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Back in 1964, when I was 12 years old I saw my first Dead End Kid film, the title of the film was Crime School. After watching it I learn all about the Dead End Kids and their lives on and off the big screen. Over the past 40 years, I became friends with many of the actors who portrayed the kids, and the actors who worked with them in their films. I have had the great pleasure of becoming friends with Billy Halop, Huntz Hall, Gabe Dell, Bernard Punsly, Billy Benedict, Bennie Bartlett, Stanley Clements, Pepe Hern, Joe Turkel, Eugene Francis, Johnny Duncan, David Gorcey, Jimmy McCallon, Frankie Thomas, Eddie Le Roy, Bill Lawrence and Keye Luke. My greatest joy is my friendship over the past 30 years with Mendie Koenig (Mendie was a dear Dead End Kids friend-I think of him often), Dick Chandlee, Johnny Duncan and Eugene Francis. I have collected thousands of 8x10 stills, countless posters, lobby cards and anything I can find that has to do with the Dead End Kids. I hope you the reader will enjoy your travels as you thumb thru the pages and look at the pictures that I have collected. Richard Roat
