La pandilla en guerra

I enjoyed this lightweight pre-war drama/comedy.

In those days I guess life was simple. Tough Irish kids had golden hearts if you could just get them a mentor in the police department. Fighting showed character. There were good guys and bad guys. Loyalties ran strong. Not much a good right/left combo would not solve.

But, you know, this movie was fun. It all fell together. There were moments of drama. There was some humor. Muggsy, the anti-hero turned hero was a likable kid. The lines were snappy. The exposition brisk.

So, hey, watch this movie with your young kids. See the gang at the pool hall. Learn about bad guys trying to fix fights. Learn about loyalties to the family, to the gang, and to the police force. See Muggsy take on all comers, from the college-bound kid, to the police, to organized crime, to the reform school.

This sixth "East Side Kids" film is one of the better Bowery boy adventures. During this era, the movies focused on the characters played by Leo Gorcey (as Muggs) and Bobby Jordan (as Danny). Usually, Mr. Jordan and an adult relative provided the storyline, for leader Gorcey and the lads. Criminal activity and reform school were a part of many plots. "Bowery Blitzkrieg" has all the elements which were, obviously, very popular with young audiences (or, they wouldn't have made so many of these films).

The storyline is a "Bowery Blitzkrieg". Apparently, Gorcey and Jordan have taken up boxing (wouldn't you know it?). It's clear from shirtless Jordan's opening workout (cut from some versions of this film) that hunky Jordan is the gang's choice for champ. Instead, Jordan decides to pursue an education. Probably, this put a strain on the otherwise tight Gorcey/Jordan (Muggs/Danny) relationship. This would help explain some, but not all, of the ensuing contrived, continuity-starved events...

Jordan meets sleazy, seductive Bobby Stone (as Monk Martin), and is sucked into becoming the driver for Mr. Stone's petty thievery. Stone drives a wedge between Jordan and "The East Side Kids" by telling him that Gorcey has been talking dirty about Jordan's sister, Charlotte Henry (as Mary Breslin) and her "copper" fiancé. At the local pool hall, Jordan gets the best of his old pal, which helps land Gorcey in reform school. After becoming chummy with law enforcement, Gorcey is paroled, by Jordan's sister's policeman boyfriend, Warren Hull (as Tom Brady).

Officer Hull wants Gorcey to become law enforcement's champion boxer. Gorcey is a success at boxing, but draws criminal interest; and, he is paid to throw an upcoming "big fight". Meanwhile, Jordan continues to drive the getaway car for more of Stone's robberies. On the eve of the "big fight", policeman Hull catches up with Jordan and Stone; then, a dramatic shoot-out connects Gorcey and Jordan in life-or-death struggles…

Jordan and Gorcey do very well with the script (and they can still pass for reform school age delinquents). Future regular Stone has one of his best "Bowery" roles; he and Jordan have an unusual (gay?) relationship, and their dramatic shoot-out is surprisingly well done (by director Wallace Fox), for the series' budget. Former "Dead End" kid Huntz Hall joins the "East Side" cast, happily; he's an amusingly thirsty ringside trainer. And, intelligent Ernest Morrison's "Scruno" has a great "against type" bit. Watch for some of the cast's better Bowery moments.

******* Bowery Blitzkrieg (8/1/41) Wallace Fox ~ Bobby Jordan, Leo Gorcey, Bobby Stone, Huntz Hall

I was expecting the usual East Side Kids comic knock-about. You know, Gorcey, Hall, and guys playfully pummeling each other while the plot only serves to advance these goofy antics. I get a kick out of the usual series entries which is what I expected here.

But there's none of that in Blitzkrieg. Instead it's second-rate drama where Gorcey tries to escape clutches of urban crime and maybe get back together with estranged buddy Jordan. As a result, the comedic gang is reduced to secondary on-lookers as the dramatics take over. Too bad, since the plot threads meander in not very involving fashion.

But at least the flick works in a pretty girl (Charlotte) for some relief from all the ugly guys. Then too, there's the neat little blood-donor twist that makes the flick's upshot less predictable as to who will win Gorcey's big boxing match. Too bad the movie's remainder doesn't show similar skills.

Anyway, it looks like the hour's mainly an effort at showing Gorcey as more than just a comic, which, in fact, the drama does. Now, I'm not against departures from a good series norm, (here East Side Kid antics), but the exception should be a good one. Unfortunately, this one ain't.

