The Underdog

Young Henry Tate and his dog, Hobo, must prove themselves on the mean streets of the city, where youth gangs and police trouble lurk beyond the backyard fence. His father, John Tate, is finally offered work as a night watchman by a shady character named Frank Krager, who takes a suspicious interest in the activities of defense workers who frequent the bar where John usually spends his nights. Soon father, son and trusty dog all find themselves at the center of a plot by Nazi saboteurs to blow up a warehouse containing military hardware.

Barton MacLane, who plays the proud but dejected John Tate, was born on Christmas Day, 1902, and died on New Years Day in 1968. In between, he enjoyed a long career on stage, screen and television. His college athletic prowess led to his first casting in the 1924 silent film, Quarterback. He later worked with Humphrey Bogart in John Huston's films, The Maltese Falcon (1941) and The Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948). During the final years of his life, he had the recurring role of General Peterson in the mid-sixties TV series, "I Dream of Jeannie."