Bowery to Bagdad

In ancient Bagdad, Aladdin's lamp goes missing and the ruler orders an exhaustive search. Generation after generation, his men continue the search. In modern New York City, Sach buys the magic lamp from a pawn shop. Gangsters are threatening Louie so that he would sell the shop. Sach releases the Genie and is granted wishes. The gangsters intend to steal it.

The concept should be funnier. I expected wackier wishes being granted. It's all a little disappointing. I'm not saying that The Bowery Boys is high concept comedy. I do wish that this is smarter with a fun premise. I also never like comedies which resort to gun fire. The last wish is probably the only good one.

The fabled lamp of Aladdin with a pixie like genie has turned up in of all places, the Bowery, New York City. And who acquires the lamp? Here's a hint, it wasn't Mayor Wagner.

Bowery To Bagdad finds Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall with joint ownership of the lamp and they seal the partnership so much so that genie Eric Blore can't do anything unless they both agree. Huntz Hall being the simple soul he is wants five malteds, but Gorcey has higher ambitions, but just can't get it done.

Not that the Bowery Boys are the only ones who want the lamp. A gangster with molls Joan Shawlee and Jean Willes played by Robert Bice has gotten wind of it. And a couple of Arab looking characters are in the hunt as well. Blore kind of likes the boys, but they've tangled things up pretty good.

Bowery To Bagdad doesn't have quite the ring of Kaiser Wilhelm's fabled project of the Berlin to Bagdad railroad, but I assure you this one is a much funnier journey.

The usual bowery boys capers, and this one has ERIC BLORE as the genie! in his very last role. Somehow.... Sach buys the magic lamp in a pawn shop, and that's the beginning of all the trouble. Leo Gorcey, his brother, and his dad of course. and Huntz Hall as the sidekick. the main plot revolves around thugs threatening Louie if he doesn't give up his shop. lots of fighting and clunking on the head. shooting. running around in circles. and Genie gets drunk with Slip's dad. yeah, who knows?? this one is a little juvenile. but it DOES have eric blore. in his very last role! so much silliness. directed by Edward Bernds. was nominated for High Society, 1957.

Bowery to Bagdad (1954)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Good ol' Sach (Huntz Hall) finds a weird looking lamp and when he rubs it a genii (Eric Blore) pops out. Sure enough he soon has mobsters after him trying to get their hands on the genii but Slip (Leo Gorcey) has plans on making them rich. BOWERY TO BAGDAD is pretty much what you'd expect from a Bowery Boys film as it contains a minor amount of laughs but what really keeps the film moving is its fast pacing from director Bernds. The film itself really isn't all that original as we get the tired formula of the boys discovering something that's going to make them rich and of course bad guys find out and come after them. It's amazing how many times this storyline has been transformed in the series but with this being number thirty-six I guess you have to expect some things repeating themselves. The story itself really isn't all that funny but we do get a few good moments including poor Sach using his wish to order up some milkshakes. Another funny gag finds a hat pulled down over his nose to where he can't see and he ends up walking out on a high ledge of a building. Both Hall and Gorcey are fine in their roles with both going well over the top in terms of energy. Bernard Gorcey doesn't get too many good scenes but the one where he gets drunk with the genii was pretty good. This turned out to be the final role for Blore and he too is pretty good as the genii. The lack of laughs don't hurt the film too much because the director keeps all the action happening quite fast and things move along very quickly. The 64-minutes goes by without any slow spots so that's always good in a "B" film like this.

Slip and Sach get their hands on a magic lamp with a genie (Eric Blore) inside. It's the thirty-sixth entry in the series and, while it's far from the best, it is enjoyable enough thanks in large part to the inimitable Eric Blore in his final film. Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall mostly go through the motions but they do have some amusing moments. Of course, Bernard Gorcey is funny as Louie. The rest of the gang is, as usual, background furniture. Although David Gorcey manages to get a few lines this time, so good for him. The supporting cast is what keeps the movie afloat. There's Robert Bice, Dick Wessell, and Michael Ross as three gangsters who want the lamp for themselves. Joan Shawlee plays a sexy moll and handles herself quite well with the comedy, including a couple of fun scenes bantering with Hall. Pretty much all of the movie's highlights involve Blore, a wonderful comic actor who played in over eighty films in his twenty plus years in Hollywood.