The Bowery Boys

 

 (imdb)

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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How Could I Forget This One!

THE BOWERY BOYS MEET THE MONSTERS-1954-The (over-aged) Boys (in their 34^th outing!) want to get a nice place for local kids to play baseball. Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall) contact a Dr. Gravesend (John Dehner) who owns the lot. Of course Gravesend is actually a mad scientist with a sister Amelia (Ellen Corby) who keeps a man eating plant, a wacky scientist brother Anton (Lloyd Corrigan) and a niece Francine (Laura mason) who's a vampire. Their butler Grissom (Paul Wexler; later the scary Indian head hunter in THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE) sometimes becomes a hairy fanged monster. Gravesend wants Sach's pea brain for his gorilla and the brother wants Slip's brain for his robot. After terrorizing Sach, the robot has a fight with the gorilla and Sach turns into a rather scary monster who almost kills Slip.

It's pretty dumb but it's probably the one entry in this series that stands out the most because of the horror setting (at least it did when I was kid!). Yet somehow I forgot to review it when I did a whole bunch of Bowery Boys movies a few years ago!The other regular “boys” Chuck (David Gorcey) and Butch (Bennie Barlett) are there as well as Bernard Gorcey as Louie. Director Edward Bernds (who made JUNGLE GENTS with the team the same year) co-wrote it with usual BB scribe Elwood Ullman.

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In The Money

IN THE MONEY-1958-In the last installment of the the Bowery Boys series (which started as the Dead End Kids in 1937), Sach (Huntz Hall) is hired by some diamond smugglers to escort a dog on an ocean liner to England. It's a lot of talk and a lot of Sach acting goofy while Duke (Stanley Clements) tries to figure it all out. Eddie LeRoy as Blinky and of course David Gorcey as Chuck are along for the last ride. The three of them become stowaways while Sach is "romanced" by the smuggler's moll, Babs (Patricia Donohue). A running gag for a while is that the dog's name is Gloria but when Sach says things like "I have to give Gloria a bath" the others think he's talking about Babs. They land in England (not really) and spend some time worrying about Gloria when she gets sick. Somehow Sach winds up on an apartment ledge! 


Dick Elliot reprises his (un-billed) role as Mike who owns the "joint" the gang hangs out in. Snub Pollard, Ralph Gamble and Norma Varden also have un-billed roles. Once again most of it seems like s drawn out TV sitcom or short. English actor Paul Cavanagh is Inspector Sanders who is trailing the bad guys. 


Huntz Hall would go on to appear in several other films and many TV shows. His standout role would be portraying Jesse Lansky in Ken Russell's bizarre bio-pic VALENTINO. Stanley Clements (from Long Island, NY) would also make various TV appearances (many un-billed) and died at 55 in 1981. According to IMDB David Gorcey made only one more film and became a minister. He died at 63 in 1894. 


ITM was directed once again by William "One Shot" Beaudine who found time to direct episodes of BROKEN ARROW and THE NAKED CITY around the same time. BB screenwriting vet Ellwood Ullman co-wrote this last one with Al Martin, who wrote the screenplay for INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN the same year. 


OK, it's over...for now. There are a few I missed. Bowery Boys movies are hard to see these days. They used to be a mainstay of weekend comedy when I was a kid in the '60's but are seldom  talked about these days...


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Looking For Danger

LOOKING FOR DANGER-1957-In this weird Bowery Boys outing Duke (Stanley Clements) recalls in a flashback how he and Sach (Huntz Hall) fought against the Nazis in WW2! They also get involved with a Middle Eastern sultan and his harem. It's easy to see the series was on it's last legs as the gags are really bad and Sach is goofier than ever. 


Dick Elliot is now featured as Mike Clancy (after Percy Helton), the owner of the cafe where the boys (along with David Gorcey, Jimmie Murpshy and Eddie LeRoy who are also seen briefly in flashback) hang out. Lili Kardell and John Harmon are also featured. 


Screenplay by old BB stalwarts Ed Bernds and Ellwood Ullman. Director Austin Jewell also made HOLD THAT HYPNOTIST. It's the only other feature he directed!


