THE MUDHEN

We hold no brief for the stereotyped hero, but somehow this seems to be an unprepossessing idealization of laziness, of achieving maximum results with minimum effort, as The Mudhen, lazy hero of a glamourized boys' school who sits and plans and achieves great victories. His sterling schoolmates love a good joke, and at the close even the headmaster bows to the ingenious, incorruptible Mudhen...Harmless enough as a school story, with clearcut characterization, brisk pace, bright dialogue. I still like Allen best in his role as historical and regional story teller.