Let's Go Navy!

Twenty-third entry in the Bowery Boys series from Monogram has Slip & Sach being robbed by a couple of crooks posing as sailors. The police are no help so the boys, along with the rest of their gang, join the Navy to try and find the crooks. That turns out to be as good an idea as you might expect. The cast of regulars are all enjoyable, with the focus as usual being on Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall). Hall seems to be trying extra hard in this one but getting little juice for his squeeze. The problem is the script isn't the best and if the boys are doing any of their notorious ad-libbing here, they weren't coming up with anything particularly funny. Very few malapropisms from Leo Gorcey, which is one of the series' funniest elements. William Benedict and David Gorcey are both fine although I think they only had a dozen lines between them the whole film. This is not only the last film in the series to feature Buddy Gorman, it's also Gorman's last film altogether. I think he speaks once or twice in this so no great loss. Bernard Gorcey is a highlight in his scenes as Louie the Sweet Shop owner. The rest of the cast includes Allen Jenkins, Paul Harvey, Jonathan Hale, and future murderer Tom Neal. Not one of the Boys' best, in my opinion, but entertaining enough. More amusing bits than anything laugh out loud funny.