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Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach (Huntz Hall), Bobby (Bobby Jordan), Whitey (Billy Benedict) and Chuck (David Gorcey) unsuccessfully try to sell a dilapidated card to a street cleaner (Vince Barnett) for a fabulous amount, so they can get enough money to save Louie's (Bernard Gorcey) Malt Shop.

Sidewalk photographer Cathy Smith (Teala Loring) snaps a pictures of three bank robbers as they are fleeing a robbery but when the Bowery Boys and Cathy realize that Sach is also in the photograph, they break into the photo lab to destroy the negative, which might make the police think Sach was involved in the robbery.

An explosion in the lab, caused by one of the inventions of Professor Schrackenberger (Milton Parsons), brings in Detective O'Malley (James Burke) and his assistant Dugan (William Newell), who get the negative.

Gangster Ace Deuce (Sheldon Leonard), who actually engineered the bank robbery with Feather-Fingers (Lester Dorr), gives out the story that it was the job of a rival gang. Impersonating the rival gang, the Bowery Boys frighten Ace into giving them evidence that his boys committed the robbery. With one of the Professor's wild inventions, the Bowery Boys capture the gang and turn them over to the Police. They get the reward money and give it to Louie to save his shop, and Cathy gets a newspaper job as the result of her photograph.

Dawn Kennedy sings "I Love Him", written by the father-and-daughter team of Lou and Ruth Herscher, cute-and-cuddly Nancy Brinckman has a bit as a hatcheck girl, and Teala Loring brightens the landscape more than somewhat.

At the time this was made, Leo Gorcey was also appearing weekly on Bob "Bazooka" Burns N.B.C. radio program, and Sheldon Leonard could be heard on that network's "Maisie" show (with Ann Southern)as well as on the comedy program starring Parkyakarkus.

Through the course of the 48 films in the Bowery Boys franchise, the writers tried a lot of insane plot ideas...including monsters, clairvoyance, super-strength and many other weird twists...mostly involving Sach. However, in "Bowery Bombshell", the film is amazingly normal...at least by comparison!

The story begins with Louie needing money and the gang out trying to sell their jalopy to raise money for him. While they are in front of the bank, Sach gets his picture taken...and it also happens to catch one of the crooks as he's robbing a bank! While you'd think they'd just take the photo to the police, they go about doing this in the worst possible way and in the end, the cops think Sach was the robber! So, it's up to the guys to pretend to be mobsters in order to get the real crooks to return the money.

This film is free of crazy plot elements (apart from watching Slip and Bobby pretend to be movie-style gangsters) and is much more watchable for non-Bowery Boys viewers. Enjoyable and surprisingly well made.

A really early chapter in the bowery boys adventures, and leo gorcey already has his brother and dad in on the act. If pops can't come up with some cash fast, he's going to lose the ice cream shop. So slip and the boys try to raise money any way they can. And get caught up in a bank robbery. And now, it's sach's photo on the front page. They will need cathy's help to get out of this jam. Co-stars huntz hall and teala loring. Even sheldon leonard, who snagged parts in some huge films...to have and have not, guys and dolls, and it's a wonderful life. He did it all... producer, director, actor. The usual shenanigans, and clever word play, when slip mixes his metaphors. Even a silas marner reference, a story about being falsely accused of a crime. From 1861! This is one of the better chapters of the boys. And all neatly wrapped up in 65 minutes. Directed by phil karlson, who only made two films with the boys. Fun !

The gang's hangout Louie's Malt Shop is in danger. Their friend Louie needs $300 and quick. The guys try to sell their car but nobody is willing to pay for the jalopy. They happen upon a bank robbery and their friend Cathy takes a picture. It shows Sach picking up the stolen loot not knowing that it was stolen. The picture gets on the newspaper and Sach becomes a wanted man.

The setup is great. I really like the premise. The story gets more and more muddled as it goes. It concentrates more on being a screwball comedy. That aspect is fun. There are some good laughs. All in all, the gang has some fun.

Good all-out comedy in the Bowery Boys series has the gang in trouble when gullible Sach (Huntz Hall) gets his photo taken outside a bank that's in the process of being robbed. With a $1,000 reward offered for his capture, Slip (Leo Gorcey) and his friends have to get Sach out of a jam and try to foil the real gangsters (lead by old standby Sheldon Leonard). This results in some funny comical bits from an overly-animated Gorcey, including his disguised impression of a slow-talking crime boss called Midge Casalotti, who confronts Leonard. A worthwhile early offering from the Boys.

*** out of ****