Spy Chasers (1955)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Number thirty-eight is certainly a step up in the series has a King and Princess from a fake European country find themselves hiding in the Bowery after being kicked out of the country. It turns out Louie (Bernard Gorcey) is the brother of a rebel who is fighting to bring the King back but in the meantime Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall) must fight the bad guys who plan on double-crossing the King. Considering how fair to poor the previous few films were I really wasn't expecting too much out of SPY CHASERS but it actually turned out to be pretty good and in the end it delivered more laughs than many in the series. The plot is certainly a very stupid one with one big hole after another but then again it's doubtful anyone expected anything better. The film does a nice job with the humor as it comes in a variety of ways but the highlights are when the boys are making fun of Col. Alex Baxis (Leon Askin) who happens to be a bad guy. The stuff that happens when Slip and Sach first meet him is priceless and gets plenty of laughs. Another terrific sequence is a later scene when Slip and Sach come up with a plan to get the Princess back after she's been kidnapped. This includes going into a restaurant where the owner is played by Roger Corman regular Mel Welles. The insults start flying and contain some of the best jokes in the series and Sach's "act" is without question one of the funniest bits you'll see in any of the films. Both Gorcey and Hall seem re-energized as both of them are working at a very fast pace and both deliver what they do best. Gorcey has some very funny lines this time out and Hall plays dumb as well as he can. Daddy Gorcey also does a pretty good job in his role but it's a shame the screenplay didn't include a scene of his brother, the General in battle as it would have been great seeing this "brave" brother. Askin is fun as the bad guy as is Veola Davis in the role of the vixen who uses Sach to carry out her orders. SPY CHASERS certainly isn't a masterpiece but it's a decent enough of an entry and I'm sure fans of the series will have a good time with it.
