In Fast Company

In Fast Company (1946)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Second film in the Bowery Boys series has Slip (Leo Gorcey) offering to drive a cab for a driver who was injured on the job. Soon he and the boys find themselves in the middle of a cab war with the big cabs trying to knock over the little ones. The subject line of a cab war has been dealt with in quite a few films with the most memorable being TAXI with James Cagney and Loretta Young. This film here can't hold a candle to that one nor the previous film in the series. This second film comes off as a major disappointment as it appears the film was rushed into production without too much thought put into the screenplay. For the most part there are very few laughs to be found in this film and the biggest one comes towards the end when Sach (Huntz Hall) walks into a trophy room with various stuffed animals and gets scared. The rest of the comedy comes from rather silly slapstick including a really bad scene where the boys and a few others get locked inside a phone booth. Other forms of so-called comedy comes from the boys eating up all the bananas from a dealer and another one dealing with a watch inside one of those claw machines that Sach keeps getting but losing at the last second. As with the first film, there's no question that this was meant to show off Gorcey but that doesn't even happen that well. As expected he spills a lot of mangled dialogue but the character really doesn't do much else. Most of the supporting cast is wasted and especially Bobby Jordan. Character actor John D. Brown comes off the best as Father Donovan and I'm sure many will remember him from countless Warner pictures in the 30s.

Second of the '48' BOWERY BOYS films from MONOGRAM which was the longest series ever produced by Hollywood to date. Usual story which pits 'the BOYS' and their independent 'Cassidy's Cab Company' (CCC) versus 'Red Circle Cab' (RCB). Now you would think in a metropolitan area as large as N.Y.C. there would not be much of a conflict, then there would have been no movie. RCB plays rough, running off (literally) the competition.

'The Boys' lead by Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney (Leo Gorcey), his stooge Sach (Huntz Hall) plus, Bobby (Bobby Jordon), Whitey (William Benedict) and Chuck (David Gorcey) take it on the chin for the first half of the film. Then they make contact with the rival companies owner Patrick McCormick (Paul Harvey), with the help of his Daughter Marian (Jane Randolf) reveal the true source of the problem, Steve Trent (Douglas Fowley). After a furious fight the Police arrive and the offenders of 'Cab Etiquette' are taken off to jail.

Leo Gorcey (Slip) fills his character with the usual amount of 'malaprops' and abuse too Hall (Sach). The rest of 'the Boys' just fix cars or stand around. It is the supporting cast that is of real interest. Luis Alberni, Charles D. Brown, Douglas Fowley and Paul Harvey were all quality character actors. Who spent most of their time in the 30s' plying their trade among the 'Big Five Majors' or at least the middle tier studios and would continue to do so. Why then appear in a poverty row quickie from MONOGRAM? It kept you busy, you did not have to invest more then a week to pick up your check and it took no great stretch too fulfill your acting obligations. Need a quick '2 Gs' for a new car or a home improvement then MONOGRAM was a good place to stop.

Overall would rate the BOWERY BOYS series from as low as Two**Stars to a maximum of Six******Stars depending on the entry.

When a competing driver won't succumb to pressure, New York City's crooked "Red Circle Cab" company derails him in an accident, overturning his cab. While the driver recuperates, a local Priest recruits "helpful lad" Leo Gorcey (as Slip Mahoney) to drive the rival "Cassidy" company cab. Sacrificing a night out with angelic girlfriend Judy Clark (as Mabel Dumbrowski), Mr. Gorcey clashes with the criminal "Red Circle" cabs. Gorcey quickly employs "The Bowery Boys": Huntz Hall (as Sach), Bobby Jordan (as Bobby), William "Billy" Benedict (as Whitey), and David Gorcey (as Chuck) to humorously help make amends.

"In Fast Company" is above average for "The Bowery Boys", but nothing special overall. In this film, (Leo's father) Bernard Gorcey, who had been appearing in the series films regularly, receives his familiar character name "Louie Dumbrowski" (herein, proprietor of "Louie's Ice Cream Parlor"). Good moments include an entertaining fruit stand owner (nicely played by Luis Alberni), a seltzer water sequence, and an early example of "telephone booth stuffing" (or, How many people can you fit in a telephone booth?). Since telephone booth stuffing became a fad in the 1950s, it looks like "The Bowery Boys" were ahead of the curve.

***** In Fast Company (6/22/46) Del Lord ~ Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan, William 'Billy' Benedict

I haven't seen as many Bowery Boys movies as I should have. I'm catching up but I'm still way behind. "In Fast Company" is a solid entry in the series. It has a lot of funny lines and a very fast running time (63 mins). The Boys are all in great form. Their supporting cast is also good. Forgive me but I actually found the story of a war between taxi companies interesting. I liked "In Fast Company".

The gang saves a neighborhood cab co. from an outlaw rival.

Like the Marx Bros. or the Three Stooges, the Bowery Boys are best when bringing chaos into the well-ordered world of the rich or pretentious. Their's is a street tough brand of chaos, too moronic to be organized. Slip (Gorcey) may try, but the gang are like wacky billiard balls, causing the so-called leader to take out his frustration on the hapless Sach (Hall) in sometimes humorous fashion.

Too bad this entry doesn't get more of that energy on screen. It's actually a pretty dull affair. The one big set-piece, the packed telephone booth, goes on too long with no variation, soon losing its humor. Surprisingly, Hall and Gorcey remain pretty subdued without many of their usual wild antics. It's almost like the producers of this second series entry aren't sure the direction they want the series to take. At the same time, poor Bobby Jordan as the sometimes sane member looks a little lost. Still, it is a good chance to catch the lovely and classy Jane Randolph taking a break from her Cat People role.

The real problem, however, is with the premise. The rival cab company is simply filled with too many characters like the Boys. So the usual silly antics remain just that, silly, and aren't redeemed by puncturing the balloons of the high and mighty.