During the course of the second manifestation for Leo Gorcey's mini-mob players, the East Side Kids, who followed the Dead End Kids, while preceding the Bowery Boys, producer Sam Katzman hired veteran director William Beaudine for the East Side series due to his established success at leading movie youngsters and this quite effective Monogram release is the initial effort with Beaudine at the helm. The mother of young Muggs McGinnis (Gorcey) shares with him a letter received from his late father's close friend, "Uncle" Pete, a wealthy Texan, in which Pete tells of an impending visit by him and his daughter Judy to the McGinnis home in New York where the rancher expects to meet for the first time the five brothers and the sister Annabelle of Muggs, non-existent siblings invented by the widow McGinnis in order to receive Pete's financial support over many years. Muggs conscripts his East Side roustabout cohorts as his family, with Glimpy (Huntz Hall) dressed as Annabelle, and when Uncle Pete and Judy arrive in New York, confused jollity ensues, until a local thug plots to expose the impersonation as a means of obtaining some of Pete's wealth for himself. The film, produced with a virtually non-existent budget, has a virtually non-existent script, as well, with ad libbing contributed by most of the cast, notably Gorcey with his rather fascinating employment of malapropisms, all very compatible to Beaudine's loose-reined directorial mode. His relaxed methods must also take responsibility for some ragged performing, and there is need for more efficient editing, but this comedic affair eschews the wonted wartime jingoism that marks the series, and Hall is enormously and unexpectedly hilarious in his gender bending role, joining the other members of the cast in patent enjoyment of playing in this entry.
11 Reviews
Utterly ridiculous...but enjoyable.
planktonrules19 February 2019
This East Side Kids film shows where the group of actors are heading with the franchise. While Bobby Jordan was initially the leader of the gang, his screen time kept decreasing as Leo Gorcey's and Huntz Hall's increased. Here, Jordan is present...but seems to have nothing to do. So, in many ways it seems a lot like the later Bowery Boys films.
In this story, Mugs (Gorcey) finds out that his Uncle Pete (Noah Beery) is coming to town...which would be great if it wasn't for a few lies. Little did Mugs know that his father long ago told Pete he had seven kids....and this rich Texas uncle has been sending birthday money to all seven for many years and Mugs' mother has been pocketing it! To save face, Mugs decides to create six siblings---including Glimpy (Hall) as a girl and Sunshine Sammy Morrison one of the kids, even though he's black! Amazingly, the uncle believes it...and insists on painting the town red with Mugs and the family. Not surprisingly, eventually the truth comes out...and there are dire consequences.
This is worth seeing just to see the tall and gangly Huntz Hall playing a girl. It's far from intellectual fare...but manages to elicit a few laughs. The biggest deficit are the way overdone Texas accents out of the uncle and his daughter...they really laid in on thick!!
In this story, Mugs (Gorcey) finds out that his Uncle Pete (Noah Beery) is coming to town...which would be great if it wasn't for a few lies. Little did Mugs know that his father long ago told Pete he had seven kids....and this rich Texas uncle has been sending birthday money to all seven for many years and Mugs' mother has been pocketing it! To save face, Mugs decides to create six siblings---including Glimpy (Hall) as a girl and Sunshine Sammy Morrison one of the kids, even though he's black! Amazingly, the uncle believes it...and insists on painting the town red with Mugs and the family. Not surprisingly, eventually the truth comes out...and there are dire consequences.
This is worth seeing just to see the tall and gangly Huntz Hall playing a girl. It's far from intellectual fare...but manages to elicit a few laughs. The biggest deficit are the way overdone Texas accents out of the uncle and his daughter...they really laid in on thick!!
Almost the last roundup
bkoganbing16 March 2014
Clancy Street Boys as a film is notable for two reasons. First Noah Beery, Sr., a villain in countless westerns is playing a good guy for a change. Secondly in this East Side Kids outing we get a chance to see Huntz Hall in drag.
What should be good news for Leo Gorcey's mother has Martha Wentworth depressed and Gorcey wants to know why. They're getting a visit from his father's old friend Uncle Pete Monahan as played by Beery and his daughter Amelita Ward. While the father settled on the East Side of New York, Beery went to Texas and got fame and fortune and always sends a little money the McGinniss family way for special occasions. And Wentworth has gilded the lily. She's not just had one special occasion, she's had seven more and now how to account for them.
That's easy as Gorcey gets others of his gang to fill in as kids. And for the one girl we just get Huntz Hall into drag. Sounds easy enough.
Things go wrong when the local crook Rick Vallin makes Beery and Ward out as rubes for an easy mark. That's where the street smart East Side Kids go into action.
Clancy Street Boys is done with the usual posh production values that so characterized a Monogram Studio product. The plot, well why didn't Gorcey get one of the neighborhood girls for the masquerade. Answer is that would have killed the gag of Hall in drag. And also they wouldn't need to explain Sammy Morrison as an adopted McGinniss or as Beery puts it, 'a maverick from another herd'.
Dopey, but with a certain charm as the East Side Kids save Beery and Ward from what could be a last roundup.
What should be good news for Leo Gorcey's mother has Martha Wentworth depressed and Gorcey wants to know why. They're getting a visit from his father's old friend Uncle Pete Monahan as played by Beery and his daughter Amelita Ward. While the father settled on the East Side of New York, Beery went to Texas and got fame and fortune and always sends a little money the McGinniss family way for special occasions. And Wentworth has gilded the lily. She's not just had one special occasion, she's had seven more and now how to account for them.
