Dig That Uranium

I neglected The Bowery Boys for many years. Shame on me. Their movies were funny. Even though "Dig That Uranium" is one of their later ones, it's still pretty good. It has quite a few laughs. Its very short running time (61 mins) is a big plus. "Dig That Uranium" was a nice way to kill some time on a Saturday morning. Honorable mention: the poker scene.

The fortieth (!) entry in the Bowery Boys series has the gang heading out west to strike it rich with a uranium mine. Um...yeah. Had to be there, I guess. It's a silly premise but at least it's something a little different for the aging series that had relied on repeating plots for awhile. Leo has quite a few funny malapropisms and Huntz mugs for the camera the whole time. Most of the comedy, hit and miss, comes from these two (which is par for the course for the series). Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer plays Swifty, the Boys' old friend who sells them on the uranium idea to get the story started. This would be the last appearance in the series for two longtime cast members. Wallpaper Bennie Bartlett would leave and be replaced by Jimmy Murphy. Benard Gorcey, who played the lovable Louie and was the father of Leo and David Gorcey, would die in a car accident after this film. His death would lead to Leo leaving after the next entry and ultimately would lead to the end of the series as the 'magic' was gone without Leo and his father. Anyway, this is an enjoyable entry despite the sad trivia behind it. The cast all put in a good effort and the uranium plot is interesting enough.

Louie Dumbrowsky buys an uranium mine in Nevada sight unseen. Upon arrival, the boys get shot at by the locals who don't want the newcomers. After finding out that Louie owns the mine, the scheming locals decide to change their plan and play poker with him. It backfires with Louie intercepting the card cheats. The gang has trouble finding any uranium.

This must be the final nail to the uranium fever. I really love the card game. It gets rather random after that. Nevertheless, the gang is here led by Slip and Sach. There is some enjoyment with seeing those two, but Slip is looking old. It's a tough year for him and the writing is on the wall for the franchise.

Released during the Christmas holidays, and what a gift. 10 Stars.

Thanks much to Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall for making all us kids laugh out loud for years. This is one of the final episodes with the entire cast, and perhaps, the most outrageous. Excellent direction by Edward Bernds, and with some very good on location work. Bernds used the famous Iverson Ranch in the San Fernando Valley, the setting for hundreds of B westerns Monogram Pictures cranked out in its heyday.

Some clever casting here, featuring Cal "Alfalfa" Switzer as Shifty Robertson, who sells Slip the "rights" to a uranium mine in the town of Panther Pass, Nevada? You know where this is going, and it takes off as the guys pile into the jalopy and drive across country(?) to the old west?

Writers Elwood Ullman and Bert Lawrence put together some real goofy dialogue. The poker game scene, thanks to Bernds, was lifted from the THREE STOOGES. The crooks, lead by Harry Lauter (as Haskell), challenge the guys to a crooked game of cards, exchanging cards under the table, which gets all messed up by Louie. They also meet an old prospector played by veteran actor Raymond Hatton -- and his "talking" mule Josephine. Hatton was perfect for this semi-western, lending some words of encouragement to one and all.

Best bit is a dream sequence; Slip and Sach don fancy western gear and march into town as the defiant Lone Arrangers. The shooting scene is darn funny, and you can tell Leo Gorcey is having a blast here. Both he and Huntz Hall look pretty sharp as cowboys. The grande finale is an insane car chase -- around rocks and brush -- with the jalopy going nuts in high gear. Just terrific.

The supporting cast is worth mentioning, lead by lovely Mary Beth Hughes (as Jeanette), kind of a poor man's MIss Kitty from GUNSMOKE. Mary would later appear on Red Skelton's tv show. Francis McDonald plays the indian chief. He entered films in 1913 and appeared in hundreds of silent and sound westerns. After this film, he had a notable role playing a slave in the TEN COMMANDMENTS.

Sadly, Bernard Gorcey died shortly after the film was completed in an auto accident in Hollywood. Leo Gorcey, hit hard by the loss, would star in one more film before retiring from the series. Also the final appearance of Bennie Bartlett (as Butch), and Edward Bernds as director. Assistant director Austen Jewell commented in later years that Leo's father was a terrific comedian and had quite an influence on the set. As for Bennie, he added, you needed more than two people to form a gang, and the gang was shrinking. He left the series because he eventually became a background character, going on to work in tv for a few years.

Watch this for the memories. Released on dvd by Warner Brothers, Volume 3. 2013. 6 to 8 episodes per box, which are now collectors items. Thanks to TCM for running all the episodes, especially on Saturday mornings. We love it.

No one expects rocket science out of these grade school dropouts. Still, their brand of lowbrow comedy survived, even into the age of TV, big screen Technicolor, and blonde sex goddesses. Sure, Leo's got a middle-age spread, while Huntz is hitting 39. So, calling them "boys" requires a bit of squinting. Then too, the gang has dwindled to just four aging delinquents, plus granddad Bernard (Louie). But, truth be told, DTU is a pretty funny entry, thanks to some good set-ups and location work, snappy dialogue, and a capable supporting cast. That Sach-trapped-on-a-real-ledge scene is particularly well done, where economy would usually employ a cheesy set.

Note too how the boys are after uranium and not gold or silver or even oil. There was a brief Cold War period when atom bomb uranium was the object of weekend prospectors instead of the more usual precious metals. A Geiger Counter to register radio- activity was all that was needed. I guess my only complaint is about the billing. Why fellow 1930's youth actor Carl (Alfalfa) Switzer isn't credited seems odd. He's got an extended speaking part (Shifty) that should merit listing in the credits, which might also have helped his faltering career. Although their comedy act may be tired, the boys still show a lot of spark, making this one of their better later features.