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IT IS PERHAPS one of the greatest of contradictions in Film History that a very serious and socially conscious a Stage Play and resulting adaptation to the movie version of DEAD END should have sired, not a greater understanding of juvenile delinquency, but rather years and tears of comedy. It doesn't matter what the name of the group (although the earlier movies were a little more serious than farcical), there was always a great resemblance to the rest of the other series films.
SO IT WAS that The Dead End Kids begot The Little Tough Guys, the East Side Kids Followed and the terminus of the family tree was the now grown-up, not kids or teens, but young men known as the Bowery Boys. These have proved to be particularly durable and popular over the years. There were four Bowery Boys movies released during this Baby Boomer's childhood in the 1950's and we saw many of them at either the Ogden or the Hi-Way theatres here o Chicago's Southside ("the Baddest Part of town")
IN THE EARLY 1960's, the series came to television and we recall their being shown every Wednesday afternoon over ABC Channel 7, WBKB (now WLS).
AS FOR THIS entry that we are reviewing today, BOWERY BUCKAROOS, we do remember it well from TV and have always considered it to be one of the best of the series; as ell as a favourite. There are several reasons for such honors.
FIRST OF ALL, it is generally a rule of thumb that earlier entries in a series, be that TV or "B" movies, are usually the better and more meticulously crafted and more expensive looking installments. This assertion is certainly evident in this 1947 production. There are larger casts., more and varied sets & locations.
FURTHERMORE, WHEN ONE views an earlier edition of the series, you have more of the original "Kids" from DEAD END in the cast. BOWERY BUCKAROOS has the talents of both Bobby Jordan and Gabriel Dell in addition to the two featured players, Leo Gorcey (Slip) and Huntz Hall (Sach). David Gorcey and Billy Benedict round out the cast.
IN ADDITION TO the above mentioned reasons, this movie adds the elements of a dream sequence as well as a lively spoof of the Western "Cowboy" picture. Although we really enjoyed most of the entries into this now venerable series and they did run the table in subjects to spoof (Jungle pictures, War pictures, Detective & Cops, Boxing & Wrestling, etc.), they never did it so well and enjoyably.
IT WOULD BE a grave injustice to close out our dissertation without mentioning the movie's one very unique bit of musical contribution to the Bowery Boys series. No Schultz, we're not talking about any of the incidental music (probably stock),nor the series latter day appropriation of "Hail, Hail The Gang's All Here" as its theme.
INSTEAD WE WANTED to draw one's attention to the opening solo performance of "Louie the Lout" as performed by the Sweet Shop proprietor. Louie Dombrowski It's both entertaining and functional; as it adds to the story, provides us with some exposition and brings one to the threshold of being ready to be entertained. That's precisely why we watch a Bowery Boys movie to begin with.
AND FOR THOSE not already aware, Bernard Gorcey (Louie), veteran actor of the legitimate theater, was the real life father of real life brothers, Leo & David Gorcey; being Slip and Chuck respectively.
