Allen Hoskins

The immensely talented African-American child actor Allen Hoskins as “Smoke” in Archie Mayo’s and Michael Curtiz’s Pre-Code crime drama for Warner Brothers Pictures, ‘The Mayor of Hell’ (1933).

Prior to making this film, Allen Clayton Hoskins (August 9, 1920 – July 26, 1980) had become renowned for playing the iconic character of “Farina” in Hal Roach’s ‘Our Gang’ comedy short film series, appearing in 105 of the ‘Our Gang’ short films between 1922 and 1931.

In the film, ‘The Mayor of Hell’, James Cagney stars as “Patsy Gargan” (deputy commissioner) and Madge Evans stars as “Dorothy Griffith” (nurse), and the film features, in supporting roles, Arthur Byron as “Judge Gilbert”, Allen Jenkins as “Mike”, Dudley Digges as “Thompson” (warden), Frankie Darro as “Jimmy Smith”, Sheila Terry as ‘Blonde with Mike’, Robert Barrat as “Fred Smith”, Harold Huber as “Joe”, Dorothy Peterson as “Mrs. Smith”, G. Pat Collins as “Brandon”, and Edwin Maxwell as “Louis Johnson”.

In the film, Patsy Gargan (James Cagney) is a cog in the wheel of corrupt politics and so is awarded a cushy job as deputy commissioner of a local reform school for criminally inclined boys. He is initially apathetic toward his young charges, who are regularly beaten by the staff. But as he comes to know the boys and the hardships they've already faced, he warms to them. Inspired, he seeks to reform the school, putting in place new measures recommended by the goodhearted resident nurse (Madge Evans).