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THE BOWERY BOYS COMPLETE TV SERIES

In 1945, when East Side Kids producer Sam Katzman refused to grant Leo Gorcey"s request for double his weekly salary, Gorcey quit the series, which ended immediately. Bobby Jordan then suggested a meeting with his agent, Jan Grippo. Grippo, Gorcey, and Hall formed Jan Grippo Productions, revamped the format, and rechristened the series The Bowery Boys (the film credits appear as: "Leo Gorcey and The Bowery Boys"). Gorcey, who owned forty percent of the company, starred, produced, and contributed to the s. The new series followed a more established formula than the prior incarnations of the team, with the gang usually hanging out at Louie"s Sweet Shop (reportedly at 3rd & Canal St.) until an adventure came along.

The main characters were Terrence Aloysius "Slip" Mahoney (Leo Gorcey), Horace Debussy "Sach" Jones (Huntz Hall), Whitey (Billy Benedict), Chuck (David Gorcey, sometimes billed as David Condon), and Butch (usually Bennie Bartlett, occasionally former East Side Kid Buddy Gorman). The proprietor of the malt shop where they hung out was the panicky Louie Dumbrowski (Bernard Gorcey, Leo and David"s father). Perhaps to emphasize they were no longer teenagers, the "boys" now wore suits and their mothers, who appeared in some of the "East Side Kids" series were no longer seen.

The early films such as In Fast Company (1946) flirted with the same crime-drama laced with humor of the previous series, but they gradually shifted to all-out comedy, growing more slapstick and fantasy-oriented over the next decade. After 1950 the series began to resemble the farcical Abbott and Costello comedies¡ªa far cry from the grim social realism of their 1930s films. The grittiness of the old days was sanitized the gang"s dingy basement club-house was replaced by an ice cream parlor.

The team spirit of the ensemble cast faded as Huntz Hall was elevated to co-star status to showcase his comedic skills. The stories now focused entirely on Slip (the self-proclaimed leader of the bunch) and his zany sidekick, Sach, with the diminished three or four "boys" receding into the background with little to do. Time and again the plot revolved around Sach accidentally acquiring some strange power or ability (he becomes a psychic, champion wrestler, crooner, etc.) that Slip is quick to exploit. In most of the films, the gang pursues a scheme for quick riches or gets mixed up with neighborhood thugs. Story elements from their earlier films (haunted houses, mad scientists, nefarious spies) were also frequently incorporated into the new series.

Like a streetwise Abbott and Costello, Gorcey and Hall became a cohesive comedy duo, extending their verbal and physical humor into broader slapstick comedy that served to increase the popularity of the series. In 1953 a new producer and director transformed the series into lucrative kiddie-matin¨¦e fodder, with Gorcey and Hall re-enacting gags borrowed from The Three Stooges. (Huntz Hall cited Shemp Howard, who did three Little Tough Guys films, as a major influence during this latter phase in the series.)

Leo"s character "Slip" was famed for his malaprops (always delivered in a Brooklyn accent, such as "a clever seduction" for "a clever deduction," "I depreciate it!" ("I appreciate it!"), and "I regurgitate" ("I reiterate").

After filming Dig That Uranium in 1955, Bernard Gorcey was killed in an automobile accident, devastating his son Leo. Leo drank heavily, and it visibly affected his performance in the following film, Crashing Las Vegas, which would be his last. (During filming he became violently unhinged, trashing the set and destroying every prop in sight.) At a subsequent meeting with Allied Artists, Gorcey demanded an increase on the 40% interest he held in the series. This was denied, and after a heated exchange he quit the series and stormed off the studio lot.

The studio owed exhibitors three more films for the 1956 season, so Gorcey was replaced by Stanley Clements, a former tough-teen actor who had been in a few East Side Kids movies. Clements, as "Duke Coveleskie," adapted to the series easily and completed the three films, which now starred "Huntz Hall and The Bowery Boys." The new Hall-Clements partnership was successful enough to be renewed for the 1957 season. Four more films were made, with Eddie LeRoy joining the cast as bespectacled "Blinky."

In all, there were 48 Bowery Boys films (the longest feature-film series in motion picture history), with the final film, In the Money, being released in 1958. Only Huntz Hall and David Gorcey had remained with the series since 1946.

The Bowery Boys and East Side Kids picked up a new generation of mostly younger fans when the films were repackaged and syndicated for television in the 1960s and "70s. They became a staple for independent stations across the U.S., often used to fill up the early-afternoon time-slots on weekends. In 1967 The Beatles even paid homage by ing pictures of Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall for the photo-montage cover of their celebrated Sgt. Pepper"s Lonely Hearts Club Band album. (The Gorcey photo was removed after Gorcey"s agent demanded a $400 payment for use of his image.)

*Excellent video and audio quality

*Chapter Menus

*All 48 Movies on 18 DVD"S as originally presented with 2 attractive cases as shown

*Commercial Free, *Unedited and Uncensored

*These DVDs are region 1 US and Canada

*These are sealed, in stock, and ready to ship. On Sale for a Limited Time only.

　 *FREE USPS MEDIA MAIL SHIPPING...IF YOU PREFER A DIFFERENT SHIPPING METHOD PLEASE LET US KNOW IT WILL BE AT YOUR EXPENSE.

Returns/Exchanges

No refunds..however if you receive a damaged or defective disc(s) we will gladly replace it free for one full year!!

SPECIAL OFFER!!!!!

With the purchase of any set over $29.95 you can choose for free one of the sets listed below....and of course shipping is always free. All sets are COMPLETE unless otherwise indicated.

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FREE CHOICES:

Ma & Pa Kettle

Swamp Fox

Tarzan (Weissmuller)

Roots

Johnny Stacatto

King Kong (Five Movies)

Francis the Talking Mule

The Abott & Costello Show

North & South (John Jakes)

Davy Crockett

Gallant Men

Shogun

Topper (3 Movies)

The Thorn Birds

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