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Up In Smoke

UP IN SMOKE-1957-In this Bowery Boys craziness Sach (still top billed Huntz Hall) sells his soul to the devil (the great Byron Foulger in dress suit and horns) to get the names of winning horses after losing some charity money on a crooked horse race. Of course every time he tries to make a bet something goes wrong (he has no money, he's put in jail...). Since gagman Jack Townley was one of the screenwriters many routines are rehashes of things seen in other places (notably Abbott & Costello). When Duke (Stanley Clements) catches Sach talking to a monkey (it's the devil in disguise) he takes him to a psychiatrist (Fritz Feld) named Dr. Bluzak. In the end Sach thwarts the devil and he loses his job! But Sach helps him get it back! 


Since Sach does so many stupid things a better ending would have been that this episode was the last of the series and the devil took the nitwit to hell! A little harsh I guess....


The other boys are David Gorcey as Chuck and Eddie LeRoy as Blinky. Joe Devlin, James Flavin and Benny Rubin also appear. A character named Dr. Bluzak also appeared in an episode of THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO SHOW that Jack Townley wrote! And Byron Foulger played him! 


William Beaudine was back to direct this second to last entry of the series. 


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Spook Chasers

SPOOK CHASERS-1957-By this time the Bowery Boys series was nearing it's end (this was the 45th of 48 movies made in the series) and it shows. 

Top billed Huntz Hall is moronic Sach and Stanley Clements is Duke (acting more Slip Mahoney-ish this time out). The rest of "the boys" are David Gorcey as Chuck, Jimmy Murphy as Myron, and Eddie LeRoy as Blinky. This time instead of having a landlady to harass or save they hang out in "Clancy's Diner" owned by Louie Dumbrowsky substitute Mike (Percy Helton). When a doctor tells the overworked Mike he needs a rest in the country two crooked real estate agents (William Henry & Darlene Fields) sell him a dilapidated haunted house. However, instead of finding the usual trouble, they find money. It turns out to be the hidden loot of a gangster (Peter Mamakos) who  later shows up (one of his henchman is Ben Welden) to collect. 

It's mostly tired bits of haunted house humor from other comedies (like HOLD THAT GHOST) and Robert Shayne shows up at the end as a detective. Ellwood Ullman scripted it once again and George Blair directed. Blair was also doing episodes of the SUPERMAN TV series at the time.

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Hold That Hypnotist!

HOLD THAT HYPNOTIST!-1957-When the Bowery Boys' landlady Mrs. Kelly (Queenie Smith) decides to visit a hypnotist (Robert Foulke) so she can be regressed to a former life, Sach (Huntz Hall) and Duke (Stanley Clements) decide to investigate. They are assisted by Myron (Jimmy Hall) and Chuck (David Gorcey). Sach is regressed to a 17th century tax collector! He has to confront the pirate Blackbeard (Mel Welles) and learns of his hidden treasure. Well, sort of. When he is re-hypnotized to find out more info he becomes a Mark Anthony quoting Shakespeare! They are eventually double crossed by the hypnotist and his manager (James Flavin). 


Parts are funny (especially when Sach talks with an English accent but most of the routines are "sub Abbott & Costello". Also with Jane Nigh. Usual second unit director Austin Jewell made only one other film. The credited screenwriter Dan Pepper is a pseudonym. Mel Welles was in 3 Roger Corman features the same year!


Happy Memorial Day and thanks for reading! 

Fighting Trouble

FIGHTING TROUBLE-1956-The Bowery Boys redux! 

Now billed as "Huntz Hall and The Bowery Boys" second billed Stanley Clements joins the cast (replacing Leo Gorcey) as Stanislaus "Duke" Covelske. They (along with David (Gorcey) Conlon as Chuck and un-billed Danny Welton as Danny) live in a boarding house run by Miss Kelly (Queenie Smith) who keeps referring to Sach as a genius (which tells you her state of mind). 


To (what else?) raise money Sach and Duke try to get an incriminating picture of a gangster (Thomas B. Henry) for a newspaper publisher. Naturally Sach winds up impersonating a hit man but screws everything up! Adele Jurgens (in at least her third BB appearance) is Henry's moll. Also with Tim Ryan, Laurie Mitchell and Paul Brinegar. 


Ellwood Ullman once again was the screenwriter. Director George Blair began his film career in 1944 but by the mid-fifties was working more on TV (he directed many first season episodes of SUPERMAN). He later made THE HYPNOTIC EYE. The jazzy score is by Buddy Bregman.


