Clipped Wings

The Bowery Boys movies are a hit or miss kind of thing. A lot of them aren't really that good but the movies are usually pretty short so they're always worth a try. I've seen quite a few Bowery Boys movies now and I've learned that my enjoyment level lands on how annoying Sach is. I didn't watch these movies when I was a kid. A lot of my friends did and they always talked about how funny Sach was. Watching Sach now, he's usually just stupid. His antics are more annoying than anything else. The movies where Sach is funny are much better than the ones where's he's annoying. Sach is pretty funny in "Clipped Wings". That helped make it one of the better Bowery Boys movies.

Thirty-first entry in the Bowery Boys series has the gang trying to help their friend Dave Moreno, an Air Force lieutenant accused of treason (no mention of whether or not he's related to former Bowery Boy Gabe Moreno). In keeping with previous military-themed Bowery movies, the boys mistakenly enlist while trying to help out their friend. Dave is played by Todd Karns, no stranger to flying as he served in the Army Air Corps during WW2 and, of course, played Navy flying hero Harry Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life. The regulars are all fun and the rest of the cast, including Karns, Lyle Talbot, and lovely June Vincent, offer good support. Highlights include Sach in the Women's Air Force and the big comedic flight scene. It's a pretty decent later effort from Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, and company. It moves along at a quick pace which helps a lot.

"A Writ of Habeus Corpuscle".

Edward Bernds, who worked on some of the Three Stooges shorts, had a hand in writing this one and directing so it's more slick than some others in the series. This is only one of a few Bowery Boys entries in which Bernds took part, and those films are usually all the better for it.

The Boys were pure slapstick comedians by this time, but provide only occasional chuckles as Slip and Sach unwittingly enlist in the Air Force while trying to help out a pilot friend in trouble.

So-So Bowery Boys.

Sach is pretending to be a flyboy. Neighborhood friend Dave Moreno is a real flyboy. Only he's stealing rocket secrets and gets caught. Slip and Sach are sure that he's innocent. They go to the base to support him, but they mistakenly end up in the recruitment office. They stupidly sign up for the Air Force. Sach has the same name as a female recruit and gets wrongly sent to the WACs.

This one has Sach with a bunch of beautiful babes. Let the comedic chaos begin. It's all low hanging fruits and they are too happy to pick them. WAC is the Army. WAF for the Air Force was formed in 1948. I want more with the babes and less of the espionage. They could have given more lines to the girls. There are planes and the guys get to fly one. I guess that's funny.

The usual hi-jinks ensue when "Bowery Boys" leader Leo Gorcey (as "Slip" Mahoney) and hapless sidekick Huntz Hall (as "Sach" Jones) accidentally join the Air Force, in an effort to help a friend. The rehashed plot includes spies and such. Still, it's more fun than "Flying Wild" (1941). Regular viewers will pick up on the fact that "The Bowery Boys" lieutenant friend Todd Karns (as David "Dave" Moreno) is a stand-in for former series regular Gabriel Dell, who had appeared with the Bowery groups from 1937-1950. Mr. Dell's Gabriel "Gabe" Moreno character is closely related to the one played by Mr. Karns. Telling Mr. Hall, "You may not be an idiot, but you'll do until a real one comes along," Renie Riano plays an amusing female sergeant.

**** Clipped Wings (8/14/53) Edward Bernds ~ Huntz Hall, Leo Gorcey, Todd Karns, Renie Riano