The Bowery Boys

 

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SPOOK BUSTERS-1946-In the fourth installment of "The Bowery Boys" series, Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach (Huntz Hall) and the rest of the boys (Bobby Jordan,Bill Bendict and David Gorcey) are exterminators who get a job in a haunted house. They are joined by their old pal Gabe (Gabriel Dell) just out of the navy, and his fiance Minon (Tanis Chandler). The house is actually being used by mad doctor Coslow (Douglas Dumbrille), his assistant Stiles (Charles Middleton) and a muscle head (Richard Alexander).

 He also has a Dr. Bender (Maurice Cass) as his assistant/captive. Coslow must really be mad 'cos he wants to put part of Sach's brain into that of a gorilla. There's a slow-motion fight and the gorilla (Art Miles) gets loose. Bernard Gorcey is Louie. 

Producer Jan Grippo was Leo Gorcey's agent while they made the series at Monogram. Busy William Beaudine must have taken a vacation in 1946 because he only director 5 movies! (Although he may have worked on 3 more...)

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Dig That Uranium

DIG THAT URANIUM-1955-This time the Boys buy a deed to a uranium mine from their friend Shifty Robertson (un-billed Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer) and head out to Arizona to dig. Of course the mine is a phony but they get help from an old prospector (Raymond Hatton; Pete the prospector in Corman's THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED the same year) to locate a real strike. A hotel manager (Harry Lauter) wants the mine and his two henchmen (Myron Healy, in his second BB adventure) and Tom Keene (using the name Richard Powers) cause trouble. At one point Sach (Huntz Hall) dreams he and Slip (Leo Gorcey in his penultimate role in the series) are gunslingers. Mary Beth Hughes (I ACCUSE MY PARENTS) is in the usual role of the bad guy's girl sent to entice the secret out of Sach. David Gorcey and Bennie Bartlett also appear. 


It's filled with Abbott & Costello and 3 Stooges like gags (Ellwood Ullman was one of the screenwriters) but fortunately little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) goes with them to provide some laughs. 


Unfortunately, it would be the elder Gorcey's last role. He would die from injuries received in a car accident soon after this was completed. Edward Bernds directed. 


Former cowboy star Keene would have his last screen role in 1959 in a little movie called PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE!


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Spy Chasers

SPY CHASERS-1955-In this dumb Bowery Boys outing we learn that little Louie Dumbrowsy (Bernard Gorcey who once again steals the show) is actually from a (fictitious) European country called Truania. The king (Sig Ruman) entrusts a special coin to Louie, who hides it in a candy bar that Sach (Huntz Hall) promptly gives to a little girl (Linda Bennett who was in THE CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN the same year). To add to their problems they run afoul of the evil Col. Baxis (Leon Askin) and Lady Zelda (Veola Vonn; also in PARIS PLAYBOYS with the gang) who hypnotize Sach. Slip (Leo Gorcey) is around to set things straight and so are Chuck (David Gorcey) and Butch (Bennie Bartlett).

 It's very weak in the laughs department and even features an unfunny take off on Abbott & Costello's drill routine. 

Lisa Davis is a princess and Mel Welles and Paul Burke have un-billed roles. It was written by Jerome Gottler and Bert Lawrence and directed by Edward Bernds.

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Bowery To Bagdad

BOWERY TO BAGDAD-1955-In this nutty Bowery Boys entry, Sach (Huntz Hall) finds Aladdin's lamp and a genie (Eric Blore) occasionally appears to grant wishes but only to Sach. A gangster (Robert Bice) finds out about the lamp and sends his moll (Joan Shawlee) after it. Sound familiar? Leo Gorcey is of course Slip doing his usual Sach bashing and word twisting. Leo's little old daddy Bernard is once again Louie, owner of the sweet shop which this time the gangster wants to buy. Leo's younger brother (billed under the name David Conlon) is Chuck and Bennie Benedict is Butch. 

