Angels' Alley

Leo Gorcey (and his brother, of course) star in Angels' Alley, another middle episode of the Bower Boys films. His dad, Bernard, isn't in this one... he must have been busy that week! In this one, Frank Darro is "cousin Jimmy", who comes to visit, and of course, they are caught up in his car theft scheme. Huntz Hall is the usual sidekick "Sach". and the usual clever word play and banter, as Jimmy hangs out with all the wrong crowd, and is headed for more trouble. Billy Benedict was called "Whitey" (for his long blond hair) in every secondary role he had. Slip and Sach try to get to the bottom of the car thieves, but of course, they get involved up to their elbows. Lots of silly laughter by the real crooks. it's pretty good.. nothing earth-shattering, but not so bad either. Directed by Bill Beaudine, who had directed MANY of the Bowery Boys films. sadly, both Gorcey and Darro died pretty young.

This is a woefully lackluster attempt to revisit some of the original "Dead End" and "Angels…" themes from the original 1930s film series. The strained, more serious "Angels' Alley" storyline isn't helped by the ill-fitting comic antics of Leo Gorcey (as Slip Mahoney) and Huntz Hall (as Sach Jones). William "Billy" Benedict (as Whitey) and David Gorcey (as Chuck) make the most of their small roles. Perhaps acting wisely, Bobby Jordan (as Bobby) makes no appearance at all. Unfortunately, Mr. Jordan opted out of the series, which had reached a relative peak with "News Hounds" and "Bowery Buckaroos" (both 1947).

The "Sweet Shop" is mentioned, but "The Bowery Boys" are based in the "St. Vincent Boy's Club", Gorcey's home, or the local pool hall. Bernard "Louie" Gorcey does not appear; instead, "Slip" lives at home, with his Irish mother Mary Gordon (as Mamie Mahoney) and moocher cousin Frankie Darro (as Jimmy). Other semi-regular "Bowery Boys" of interest include the bad boy duo Benny "Bennie" Bartlett (as Harry "Jag" Harmon) and Buddy Gorman (as Andrew "Andy" Miller). With the forthcoming "Jinx Money", the Bowery series begins a return to its more successful formula.

*** Angels' Alley (3/7/48) William Beaudine ~ Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Frankie Darro

Slip's cousin Jimmy gets released from prison and quickly turns back to a life of crime. Slip tries to help him out by going undercover in a car-theft ring. It's the ninth Bowery Boys film and the first without Bobby Jordan. Stars Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall are both good here, doing as much drama as comedy. Gabriel Dell, William Benedict, and David Gorcey are all fine. Frankie Darro is enjoyable as Jimmy. Early in his career he was great at playing young street toughs, despite not being one of the Dead End Kids/Bowery Boys. Bennie Bartlett appears for the first time in a Bowery Boys movie. He would become a regular member of the gang in the next film. Geneva Gray and former Miss America Rosemary LaPlanche provide the pretty. Sadly Bernard Gorcey's Louie is absent from this one. Instead we get an annoying little kid that looks up to Slip. You get the impression they were trying out a new character hoping he would catch on. He has a 'Bobs Watson scene' that has to be seen to be believed. The rest of the cast includes vets like John Eldredge, Nestor Paiva, and Dewey Robinson. There's a little more drama than comedy with this one, which might not please all fans. It reminds me of some of the gang's 1930s Dead End efforts. There is some comedy, though. The scene where Huntz Hall does impressions of Ronald Colman, Jimmy Durante, and James Cagney is a highlight. It's not one of my favorite Bowery Boys movies but it is an interesting one.

ANGELS ALLEY was probably the very last Bowery Boys film patterned after the EAST SIDE KIDS. What separated the Bowery Boys films from the latter series was a more dramatic slant, and film has its moments, though you can always rely on Leo Gorcey to spice things up with some outrageous malaprops. This one is still a fun adventure as Slip's cousin (well played by Frankie Darro), just released from prison, is invited to stay with he and his mom (played by old favorite Mary Gordon), and he gets involved with a car theft ring. This one moves fast, and with a lot of classic stolen cars. We also get a glimpse of former Miss America, Rosemary La Planche, who appeared in mostly low budget films, though her appearance in the cult classic STRANGLER OF THE SWAMP brought the actress a great deal of recognition. Character actor Nestor Paiva plays the no-account head of the car jacking ring, called Piggy! William Beaudine does a good job of directing and to note, this is the only film in which Gorcey "laughs", as there was an unwritten rule that Slip wasn't supposed to find anything Sach did funny, though through the years you could catch, here and there, Gorcey holding back a giggle. Sach steps out of character at the end and tells Slip... "This is the last picture i make with you!" Warner Brothers dvd box set.

A comedy with the Bowery Boys that had too much emotion for the normal goofiness.