Bowery Blitzkrieg

The public domain prints suck. Bad print. Sound is horrible. But these comedies were fun.

The Plot East Side Kids: Fighters Danny Breslin and Muggs McGinnis, once boyhood chums, have drifted apart. Policeman Tom Brady - because his own former friend fell into a life of crime and got the electric chair - takes rough and tumble Muggs under his wing to turn the lad's life around, but Danny, brother of Mary Breslin (whom Tom plans to marry), is also at risk. Everyone believes studious Danny is on his way to being president someday, but while Tom's focus goes toward putting Muggs on the straight and narrow, ambitious petty criminal Monk Martin's been working slyly on steering Danny into a life of crime. Adding a little complication, racketeers get involved, trying to set up a fixed fight with Muggs.

At this point, leo gorcey was still known as "muggs". He and the gang are playing pool. When monk (bob stone) starts rumors that muggs is talking dish about danny's sister, danny picks a fight. Now the coppers are involved, and muggs is locked up, and off to reform school. Monk is so slimey, and is clearly no good; when he talks, you can just feel the lies falling out as he speaks. Can muggs get himself out of this mess before it goes too far? His family and friends are trying to help, but he can't seem to stop finding trouble. This one is okay... doesn't have the fun word play that gorcey would be known for. Directed by wally fox. This was the first of nine east side kids films in the 1940s that he directed. A little ironic that the film was called blitzkrieg, filmed just a few months before pearl harbor. According to wikipedia dot org, the term had appeared in a german periodical, but was used mostly by the western media.

I was expecting the usual East Side Kids comic knock-about. You know, Gorcey, Hall, and guys playfully pummeling each other while the plot only serves to advance these goofy antics. I get a kick out of the usual series entries which is what I expected here.

But there's none of that in Blitzkrieg. Instead it's second-rate drama where Gorcey tries to escape clutches of urban crime and maybe get back together with estranged buddy Jordan. As a result, the comedic gang is reduced to secondary on-lookers as the dramatics take over. Too bad, since the plot threads meander in not very involving fashion.

But at least the flick works in a pretty girl (Charlotte) for some relief from all the ugly guys. Then too, there's the neat little blood-donor twist that makes the flick's upshot less predictable as to who will win Gorcey's big boxing match. Too bad the movie's remainder doesn't show similar skills.

Anyway, it looks like the hour's mainly an effort at showing Gorcey as more than just a comic, which, in fact, the drama does. Now, I'm not against departures from a good series norm, (here East Side Kid antics), but the exception should be a good one. Unfortunately, this one ain't.

Leo Gorcey has a chance to redeem himself if he doesn't throw a fight. This was Huntz Hall's first time in an East Side Kids flick and he has quite a goofily amusing presence so it's not surprising that he and Leo eventually took over the series and made them actual comedies when the team became the Bowery Boys. Keye Luke-Charlie Chan's No. 1 son-plays a pool hall worker named Clancy. Charlotte Henry (L & H version of Babes in Toyland, 1933 live-action version of Alice in Wonderland) is the lady who's involved in the cop who's trying to reform Gorcey. Oh, and Pat Costello-yes, Lou's brother-has an amusing scene with Hall as a boxing trainer. I really liked this entry in the ESK series so on that note, Bowery Blitzkrieg is worth a look for fans of the people I just mentioned.

BOWERY BLITZKREIG (Monogram Pictures, 1941), directed by Wallace Fox, marks the sixth installment to the "East Side Kids" comedy/dramas produced from 1940 to 1945. While the original screenplay is credited to Sam Robins, the story in itself is hardly original but one of several to depict two good friends, Muggs and Danny, pitted against each other and going in different directions. Regardless of how they feel for one other, the remain loyal when situations occur to have them realize what good friendship is all about.

As much as this low-budget series is not consistent from one movie to the next, Bobby Jordan returns as Danny, with new last last being Breslin, as opposed to previous installments as Danny Dolan, Danny Graham and Danny Jackson. Why the writers couldn't keep his surname the same remains a mystery. This time Danny has a sister, played by brunette Charlotte Henry, better known for her blondish portrayals a decade earlier in such classics as ALICE IN WONDERLAND (Paramount, 1933) and as Bo-Peep in BABES IN TOYLAND (Hal Roach/MGM, 1934), opposite Laurel and Hardy, now nearing the end of her movie career. Aside from the usual East Side Kids support by Donald Haines (Skinny); Sunshine Sammy Morrison (Scruno); and David Gorcey (Pee-Wee); this installment introduces Huntz Hall to the series playing Limpy, whose character name would soon change and remain in future installments as Glimpy.

As for the plot summary, which opens with a sky view of New York City and other neighboring areas, the story readily begins with Danny Breslin (Bobby Jordan), with intentions on going to college to become a lawyer, training for an amateur boxing tournament sponsored by the police department. Though he has great possibilities in becoming a good citizen, according to Tom Brady (Warren Hull), a police officer engaged to his sister, Mary (Charlotte Henry), Danny happens to be involved with "Monk" Martin (Bobby Stone), a petty crook, who, through his lies, turns Danny against his good pal, Muggs Maginnis (Leo Gorcey), leader of the East Side Kids. After Muggs is released from Whitney Reform School to the custody of Tom Brady, he comes to live with him and his mother, Mrs. Brady (Martha Wentwood). Because Danny is no longer in the boxing tournament, Brady gets Muggs to train for the police athletic club with a boxing match to be held at the Manhattan Arena. During the course of the story, Danny and Muggs grow further apart, with Danny and Monk now involved in a series of neighborhood robberies, while Muggs finds himself being bribed to throw the upcoming fight by Slats Morrison (Eddie Foster), working for mob boss, Dorgan (Dennis Moore). Other cast members include Keye Luke (Clancy, a poolhall proprietor); Jack Mulhall (Officer Sherrill); Minerva Urecal (The Reform School Official); Jeff Corey (Doctor Nick Sterling); and Pat Costello, brother of comedian Lou Costello, as a boxing trainer, doing a comedy bit with Huntz Hall.

BOWERY BLITZKREIG is standard "East Side Kids" formula, with Leo Gorcey getting most of the attention with his headstrong personality, with the other members of the gang as background material. Though Huntz Hall isn't as much as the goofy character he would later become, he gets some moments to shine as does Sammy Morrison, the only black member of the East Side Kids, through his ad-libs. Clocked at 62 minutes, pace is good while editing portions are below average.

Available on home video and later DVD format, BOWERY BLITZKREIG did have some cable television broadcasts over the years as USA Channel (around 1991) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: April 12, 2004). The boxing formula with Muggs against Danny theme would be repeated again, notably KID DYMANTE (1943), actually a better film. Next installment: SPOOKS RUN WILD (1941), better known mostly for its presence of horror film actor, Bela Lugosi. (** golden gloves)