mogul Louis B. Mayer and Father Edward J. Flanagan held winning hands in a high-stakes movie biography. Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney starred. Gene Reynolds (Tony Ponessa), Martin Spellman (Skinny), and Frankie Thomas (Freddie Fuller), explain how a half-dozen proposed scripts created a legendary Oscar-winning movie in exclusive interviews.

This text, the first of its kind, deals with some of the problems to be faced. It discusses the new trend of musical thought that jazz has brought about--the new combinations of instruments, a different harmonic and melodic language, a new and an intriguing approach to ensemble writing.