Meanwhile two turbaned ancestors of the original owner of the lamp lurk about with knives. As usual the focal point of the humor is on Sach's zaniness (some might called it lunacy) but little Louie always steals some laughs. Other familiar faces in the cast include Jean Willes and Dick Wessell. Edward Bernds co-wrote (with Ellwood Ullman) and directed it. 

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Jungle Gents

JUNGLE GENTS-1954-In this zany Bowery Boys outing Sach (Huntz Hall) discovers he can smell out diamonds so everyone, including little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) packs up and goes to Africa to hunt for some missing diamonds! Slip (Leo Gorcey) narrates most of the story which also involves Sach getting rescued by a jungle woman (Laurette Luez) and Rudolph Anders (who was in W. Lee Wilder's THE SNOW CREATURE the same year) as the bad guy also after the diamonds. Woody Strode plays the native guide who leads their safari! John Harmon and Eric Snowden have small roles and at the end Clint Walker (un-billed here but later the star of TV's CHEYENNE) shows up in a cameo as Tarzan! David Gorcey and Bennie Bartlett make up the rest of the gang. 

While CLIPPED WINGS reminded me of Abbott & Costello JG is more like the 3 Stooges with Edward Bernds once again directing. Emil Sitka shows up in one scene. Luez was later a regular on the TV show THE ADVENTURES OF FU MAN-CHU.

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Paris Playboys

PARIS PLAYBOYS-1954-The Bowery Boys series moved from Monogram Studios to Allied Artists in 1954 and begins with Sach (Huntz Hall) bearing an uncanny resemblance to a famous French scientist who disappeared while working on a secret formula. Some French diplomats (one is played by Robin Hughes, later in THE THING THAT WOULDN'T DIE) invite him to Paris and of course he's mistaken for the real guy by some enemy agents. Although the movie is mostly Hall acting idiotically with a bad French accent, little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) has some funny scenes especially when he dresses to look like Toulouse-Lautrec! Veola Vonn (who was in MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE the same year) is the femme fatale this time and Fritz Feld is a waiter. Edward Bernds and Ellwood Ullman collaborated on the script while William Beaudine was brought back to direct. Ben Schwab produced the series once they came to AA. 

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Clipped Wings

CLIPPED WINGS-1953-Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall) accidentally join the army while trying to help their friend Dave (Todd Karns), a lieutenant who is arrested for being a spy. In actuality he's working with the FBI to break up a spy ring (lead by Phillip Van Zandt and June Vincent). For a time Sach is assigned to the WACs barracks where Renie Riano plays the sergeant. David Gorcey and Bennie Bartlett are there as is little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) providing some additional laughs. Once again this has an Abbott and Costello feel to it (think BUCK PRIVATES). 

A lot of familiar character actors appear unbilled including Lyle Talbott, Paul Bryar, Tristram Coffin, Henry Kulky, Arthur Space and William Tannen. Even Ed Wood Jr. regular Conrad Brooks has a bit role. 

Charles Marion (who worked on A & C movies) wrote it and Edward Bernds (who worked with the Stooges and Our Gang) directed. 

It was once released on VHS!

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Loose In London

LOOSE IN LONDON-1953-This time Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach (Huntz) Hall and the rest of the gang (David Gorcey and Benny Bartlett) go the England when Sach turns out to be one of heirs to an Earl's (Walter Kingford) fortune.


 Of course there are some greedy relatives trying to knock the Earl off. Little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) goes with them as an accidental stowaway. 


This entry into the series was done by the writer/director team of Ellwood Ullman and Edward Bernds, who both worked on many 3 Stooges shorts but this one has more of an Abbott & Costello feel to it. There are some funny scenes and dialogue though including a flashback to when Sach's ancestor was banished to "the colonies". Also with Angela Greene, Norma Varden, Clyde Cook, Bess Flowers and Joan Shawlee.  