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Crashing Las Vegas

CRASHING LAS VEGAS-1956-Sach (Huntz Hall) gets electrified and can predict numbers on a TV game show. Slip (Leo Gorcey) wins a trip to "Sin City", where he plans to use his buddy's abilities to win enough money to pay their landlady's bills. They bring along the rest of "the gang" which by now is only Chuck (David Conlon/Gorcey) and Myron (Jimmy Murphy replacing Bennie Bartlett). Of course gamblers (led by Don Haggerty) want to know his secret and send a woman (Mary Castle) to find out. It's a typical Bowery Boys mess with Sach acting really dopey despite his new found power. 


CLV was the last of the series to star Leo Gorcey as Slip who quit after this one. His dad Bernard (little Louie Dumbrowsky in most of the run and top scene stealer) died from injuries he received in a car accident. 


The whole movie kind of reminded me of an over long second season episode of THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO SHOW. 


In fact that show's director, Jean Yarbrough made CLV and screenwriter Jack Townley wrote episodes of the show. Also rather weirdly the TV host at the beginning of CLV is played by Bob Hopkins who played a TV host on an A & C episode. And Frank J. Scannell who played a croupier in an A & C episode plays a croupier here! 


Emil Sitka also shows up!


 I've read Gorcey was "visibly drunk" during the making of this. He does act a little strange and some of his lines seem to be dubbed by someone else!


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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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Jail Busters

JAIL BUSTERS-1955-For some reason in this Bowery Boys entry, Chuck (David Gorcey) has become a newspaper reporter. His paper sends him undercover to the state pen to check out charges of corruption. He gets beaten up pretty badly and Slip (Leo Gorcey) vows revenge! 

He, Sach (Huntz Hall) and Butch (Bennie Bartlett) devise a plot to be put in jail to find out who's responsible. They think they are getting help from another reporter (Lyle Talbott; I've lost count how many of the series he's been in) but he just wants them to rob a jewelry store so he can pay off his gambling debts with the stolen goods. Of course this means "the boys" are sent to prison for real but don't realize it. Anthony Caruso is a jailed mobster, weasel voiced Percy Helton is the warden and Barton McLane is a corrupt prison guard. John Harmon, Fritz Feld, Henry Kulky and Emil Sitka all have un-billed roles. Bernard Gorcey as Louie is in it but only has a few scenes. Written by Edward Bernds and Ellwood Ullman. Directed by William Beaudine.

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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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High Society

HIGH SOCIETY-1955-Once again Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach (Huntz Hall) and the Bowery Boys (minimally used David Gorcey and Bennie Bartlett) get into trouble when some con-men try to use Sach to swindle a little boy (Ronald Keith) out of his inheritance. Amanda Blake (who would start a long run co-starring on TV in GUNSMOKE the same year) is a female swindler. One weird scene features a pianist who does a bad Liberace impersonation. William Beaudine returned to direct this one. 

Strangely, the next year MGM released a big budget Cole Porter musical with the same name starring Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly (in her last movie role). A mix-up with the two titles caused the Bowery Boys movie (written by Jerome Gottler and Bert Lawrence) to be inadvertently nominated for best screenplay! (It was changed before the awards took place). 

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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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Private Eyes

PRIVATE EYES-1953-In another typical Bowery Boys outing Sach (Huntz Hall) gets punched in the nose and obtains the ability to read minds. Slip (Leo Gorcey) buys a detective agency and "the boys" (along with David Gorcey as Chuck and Bennie Bartlett as Butch) get involved with a stolen furs gang. 

It's the usual BB inanity with Sach doing his dumbest using a shotgun and homemade bomb to try and open a safe (he put the combination in it so he wouldn't lose it...). Later after a little kid is kidnapped and held for ransom Slip once again disguises himself as a German doctor and Sach dresses in drag as his female patient! 

Joyce Holden (TERROR IN THE YEAR 5000 AD) is the woman who's part of the gang but has a change of heart and helps out. Myron Healy is a dumb hospital attendant and Emil Sitka has a bigger role than usual. Also with Chick Chandler, Tim Ryan, Bill Phillips and Peter Mamkos. 

PE is like an overlong episode of The Abbott and Costello TV show combined with a lot of 3 Stooges gags. This figures since it was made by writer Ellwood Ullman and director Edward Bernds.

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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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