Blazing Barriers (DVD)

Tough street kid Tommy McGrath and his dim-witted pal Fats Moody, on the run after a botched robbery attempt, seek refuge in a Civilian Conservation Corps work camp. Contemptuous of authority and convinced his fellow corpsmen are suckers, Tommy is a major disruption until he falls for pretty Joan Martin, daughter of the local sheriff. His true character is put to the test, when a raging forest fire threatens the lives of Joan and his co-workers.

Largely filmed on location at an actual CCC camp in Southern California's Angeles National Forest, Blazing Barriers was the last starring vehicle for former child star "Junior" Coghlan, here billed as Frank for the first time. Perhaps best known as "Billy Batson" from the 1941 Republic serial Adventures of Captain Marvel, Coghlan delivers a clearly heartfelt performance as the hard-boiled young hoodlum. - Ed Hulse

• drama