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Jalopy

JALOPY-1953-This time the Boys are involved in auto racing. For some reason a scientist (Leon Belasco) is experimenting in a lab in the back of Louie's sweet shop. In their first race with Slip (Leo Gorcey) driving, Sach (Huntz Hall) causes all the cars to crash (he goes after his lost hat). Later Sach and the scientist invent a super fuel. Of course a rival race car owner (Robert Lowery) wants the formula and sends his "moll" (Jane Easton) to get it. It doesn't help that Sach (naturally) can't remember how to make it again! 

JALOPY was directed by William Beaudine and sort of reminded me of HERE COME THE CO-EDS. Also with regulars David Gorcey (using the name David Conlon), Bennie Bartlett and Bernard Gorcey as Louie who (unfortunately) isn't given much to do in this weak Monogram entry (co-written by Tim Ryan).

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No Holds Barred

NO HOLDS BARRED-1952-In this Bowery Boys outing Sach (Huntz Hall) somehow gets a special power from time to time. At first his head becomes very hard so Slip (Leo Gorcey) gets him into professional wrestling. He beats (real wrestler) Hombre Montana for the championship and runs afoul of his crooked manager (Leonard Penn). Henry Kulky (another real wrestler who later became a movie and TV character actor) is Mike the Mauler, Sach's trainer. When Sach loses his hard head he gets a powerful index finger and then a strong leg. Marjorie Reynolds is dispatched by the the manager to find out more about Sach's power. 

David Gorcey and Bennie Bartlett are Chuck and Butch again but they could have used little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) more. 

Some other real wrestlers appear: Brother Frank Jares, Ted Christy, and John Smith as well as (non-wrestlers) John Eldredge, Sandra Gould and Tim Ryan (who co-wrote the script). 

It was one of 10 movies William Beaudine directed in 1953 (including BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA)!

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Let's Go Navy

LET'S GO NAVY-1951-In this outing Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Huntz) are robbed at gun point of some money they planned to give to charity. Since the two robbers (Tom Neal and Richard Benedict) were dressed as sailors "the boys" decide to join the navy and find them! Allen Jenkins is their CPO who is thrown overboard several times because of Sach's idiocy. Jonathan Hale is the captain. There's a lot of Abbott & Costello type gags including giving the captain a bar of soap instead of cheese and shell game routine (featuring Frank Jenks). When they land on a tropical island someone named Charlita shows up as Princess Papoola. She was in BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA the next year. Billy Benedict is Whitey, Buddy Gorman is Butch and David Gorcey is Chuck.

Unfortunately there's not enough Louie Dumbrosky (Bernard Gorcey). Directed by William Beaudine. This is the only credit for screenwriter Max Adams (!). This would be Buddy Gorman's last appearance as Butch. Bennie Barlett would rejoin the gang for the next entry. Leo Gorcey's manager Jan Grippo also exited as producer after this one.

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Feudin' Fools

FEUDIN' FOOLS-1952-The Bowery Boys go south! Sach (Huntz Hall) inherits a plantation (it looks like the house Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor lived in on TV's GREEN ACRES). He's of course joined by bossy Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Chuck (David Gorcey) and Butch (Bennie Bartlett). They get embroiled in a feud between hillbillies named Smith and Jones (Sach's full name is Horace Debussy Jones). Like Curly Howard did in a couple of 3 Stooges shorts instead of a coonskin cap Sach wears skunk! All goes well for a while and a female hillbilly (Dorothy Ford who was in JACK AND THE BEANSTALK with Abbott & Costello) falls for Sach. 

Naturally when things start to get dull little Louie Dumbrowsky (Bernard Gorcey) shows up and is mistaken for a revenuer ("In the Civil War I was neutral".) After a lot of tired gags and Sach's mugging Lyle Talbott shows up as a bank robber wounded during a robbery. Louie has to pretend he's a doctor and then the gangsters shoot it out with The Smiths (kind of like in NEXT OF KIN....not!).

