In Fast Company

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.

Steve Trent, the ruthless owner of the Red Circle Cab Company is driving independent cabbies out of business. John Cassidy refuses to sell to Trent and soon thereafter Trent's henchmen cause Cassidy to have an accident which leaves him with a broken arm. The kindly and savvy Father Donovan tries to get Slip to drive Cassidy's cab while Cassidy is recovering. Donovan, acting in cahoots with the Irish beat cop, convinces Slip that the only way he can keep from getting arrested for vandalizing a fruit vendor's stand is by helping Cassidy. Somewhat resentful at first, Slip has a change of heart when the priest introduces him to Cassidy and his daughter and mother. There is quite a touching scene between Slip and the little girl. The best gag in the movie is the phone booth stuffing; it's well done and funny. As often happens in the series, the movie ends with a brawl between the bad guys and the Boys. This is Gorcey's movie as the rest of the boys have little to do. He did a good job with it. A highlight was seeing Mary Gordon as Cassidy's mother. Gordon was a Scotswoman (I always thought she was Irish, but no) who will be best remembered for her role as Mrs. Hudson in the Rathbone Sherlock Holmes movies. Strong supporting cast with always reliable Douglas Fowley, Charles D. brown and Paul Harvey. Although darker than most of the series entries, it still has its frenetic and funny moments.

A guy from the neighborhood gets caught up in a cabbie war. Father Donovan recruits Slip (Leo Gorcey) to drive the cab for a couple of days while the guy recovers. It's the Bowery Boys against the corrupt taxi company owner.

This is the second film in this series. It has both Slip and Sach. They have their fun. It's a silly franchise and that's fine. I don't care that much about any seriousness. I probably wouldn't even want that many car chases. The fights need to be more slapstick. All in all, it's a little fun with some serious matters which may or may not fit with the silliness. It's fine.

The second in Monogram's Bowery Boys series starring the always funny Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall. Well, always funny to me, anyway. Gorcey's malapropisms and Hall's buffoonery might not be high comedy to some but I get a kick out of them. The plot to this one has Gorcey's Slip Mahoney becoming a taxicab driver, which leads to he and his friends becoming involved in a feud with a rival cab company. In addition to Gorcey and Hall, the Boys includes Bobby Jordan as Bobby, William Benedict as Whitey, and Leo's brother David Gorcey as Chuck. This was David's first Bowery Boys film. In keeping with the theme of nepotism, Leo's father Bernard makes his first appearance as series regular Louie, the ice cream parlor owner. Douglas Fowley makes for a hissable villain. Jane Randolph, Judy Clark, and Marjorie Woodworth provide the pretty. It's a decent entry with some good lines and gags. The phone booth bit is a highlight. Far from the Boys' best but fun.