Bowery Bombshell

Through the course of the 48 films in the Bowery Boys franchise, the writers tried a lot of insane plot ideas...including monsters, clairvoyance, super-strength and many other weird twists...mostly involving Sach. However, in "Bowery Bombshell", the film is amazingly normal...at least by comparison!

The story begins with Louie needing money and the gang out trying to sell their jalopy to raise money for him. While they are in front of the bank, Sach gets his picture taken...and it also happens to catch one of the crooks as he's robbing a bank! While you'd think they'd just take the photo to the police, they go about doing this in the worst possible way and in the end, the cops think Sach was the robber! So, it's up to the guys to pretend to be mobsters in order to get the real crooks to return the money.

This film is free of crazy plot elements (apart from watching Slip and Bobby pretend to be movie-style gangsters) and is much more watchable for non-Bowery Boys viewers. Enjoyable and surprisingly well made.

Third in Monogram's Bowery Boys series starring Leo Gorcey as diminutive tough guy Slip Mahoney, the leader of my favorite gang of street yutes. Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan, William Benedict, and David Gorcey round out the gang in this one. The plot has Huntz Hall's Sach wrongfully accused of bank robbery. Slip and the boys must find a way to catch the real crooks to prove his innocence. Bobby Jordan, one of the lesser members of the gang typically, has one of his funniest bits here impersonating Edward G. Robinson (badly). Sheldon Leonard offers fun support as gangster Ace Deuce. Bernard Gorcey steals his scenes as Louie, owner of the ice cream parlor the boys hang out at. Beautiful Teala Loring (sister of Debra Paget) is a photographer who inadvertently causes all the problems for Sach. James Burke, Wee Willie Davis, and Milton Parsons are all good. Lots of funny lines in this one, particularly Gorcey's many great malapropisms. The scene where Gorcey schools the detectives grilling him on his "institutional rights" is a classic. Ending is a nice nod to the beginning of the Bowery Boys' career.

The gang's hangout Louie's Malt Shop is in danger. Their friend Louie needs $300 and quick. The guys try to sell their car but nobody is willing to pay for the jalopy. They happen upon a bank robbery and their friend Cathy takes a picture. It shows Sach picking up the stolen loot not knowing that it was stolen. The picture gets on the newspaper and Sach becomes a wanted man.

The setup is great. I really like the premise. The story gets more and more muddled as it goes. It concentrates more on being a screwball comedy. That aspect is fun. There are some good laughs. All in all, the gang has some fun.

Good all-out comedy in the Bowery Boys series has the gang in trouble when gullible Sach (Huntz Hall) gets his photo taken outside a bank that's in the process of being robbed. With a $1,000 reward offered for his capture, Slip (Leo Gorcey) and his friends have to get Sach out of a jam and try to foil the real gangsters (lead by old standby Sheldon Leonard). This results in some funny comical bits from an overly-animated Gorcey, including his disguised impression of a slow-talking crime boss called Midge Casalotti, who confronts Leonard. A worthwhile early offering from the Boys.

*** out of ****

I am watching "Bowery Bomshell" right now on TCM. This is officially the third entry in the Bowery Boys series. Leo Grocery and Hunts Hall were in full stride in the development of their "Slip" and "Sach" characters. The slapstick and malaprops are in full view.

The plot involves the gang trying to figure a way to save Louie's Ice Cream Shop from bankruptcy. While trying to sell their broken down car in front of the bank, girl photographer Cathy Smith snaps Sach's picture as robbers are fleeing the bank. The photo winds up in the newspaper and it identifies Sach as one of the robbers. A $1,000 reward is offered for his capture. Ace Deuce, the leader of the robbers, decides to frame Sach for the robbery. Meanwhile, Slip, the Boys, and Cathy are trying to clear Sach and catch the bank robbers.

When the cops question Slip, he snaps, "what are ya chargin' me with, fragrancy? That ain't right cause I ain't a fragrant!"

Teala Loring plays Cathy. She was the older sister of Debra Paget and Lisa Gaye. Teala only stayed in the movie business until 1950. Then she etired to raise a family.

Familiar movie villain Sheldon Leonard is Ace Deuce. He was born to play gangsters.

"Wee Willie" Davis plays Moose McCall, one of Ace's henchmen. He was 6'6" and weighed 270 pounds. Willie was actually a trained engineer. He also wrestled professionally under various names: The Masked Marvel, The Black Panther, Doctor X, and a few others. Willie made a good living as an actor and wrestler.

"Bowery Bombshell" is an OK offering in the long BB series.