Some of the Hillbillies are played by Oliver Blake, perennial hillbilly portrayer Robert Easton (who was also the dialect coach) and Paul Wexler (later the scary Indian headhunter in THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE). Fuzzy Knight is Traps and Arthur Space is a banker. Screenwriter Tim Ryan (who penned a few others in the series) was also an actor. William Beaudine directed again. 

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Ghost Chasers

GHOST CHASERS-1951-Another Bowery Boys adventure! This time Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach (Huntz Hall) and the usual gang (David Gorcey, Billy Benedict and Buddy Gorman) investigate Maro the Medium (Lela Bliss) and her phony seances. Of course little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) also gets involved for some laughs and Sach gets help from a Pilgrim ghost (Lloyd Corrigan) that no one else can see! It's not very good. Phillip Van Zandt is the leader of the bad guys. Also with Jan Kayne, Argentina Brunetti. Paul Bryar and Bess Flowers. William Beaudine directed once again and Charles Marion scripted.

Hi Mom!

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Bowery Battalion

BOWERY BATTALION-1951-All "the boys" join the army. Their drill sergeant is played by Edward MacBride (the familiar character actor who among other things was in ROOM SERVICE with The Marx Brothers) and is the highlight of this torpid entry.

Sach (Huntz Hall) acts really freaky at times and Slip (Leo Gorcey) tries unsuccessfully to imitate Lou Costello in a drill scene. After getting thrown into the brig for impersonating officers it turns out little Louie Dumbrowsky (Bernard Gorcey) was known as "the fighting corporal" during WW l and knows the plans for a top secret weapon. He's made a colonel and "the boys" become his orderlies. They run afoul of spies but foil them in the end. The last line of the film has MacBride talking to the camera.

Of course Billy Benedict as Whitey, Buddy Gorman as Butch and David Gorcey as Chuck are also present. Usual 3 Stooges foil Emil Sitka has a small role as a clumsy waiter. Once again the William Beaudine-Charles Marion team made this one.


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Blues Busters

BLUES BUSTERS-1950-More Bowery Boys craziness when Slip (Leo Gorcey) promotes Sach (Huntz Hall) as the new singing sensation (with a dubbed voice) after he has his tonsils removed. Louie's sweet shop is turned into The Bowery Palace night club where he plays to sold out business. Craig Stevens (future Peter Gunn star) and Adele Jurgens (also in BLOND DYNAMITE) are rival club owners trying to sabotage their success. Phyllis Coates (future first Lois Lane on TV's Superman) is also on hand as Slip's girlfriend (something he didn't usually have in the series) who tap dances.

Little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) and the rest of the usual gang (Billy Benedict, Buddy Gorman and David Gorcey) are there too. Gabriel Dell usually cast as their level headed friend has a more comical role in this one.

Old One Shot, William Beaudine directed this one and Charles Marion penned it.

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Triple Trouble

TRIPLE TROUBLE-1950-For some reason "the boys" are walking around one night in Halloween masks even though it's not October. They witness a warehouse robbery but because of their masks they are all arrested! Their lawyer-friend Gabe (Gabriel Dell) gets them out in bail but when Whitey (Billy Bennedict) picks up some mysterious messages on his short wave radio emanating from the state prison Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall) deliberately plead guilty so they can be sent to prison and investigate! 

Once there they are mistaken for real criminals and get involved in an outside robbery and a jail break with Sach acting goofier as it goes along. The other boys (David Gorcey and Buddy Gorman) help out as does Little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) who is always entertaining. Also with Joe Turkel, Paul Dubov, Tom Kennedy and Lyle Tabott in a small un-billed role. 

Once again Jean Yarbrough directed and Charles Marion wrote the screenplay. 

