Customer Reviews

East Side Kids - Smart Alecks

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This is my personal favorite of all the East Side Kids films. Too many of them just highlight Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall. This one allows us to enjoy Bobby Jordan and Gabrielle Dell as well, both who are excellent. At the same time Gorcey and Hall have never been better. A good script that is serious and funny at the same time without being too much of either. The balance is nice. The film also has the bonus of the presence of a soon to be star: Gale Storm. She is lovely and charming, making the most out of her part and making her character (within the limits of the role) very appealing and memorable.

Smart Alecks (1942) After the Broadway play Dead End became a huge hit in 1935, the six teen stars (Leo Gorcey, his brother David, Huntz Hall, Billy Halop, Bobby Jordan, Charles Duncan and Gabriel Dell) were brought to Hollywood to make the film version for MGM, which premiered in 1937. The movie was also a big hit, but the young stars had run rampant on the lot, getting into mischief and tearing stuff up, so producer Sam Goldwyn sold their contracts to Warner Brothers, where they made six more movies with stars like John Garfield, James Cagney, and Humphrey Bogart. By this time other studios in Hollywood were noticing the popularity of these films and when the Warners contract ended, the boys split and some were snapped up by Universal for the Little Tough Guys series and others were grabbed by Monogram for the Dead End Kids movies. By the mid 40's the two groups had made more than 35 movies and 3 cliffhanger serials! In 1946 Leo Gorcey and his agent revamped the Dead End kids into The Bowery Boys, which lasted through 48 (!) more movies through 1958! This effort is one of the East Side Kids entries, which were a mix of comedy and melodrama. This time out the boys (including Gorcey, Hall, Dell, and original Our Gang star Sunshine Sammy Morrison) want to buy some baseball uniforms to give their sandlot team some oomph, but as usual have no money. Before long they are mixed up with a gang of bank robbers led by former boxing champ Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom and have to save one of their own members and his comely nurse sister from Maxie's revenge plans. As usual, Gorcey mangles the English language, Hall gets in some funny shtick, Morrison tap dances for everybody, and the movie veers back and forth from light comedy to syrupy melodrama, but it's short (just over an hour) and Gorcey and Hall are always worth a look, so this one gets a recommendation for those so inclined.

Another great East Side Kids film. The Alpha DVD quality is average. It's just great that this print is not full of splices. The only issue is the replacement of the Monogram title card with the Astor Pictures re-issue title.

Smart Alecks, 1942 film

The story begins with tap dancing and a request for donations. No sale. A policeman interrupts their game. "More easy dough"? A nurse takes care of sick kids. There is a shot, three men run out of a bank and speed away in a car. One man in the bank was shot. The policeman saw that young man around the neighborhood. Muggs is famous for his malapropisms. Can they buy baseball uniforms? Hank visits, he boasts about being a big shot. But he runs away. Danny repeats their story. No dirty money for them. Officer Reagan nabs the suspect and he is convicted. "Too bad." Ruth Stevens gets a visit from Mr. Blake, who likes homemade cake. They prepare more icing for his cake. He loves it! "Tastes funny." [Is there humor in poisoning an unsuspecting person?]

The East Side Kids visits Hank in prison. Their talk is humorous (and pads out the story). Back in the city they play baseball in the street and break a window. Mr. Blake walks away with their baseball until Officer Reagan pursues him. "Its Butch Brocalli." There is a $200 reward for Danny. What are his plans? Muggs leads the gang in climbing to the roof. "Is this right?" [Obviously not.] Burglary and robbery? "I don't care." "It'll be alright." Ruth makes a telephone call. [Was there Universal Service back then?] The boys are brought to the police station. Danny won't sign a complaint. Muggs spends the money on an old car. Are they just misunderstood? Or lacking advantages? Can they go on a trip? Hank has escaped from prison and visits their club. He warns them that Butch Brocalli plans to rub out Danny. Can they save him? Hank telephones to tell what happened.

Butch questions Danny. The boys find Danny and take him to the hospital. He needs an expensive brain surgeon. Dr. Ormsby talks to them and learns the facts. He agrees to postpone his trip and operate. Glimpie borrows a drink. The boys wait for the results. Will they all pray for Danny? Will their presence at the hospital cheer up Danny and help in his recovery? Yes, even Hank shows up. [The violin music sets the mood.] The doctor doesn't want his fee. Back at home Brocalli captures Ruth! The boys come in through the window to rescue Ruth. "Where's Brocalli?" Hank stops Brocalli, Officer Reagan thanks him. The boys finally get their uniforms. There is a last comic scene.
You see Gale Storm as Danny's sister, Marie Windsor plays the nurse in the last scenes.

This is the ninth film for the East Side Kids (Leo Gorcey, Bobby Jordan, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, Bobby Stone, Sunshine Sammy Morrison, David Gorcey). A new member is introduced as "Stash", Stanley Clements joins the gang. Since they helped the police in finding the crooks behind the magnesium ring operation in LET's GET TOUGH, now they are trying to help Gabriel Dell hide from the police. Gabriel wants to break away from the gang and swears he is never coming back. Just as he trys to go out the hide-out door, Officer Joe Reagan (Roger Pryor) is hot on Gabriel's trail. He looks around the hide-out. Nothing. When the boys think the coast is clear, Gabriel tells the gang again he is not coming back. He opens the door and Officer Reagan is right there and he overheard the boys clear their names. So Gabriel is off to jail for participation in a hold-up. Gale Storm plays Danny's (Bobby Jordan) sister. Notice the ad-lib Huntz Hall does at the end of the film. Leo Gorcey puts water on himself after kissing a nurse. Huntz Hall spits some water back at him.
The next film in the series: 'NEATH BROOKLYN BRIDGE (1942).