Crazy Over Horses

In this Bowery Boys comedy we have little Louie Dumbrowsky (Bernard Gorcey) looking to collect an outstanding debt from a down-on-his-luck stable owner, so Slip and Sach (Leo Gorcey/Huntz Hall) arrange a meeting to make the pickup for him. When the boys meet the man, he makes them an offer to take "My Girl" as settlement instead of cash. At first the boys think My Girl is the man's attractive daughter, but quickly realize it's a horse. Louie is none too pleased when they return, but it turns out that this animal is a class A race horse, and it isn't long before a group of crooked gamblers try to get their greedy hands on her. The plot is typical silly comedy fodder, and a lot of running time milks the same gag of mistaking one horse for another, but it's zany enough to make this a moderate pleaser for Bowery Boys fans. **1/2 out of ****

Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach (Huntz Hall), Chuck (David Gorcey as David Condon), Butch (Bennie Bartlett) and Whitey (Billy Benedict) suddenly become the Mahoney Collection Agency when they learn that Flynn (Tim Ryan), stable and second-hand store owner, has owed $250 to Louie (Bernard Gorcey), Sweet Shop proprietor, for over two years.

Flynn, who has a daughter named Terry (Gloria Saunders) persuades Slip to accept "My Girl," a horse, in payment for the debt. Flynn has been boarding the horse for months but has not been paid. "My Girl" is a really good race horse that is actually owned by racketeer Big Al (Ted de Corsia), who with Weepin' Willie (Allen Jenkins) and Swifty (Michael Ross), are planning to run the horse in a future race as a ringer for their long-odds and very-slow horse, Tarzana. The Bowery boys learn of this and switch horses. Big Al, Willie and Swifty swath back. This goes on until finally the Boys have "My Girl,", the good horse and Big Al and company have Tarzan, the nag, but think they have "My Girl." Tim Ryan could write one like this in his sleep, as could most of the fans of the series from this point on...beginning with...let's make a jockey out of Sach.

To cancel a debt owed sweet shop owner Bernard Gorcey (as Louis "Louie" Xavier Dumbrowsky), "The Bowery Boys" leader Leo Gorcey (as Slip Mahoney) and sidekick Huntz Hall (as Sach Jones) agree to take "My Girl" off the hands of series writer Tim Ryan (as Flynn). At first, they think "My Girl" is Mr. Ryan's fetching daughter, but she's really a horse. "My Girl" rides into residence with Bowery pals William "Billy" Benedict (as Whitey), David "Condon" Gorcey (as Chuck), and Benny "Bennie" Bartlett (as Butch).

Then, gangster Allen Jenkins (as Weepin' Willie) and others get interested in horse racing with "My Girl". Mr. Hall appears in "black-face" make-up and Mr. Gorcey appears to have been over-indulging in alcohol. But, "Crazy Over Horses" is most notable for being the last appearance of Mr. Benedict as a "Bowery Boy" trying to get a line in edgewise. It proved to be a good time to exit, as the series was on a downward spiral. It's also the first time little brother David Gorcey is billed as "David Condon" in the credits.

*** Crazy Over Horses (11/18/51) William Beaudine ~ Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bernard Gorcey, Tim Ryan

I'm watching Crazy Over Horses (1951) on TCM right now. The Mahoney Collection Agency goes to work for Louie, and collect a $200 debt owed him by a stable owner. Slip winds up accepting a race horse, My Girl, as payment. Unfortunately, the horse was owned by gambler Duke, who hadn't paid his boarding fees to the stable owner. Duke plans to run My Girl in a race as a ringer for a slower horse, Tarzana. When Slip and Louie won't sell the horse back to Duke, he decides to steal her back by switching her for Tarzana. The slapstick involves both sides switching the horses back and forth until race day. Somehow, Sachs winds up as the jockey in the big race. But which horse is he actually riding?

In Crazy Over Horses (1951, Louie has a female counter employee, Mazie, played by Peggy Wynne. She even has a couple of lines. Chuck (David Gorcey billed as David Condon) and Butch (Benny Bartlett) are on hand as scenery, and Whitey (William Benedict) returns, looking like Louie's older brother. Louie (Bernard Gorcey) has some good scenes. Pretty Gloria Saunders plays Terry, the stable owner's daughter and obligatory female presence. Veteran heavy Ted de Corsica is Duke. And Allen Jenkins is on hand as Weepin' Willie.

Watching Crazy Over Horses (1951) is an OK way to spend a freezing cold Saturday morning, but it's not the best of The Bowery Boys.

The Bowery Boys become debt collectors for their friend Louie. They intend to collect $250 from Mr. Flynn but he claims to be broke. He and his daughter run a horse stable. He offers My Girl to the boys who think that he's offering his daughter. Instead, My Girl is a horse.

It's the Bowery Boys doing their thing. I do have to warn the modern audience that there is a bit of black-face humor. That's the times. Otherwise, it's very Bowery Boys and nothing more.