BOWERY BLITZKREIG (Monogram Pictures, 1941), directed by Wallace Fox, marks the sixth installment to the "East Side Kids" comedy/dramas produced from 1940 to 1945. While the original screenplay is credited to Sam Robins, the story in itself is hardly original but one of several to depict two good friends, Muggs and Danny, pitted against each other and going in different directions. Regardless of how they feel for one other, the remain loyal when situations occur to have them realize what good friendship is all about.

As much as this low-budget series is not consistent from one movie to the next, Bobby Jordan returns as Danny, with new last last being Breslin, as opposed to previous installments as Danny Dolan, Danny Graham and Danny Jackson. Why the writers couldn't keep his surname the same remains a mystery. This time Danny has a sister, played by brunette Charlotte Henry, better known for her blondish portrayals a decade earlier in such classics as ALICE IN WONDERLAND (Paramount, 1933) and as Bo-Peep in BABES IN TOYLAND (Hal Roach/MGM, 1934), opposite Laurel and Hardy, now nearing the end of her movie career. Aside from the usual East Side Kids support by Donald Haines (Skinny); Sunshine Sammy Morrison (Scruno); and David Gorcey (Pee-Wee); this installment introduces Huntz Hall to the series playing Limpy, whose character name would soon change and remain in future installments as Glimpy.

As for the plot summary, which opens with a sky view of New York City and other neighboring areas, the story readily begins with Danny Breslin (Bobby Jordan), with intentions on going to college to become a lawyer, training for an amateur boxing tournament sponsored by the police department. Though he has great possibilities in becoming a good citizen, according to Tom Brady (Warren Hull), a police officer engaged to his sister, Mary (Charlotte Henry), Danny happens to be involved with "Monk" Martin (Bobby Stone), a petty crook, who, through his lies, turns Danny against his good pal, Muggs Maginnis (Leo Gorcey), leader of the East Side Kids. After Muggs is released from Whitney Reform School to the custody of Tom Brady, he comes to live with him and his mother, Mrs. Brady (Martha Wentwood). Because Danny is no longer in the boxing tournament, Brady gets Muggs to train for the police athletic club with a boxing match to be held at the Manhattan Arena. During the course of the story, Danny and Muggs grow further apart, with Danny and Monk now involved in a series of neighborhood robberies, while Muggs finds himself being bribed to throw the upcoming fight by Slats Morrison (Eddie Foster), working for mob boss, Dorgan (Dennis Moore). Other cast members include Keye Luke (Clancy, a poolhall proprietor); Jack Mulhall (Officer Sherrill); Minerva Urecal (The Reform School Official); Jeff Corey (Doctor Nick Sterling); and Pat Costello, brother of comedian Lou Costello, as a boxing trainer, doing a comedy bit with Huntz Hall.

BOWERY BLITZKREIG is standard "East Side Kids" formula, with Leo Gorcey getting most of the attention with his headstrong personality, with the other members of the gang as background material. Though Huntz Hall isn't as much as the goofy character he would later become, he gets some moments to shine as does Sammy Morrison, the only black member of the East Side Kids, through his ad-libs. Clocked at 62 minutes, pace is good while editing portions are below average.

Available on home video and later DVD format, BOWERY BLITZKREIG did have some cable television broadcasts over the years as USA Channel (around 1991) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: April 12, 2004). The boxing formula with Muggs against Danny theme would be repeated again, notably KID DYMANTE (1943), actually a better film. Next installment: SPOOKS RUN WILD (1941), better known mostly for its presence of horror film actor, Bela Lugosi. (** golden gloves)

This East Side Kids film from Monagram has a two track plot line with two estranged best friends Leo Gorcey and Bobby Jordan. Gorcey is training for the amateur Golden Gloves boxing tournament when he's offered a nice hefty bribe to tank it.

As for Jordan he gets himself involved with a young punk played by Bobby Stone who commits a series of robberies until he's caught and Stone shoots Jordan after Jordan prevents him from shooting police officer Warren Hull who is both going out with Charlotte Henry who is Jordan's sister and Hull is also training Gorcey for his fight.

Playing a very small role is trainer Pat Costello who had a more famous brother Lou Costello whom he occasionally doubled for as they had similar builds. Pat has a very nice scene where plays straight man to Huntz Hall trying to show him what a corner man does in the boxing game. Interesting to see a Costello as a straight man.

The two estranged kids do come together in the end though I won't tell about the courageous, but almost costly decision Gorcey makes involving Jordan.

Note the title, Bowery Blitzkrieg. That German word was coming into the English language as an idiom for a lightning attack that the opponent has no time to defend against be it in war or in the ring.

It's a Monagram Picture so don't expect too much production values, but Bowery Blitzkrieg does have a nice sentimental story in it if your taste runs in that direction.