Clancy Street Boys

Hawk-nose Huntz Hall dressed up as an ugly girl-- I didn't know whether to laugh or barf. It's a good gag-filled East Side Kids fun-fest. Seems Mugs' (Gorcey) mom is in trouble. She's pretended to have a bunch of offspring boys and a girl to impress a rich Texan who thinks they're all in the same family. That means getting Mugs's roughhouse gang to pretend to be her civilized offspring. It also means Glimpy (Hall) gets to play the one girl if, that is, he can keep his skirt down. More complications arise when a con-man tries to kidnap the rich Texan, a sub-plot they could have left out. Anyway, the gags fly fast, as when Mugs mangles his grammar in hoodlum malaprop style. And more chuckles ensue as the Texas cowboy and his cowgirl daughter culture clash with the New York toughies-- after all, why take a taxi through city traffic when a horse will do.

Notable for its time is Black actor Morrison playing Scruno. Though non-white, he fits right in with the loony antics and is not parodied any more than the others. He's simply one of the boys. Then too, see if you can catch the brief instant near the end where Gorcey and Hall appear to glance at the camera, thus breaking character-- perhaps sloppy editing. Also, I'm not sure about the title, Cherry Street Boys, since the rival gang is peripheral to the story itself. Likely, that was for commercial reaons. Nonetheless, the cheapo's a fun filled hour, featuring one of Hollywood's most enduring series, so don't pass it up

Clancy Street Boys as a film is notable for two reasons. First Noah Beery, Sr., a villain in countless westerns is playing a good guy for a change. Secondly in this East Side Kids outing we get a chance to see Huntz Hall in drag.

What should be good news for Leo Gorcey's mother has Martha Wentworth depressed and Gorcey wants to know why. They're getting a visit from his father's old friend Uncle Pete Monahan as played by Beery and his daughter Amelita Ward. While the father settled on the East Side of New York, Beery went to Texas and got fame and fortune and always sends a little money the McGinniss family way for special occasions. And Wentworth has gilded the lily. She's not just had one special occasion, she's had seven more and now how to account for them.

That's easy as Gorcey gets others of his gang to fill in as kids. And for the one girl we just get Huntz Hall into drag. Sounds easy enough.

Things go wrong when the local crook Rick Vallin makes Beery and Ward out as rubes for an easy mark. That's where the street smart East Side Kids go into action.

Clancy Street Boys is done with the usual posh production values that so characterized a Monogram Studio product. The plot, well why didn't Gorcey get one of the neighborhood girls for the masquerade. Answer is that would have killed the gag of Hall in drag. And also they wouldn't need to explain Sammy Morrison as an adopted McGinniss or as Beery puts it, 'a maverick from another herd'.

Dopey, but with a certain charm as the East Side Kids save Beery and Ward from what could be a last roundup.

CLANCY STREET BOYS (Monogram, 1943), a Banner Production directed by William Beaudine, marks the 13th edition to the "East Side Kids" series, and one of the best. Unlike previous installments from its early years, it's funny without being too silly. Its serious without being too melodramatic. It's the first that would lead to formula material from this to their latter "Bowery Boys" (1946-1958) series. CLANCY STREET BOYS marks the introduction of latter series regulars, namely Billy Benedict playing Butch, a Cherry Street leader; and Leo Gorcey's father, Bernard Gorcey, best known for fans of "The Bowery Boys" series as Louie Dumbrowski, here briefly playing a liquor store owner. Even with his brief scene, his few moments are quite amusing.

Following the opening credits with names of staff and cast listing on sheets hanging on clothes lines and aerial view of New York's East Side, the story starts off with the East Side Kids: Danny (Bobby Jordan), Glimpy (Huntz Hall), Bennie (Bennie Bartlett), Stash (Dick Chandler, replacing Stanley Clements) and Scruno ("Sunshine Sammy" Morrison), along with rival gang leader, Butch (Billy Benedict) and his boys (Jimmy Strand and Johnny Duncan) all looking for Mugs Maginnis (Leo Gorcey) to help him "celebrate" his 18th birthday. Mugs hides about expecting to get what's coming to him, which he gets, even from policeman on their beat, Officer Flanagan (J. Farrell MacDonald). Upon his return home, Mugs finds his mother, Molly Maginnis (Martha Wentworth) concerned about a letter she has received, revolving around his late father's rich oil tycoon friend, Pete Monahan (Noah Beery), passed along as his uncle, coming from Texas with his daughter, Judy (Lita Ward) to visit with Ma Maginnis and her seven children, including "Ethelbert," (being Mugs) and their only daughter, Annabelle. To help his mother, and not wanting to make a liar out of his father, Mugs gathers his friends to pose as the Maginnis children, with Glimpy dressed as Annabelle, and Scruno, the only black member of the gang, as the adopted son. All goes well until George Mooney (Rick Vallin) gets into the act, but not for reasons of assistance. Featuring Jan Rubini (The Violinist); Eddie Mills (Dave) and Jack Normand (The Henchman).

An amusing entry that moves swiftly throughout its 66 minutes without and dull spots. For this edition, Bobby Jordan simply plays Danny, with no new surname added. Earlier a major attraction to the series, he's becoming background gang member in favor of more scenes involving Gorcey and Hall. Noah Beery's entrance to the story with he and his on-screen daughter riding on horseback through the streets of New York is true character to his portrayal. Gorcey's facial expression of his hating his birth name "Ethelbert" would become a running gag for the duration of the series. Huntz Hall in drag gets and Sammy Morrison passing as the offspring each get the most laughs here, making this among a favorite and memorable among series fans.

Available on video cassette and DVD format, cable television broadcasts to CLANCY STREET BOYS and other films in the series include to date Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: September 14, 2004) and MGM Plus. Next in the series: GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE (1943) with Bela Lugosi. (***)

Clancy Street Boys (1943)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Muggs' rich cowboy uncle is coming to town for the first time ever and he thinks Muggs' parents had seven kids instead of one. In order to full them Muggs has to get the gang to play his brothers and Hall to be his sister. Decent entry from The East Side Kids has the usual cheap story but we do gets some good laughs with the highlight being Hall in drag.

Smart Alecks (1942)

*** (out of 4)

One of the better East Side Kids films has Danny knocking over a racket and getting a $200 reward. The rest of the gang turn their backs on him thinking he's sold them out. Like most of the others, this film suffers from a somewhat stale story but there are plenty of laughs with the best being the one where the gang poison's one of the crooks. The last fifteen minutes turn to drama and the actors handle this very well.

A funny film from a funny franchise. Great to watch on Saturday morning when you're growing up. These movies deserve more credit than they get.