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Lucky Losers

LUCKY LOSERS-1950-After the mysterious suicide of a popular banker Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach (Huntz Hall) and the rest of the boys (Billy Bennedict, Buddy Gorman and David Gorcey) help their reporter/friend Gabe (Gabriel Dell) investigate. To get jobs at a crooked casino run by Lyle Talbott the boys get tutored by a street con artist named Buffer (Harry Tyler). Hillary Brooke is Countess Margo who works at the casino. Little Louie (Bernard Gorcey) winds up impersonating a Texas gambler in the funniest scenes. Also with Joe Turkel and Selmer Jackson.

Although this is a typical BB comedy it does have some serious overtones. As with the previous entry BLONDE DYNAMITE, William Beaudine directs from a screenplay by Charles Marion.

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Blonde Dynamite

BLONDE DYNAMITE-1950-Typical Bowery Boys comedy. When an escort agency rejects Slip (33 year old Leo Gorcey) and Sach (31 year old Huntz Hall) as escorts they decide to start their own agency. They trick Louie (Bernard Gorcey) into going on vacation and turn his sweet shop into their own escort service. Meanwhile their friend Gabe (Gabriel Dell) who works at the local bank gets blackmailed by gangsters thanks to his girlfriend (Adele Jurgens). With two of the other regular "boys" while Buddy Gorman steps in (taking Bennie Bartlett's place) as the new Butch. John Harmon is one of the gangsters. 

Director William "One Shot" Beaudine's film career started in 1915! Screenplay by Charles Marion. 

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Angels In Disguise

ANGELS IN DISGUISE-1949-In this more serious than usual Bowery Boys entry, Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall) investigate the murder of a neighborhood cop and wind up tangling with "The Loop Gang", a a bunch of Chicago gangsters. Slip narrates it after he and Sach have been beaten up. Gabe Dell is a police detective who's on the gang's trail. Mickey Knox and Richard Bennedict are gangsters but the real boss is a clean cut Joe College type (Edward Ryan). 

Billy Benedict, Benny Bartlett and David Gorcey all reprise their roles as Whitey, Butch and Chuck repectively. 

Joe Turkel, Jean Dean and Tristram Coffin are also in it as is Bernard Gorcey as Louie who had yet be the scene-stealer he would become in later story lines.

Director Jean Yarbrough would work with "the boys" again. A few years earlier he'd directed 3 Abbott & Costello vehicles, IN SOCIETY, THE NAUGHTY NINETIES and HERE COME THE CO-EDS. Co-scripter Charles Marion also worked on several A & C movies.

I'd like to know more about the other screenplay writer Gerald Schnitzer who after 1955 has only one isolated credit as as writer/director in 1967 but is listed on IMDB as being born in 1917 and as of this writing is still alive! According to Amazon.com he's written a autobiography called "My Floating Grandmother". 

Almost all of the Monogram series was produced by Jan Grippo, Leo Gorcey's manager.

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May Is Bowery Boys Month!

 Please excuse this interruption but by popular demand (not really) I'm devoting May to review some Bowery Boys movies. Here's the first one:

HOLD THAT BABY!-1949-Fairly amusing Leo Gorcey and The Bowery Boys installment finds the gang in hot water when they accidentally become guardians of a baby left in their Laundromat. It turns out the baby is actually the heir to a huge fortune. Two sisters (Anabel Shaw and Ida Moore) plot to steal the inheritance by claiming the mother (Francis Auer ) is insane! The Boys are kind of blackmailed by two gangsters (John Kellogg and Frankie Darro) into keeping quiet about having the baby but eventually Gorcey disguises himself as a German doctor and gets the mother out of an insane asylum just in time before the reading of the will! Of course Sach (second billed Huntz Hall ) provides most of the laughs. Gabe Dell is Gabe Moreno, their straight laced friend who tries to help them.

The other "boys" are Billy Benedict as Whitey, Benny Bartlett as Butch and David Gorcey as Chuck. Leo's dad Bernard is also on hand as sweet shop owner Louie. Director Reginald Le Borg was in the middle of helming a series of Joe Polooka comedies when he made this. It's the 14th of 48 Bowery Boys movies, the first half produced by Monogram Studios.

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