Customer Reviews

That Gang of Mine [VHS]

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This 1940 East Side Kids movie is one of the very first in Monogram Pictures' long-running series (which eventually became The Bowery Boys). These early entries stress rowdyism over comedy routines, so there's more drama than comedy, but Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison is very enjoyable as the black kid, and Bobby Jordan is enthusiastic as Leo Gorcey's confidant. In this story, Gorcey wants to be a jockey but he's secretly afraid of speed, and his stubbornness almost ruins the hopes of his friends. Clarence Muse is excellent as a journeyman horse trainer; in one charming scene he sings a spiritual without accompaniment, and Morrison jumps up and dances to it. Joseph H. Lewis's direction gets the most out of the limited budget, by shooting largely outdoors and using careful compositions. Huntz Hall is not in this picture but David Gorcey is, and fans should enjoy seeing him.

The source print used on this DVD is a Savoy Pictures reissue of the late 1940s. The first few minutes are missing (but not essential to the plot; the print must have been edited by some TV station at one time), the image is slightly cropped, and the contrast is only fair. The movie is good enough to overcome the DVD's technical flaws. If this is your favorite East SIde Kids movie you'll be a bit disappointed by the print, but you can't beat the budget price.

This is a passable-for-the-price DVD, but looks like a good VHS picture. Obviously a WORN OUT video tape was used as the mastering source for this DVD, there are some glitches & mis-tracking lines that come & go.

THE PICTURE IS SOFT!

There is also a portion of the opening scene MISSING! On the Platinum Disc "EAST SIDE KIDS: 8 MOVIES" box set, this movie starts with the boys trying to paint a wall. THEN Muggs enters asking about the mailman (this is where the Alpha/Gotham DVD starts).

Well, the East Side Boys finally made it out of the haunted mansion in East Side Kids - Boys of the City (1940). They are suppose to be painting a wall in town, but Leo Gorcey has decided he wants to be a jockey. Knuckles (Dave O'Brien) and Algy (Eugene Francis) must keep an eye on this gang to make sure they finish the job. They made a mess of it, so Knuckles told them to go hide at there old stable hang-out. The boys decide to race a throughbred they own called, Blue Knight. If Seabiscuit could win and make money for everyone, so could Blue Knight. After all, the horse is from Kentucky. Guess who they train to be the stable jockey? Muggs. The boys are: Bobby Jordan, Leo Gorcey, Sunshine Sammy Morrison, David Gorcey (Leo's younger brother) and Donald Haines. The next films are: Pride of the Bowery (1941) (1941), FLYING WILD (1941), BOWERY BLITZKRIEG (1941).

I purchased this and after the fact find out it cannot be streamed and isn't compatible with Mac products even though it clearly state it could be played on Apple. False advertising and a gimmick to get you to part with 1.99 for a movie and then not deliver. I will only watch free movies on here from now on. too much risk involved with purchases made one Amazon!!!

The East Side Kids meet an older man (Clarence Muse) who is squatting with his thoroughbred racehorse on some property in hopes of entering the horse in a race. The boys discover him and promise to keep his being there a secret, but only if Muggs (Leo Gorcey) can be the jockey that races the horse. It is agreed upon, and Muggs enters the race. The horse is excellent, but Muggs is too inexperienced to ride him, so they lose the race. However, some wealthy men in the crowd recognize the horse's potential and agree to properly train him.

This film is definitely a B-movie, so it does not benefit from an excellent story or set, but it does have some great actors, especially Gorcey. He shows a range not typically found in actors with no formal training; he was a natural actor with an immense amount of skill. He can be a crack-up, but he can also break your heart, the way he demonstrates here.

The black characters could certainly be considered demeaning, although the old man has much more depth than the average black part. Scruno (Ernie Morrison) is a bit more offensive, though his "dumb" character could have been played by a white actor, and eventually was in the Bowrey Boys series by Huntz Hall.

The print quality on this one is not very good, and could be better. However, since it is a B-film, a better print is not likely to be found.