No Holds Barred

No Holds Barred (1952)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Fun Bowery Boys entry has Sach (Huntz Hall) gaining power at the top of his head so Slip (Leo Gorcey) throws him into a wrestling ring. Soon Sach is the hottest thing in the sport but the only problem is that this special "power" goes from one part of his body to the next without any explanation. The plot to this entry sounds incredibly stupid and it is for the most part but it's also fun enough to get plenty of nice laughs through its short running time. I think the first thirty-minutes are extremely entertaining but sadly the final potion of the film falls back into the tire, worn out routine of the boys getting involved with gangsters who want to use Sach to make money. It seems these films have at least one gangster or gambler and it's growing rather tiresome because we keep seeing the same thing over and over. I understand this is a "B" movie series but this is number twenty-eight and probably all but three feature this same type of plot. With that said, the first thirty-minutes contain some great laughs and even though Hall got second billing there's no question that this is his film. Hall has no problem carrying the movie and this is apparent because he's the only one inside the ring so it's pretty much up to him to get the laughs. Gorcey continues to just be a supporting player and the "other two" boys pretty much are doing nothing but that's been the case with the past several films. Hall does a very good job inside the ring as his funny facial gestures are always on display and his physical timing during the wrestling is actually very impressive. One fight it might be his head that contains the power and the next fight it might be his arm, his toe or his leg. Each one has Hall handling the physical nature and this is where the film finds the majority of its laughs.

The gang finds out that Satch's skull is thicker than an ordinary person's. Slip decides to put use of this by entering Satch in a wrestling match where he can win $1000 for staying in the ring for 10 minutes. Satch uses his head to knock his opponent out and now is pitted in a series of matches for the title. However the power in his head is temporary and the next match the power is in the flick of his finger. The power then moves to his elbows, then toes. After defeating the champ, Taylor and his gambling syndicate try to kidnap Satch to find out where his power is now before a scheduled rematch with the former champ Hombre Montana, even using Taylor's girlfriend Rhonda. Can Satch discover his power before his next fight? A little bit above average compared to the latter films of the series, since it has the crime element found in the earlier Monogram series. The best sight gags are the ones where Satch is discovering his powers. Great last line in the film by Hall referencing the newest location of his power. Rating, 6.

No Holds Barred finds the Bowery Boys involved in the wrestling game when a magic spell gives Huntz Hall a kind of reverse Achilles situation. Instead of only one spot on his body being vulnerable, Hall has one spot of invulnerability. The only problem is that it periodically relocates without any warning.

With Leo Gorcey managing Hall and the ever exasperated Bernard Gorcey allowing them to use Louie's Sweet Shop as a training gym, one Horace DeBussy Jones becomes heavyweight champion of the world. But the forces of evil want to bring him down.

Visiting from the Life Of Riley are Marjorie Reynolds who tries to vamp the secret of his success out of Huntz Hall and Henry Kulky who trains him in some basic wrestling maneuvers.

Where does the power end up, literally in the end.

Sach gains phenomenal power in different parts of his body (head,toe,elbow)which leads Slip to turn him into a world champion wrestler. Of course, the bad guys want to put the fix in and the fun begins. Typical of the series and a good example of the silliness of pro wrestling, then and now.

Bernard Gorcey (as Louie Dumbrowsky)'s "Ice Cream Parlor" gets held-up, as leader Leo Gorcey (as Slip Mahoney) and "The Bowery Boys" come in for banana splits. Amusingly, Huntz Hall (as Horace Debussy "Sach" Jones) defends the older Gorcey, and gets hit on his head with the robber's pistol. Strangely, the gun doesn't hurt Mr. Hall. After a trip to the doctor, the "scientific seduction" is that Hall's "square head" has developed super-human thickness, due to calcium deposits. This diagnosis doesn't make much sense, considering later events, but, anyway…

Mr. Gorcey's "Slip" sees a $1,000 wrestling contest as easy money, due to Hall's impervious hard-head. So, Hall is recruited into the ring. But, Hall's power has an unpredictable limitation - it travels to other body parts, without notice. Having little to say or do, David "Condon" Gorcey (as Chuck) and Benny "Bennie" Bartlett (as Butch) appear only to make "The Bowery Boys" still seem like a group. At a party, Hall tells Sandra Gould, "You better take that harmonica out of your mouth." By then, you may have forgotten what "No Holds Barred" is about.

*** No Holds Barred (11/23/52) William Beaudine ~ Huntz Hall, Leo Gorcey, Bernard Gorcey