That's easy as Gorcey gets others of his gang to fill in as kids. And for the one girl we just get Huntz Hall into drag. Sounds easy enough.
Things go wrong when the local crook Rick Vallin makes Beery and Ward out as rubes for an easy mark. That's where the street smart East Side Kids go into action.
Clancy Street Boys is done with the usual posh production values that so characterized a Monogram Studio product. The plot, well why didn't Gorcey get one of the neighborhood girls for the masquerade. Answer is that would have killed the gag of Hall in drag. And also they wouldn't need to explain Sammy Morrison as an adopted McGinniss or as Beery puts it, 'a maverick from another herd'.
Dopey, but with a certain charm as the East Side Kids save Beery and Ward from what could be a last roundup.
Fast and Funny
dougdoepke8 November 2020
Hawk-nose Huntz Hall dressed up as an ugly girl-- I didn't know whether to laugh or barf. It's a good gag-filled East Side Kids fun-fest. Seems Mugs' (Gorcey) mom is in trouble. She's pretended to have a bunch of offspring boys and a girl to impress a rich Texan who thinks they're all in the same family. That means getting Mugs's roughhouse gang to pretend to be her civilized offspring. It also means Glimpy (Hall) gets to play the one girl if, that is, he can keep his skirt down. More complications arise when a con-man tries to kidnap the rich Texan, a sub-plot they could have left out. Anyway, the gags fly fast, as when Mugs mangles his grammar in hoodlum malaprop style. And more chuckles ensue as the Texas cowboy and his cowgirl daughter culture clash with the New York toughies-- after all, why take a taxi through city traffic when a horse will do.
Notable for its time is Black actor Morrison playing Scruno. Though non-white, he fits right in with the loony antics and is not parodied any more than the others. He's simply one of the boys. Then too, see if you can catch the brief instant near the end where Gorcey and Hall appear to glance at the camera, thus breaking character-- perhaps sloppy editing. Also, I'm not sure about the title, Cherry Street Boys, since the rival gang is peripheral to the story itself. Likely, that was for commercial reaons. Nonetheless, the cheapo's a fun filled hour, featuring one of Hollywood's most enduring series, so don't pass it up
Notable for its time is Black actor Morrison playing Scruno. Though non-white, he fits right in with the loony antics and is not parodied any more than the others. He's simply one of the boys. Then too, see if you can catch the brief instant near the end where Gorcey and Hall appear to glance at the camera, thus breaking character-- perhaps sloppy editing. Also, I'm not sure about the title, Cherry Street Boys, since the rival gang is peripheral to the story itself. Likely, that was for commercial reaons. Nonetheless, the cheapo's a fun filled hour, featuring one of Hollywood's most enduring series, so don't pass it up
The East Side Kids: One Big Happy Family
lugonian27 January 2024
CLANCY STREET BOYS (Monogram, 1943), a Banner Production directed by William Beaudine, marks the 13th edition to the "East Side Kids" series, and one of the best. Unlike previous installments from its early years, it's funny without being too silly. Its serious without being too melodramatic. It's the first that would lead to formula material from this to their latter "Bowery Boys" (1946-1958) series. CLANCY STREET BOYS marks the introduction of latter series regulars, namely Billy Benedict playing Butch, a Cherry Street leader; and Leo Gorcey's father, Bernard Gorcey, best known for fans of "The Bowery Boys" series as Louie Dumbrowski, here briefly playing a liquor store owner. Even with his brief scene, his few moments are quite amusing.
Following the opening credits with names of staff and cast listing on sheets hanging on clothes lines and aerial view of New York's East Side, the story starts off with the East Side Kids: Danny (Bobby Jordan), Glimpy (Huntz Hall), Bennie (Bennie Bartlett), Stash (Dick Chandler, replacing Stanley Clements) and Scruno ("Sunshine Sammy" Morrison), along with rival gang leader, Butch (Billy Benedict) and his boys (Jimmy Strand and Johnny Duncan) all looking for Mugs Maginnis (Leo Gorcey) to help him "celebrate" his 18th birthday. Mugs hides about expecting to get what's coming to him, which he gets, even from policeman on their beat, Officer Flanagan (J. Farrell MacDonald). Upon his return home, Mugs finds his mother, Molly Maginnis (Martha Wentworth) concerned about a letter she has received, revolving around his late father's rich oil tycoon friend, Pete Monahan (Noah Beery), passed along as his uncle, coming from Texas with his daughter, Judy (Lita Ward) to visit with Ma Maginnis and her seven children, including "Ethelbert," (being Mugs) and their only daughter, Annabelle. To help his mother, and not wanting to make a liar out of his father, Mugs gathers his friends to pose as the Maginnis children, with Glimpy dressed as Annabelle, and Scruno, the only black member of the gang, as the adopted son. All goes well until George Mooney (Rick Vallin) gets into the act, but not for reasons of assistance. Featuring Jan Rubini (The Violinist); Eddie Mills (Dave) and Jack Normand (The Henchman).
An amusing entry that moves swiftly throughout its 66 minutes without and dull spots. For this edition, Bobby Jordan simply plays Danny, with no new surname added. Earlier a major attraction to the series, he's becoming background gang member in favor of more scenes involving Gorcey and Hall. Noah Beery's entrance to the story with he and his on-screen daughter riding on horseback through the streets of New York is true character to his portrayal. Gorcey's facial expression of his hating his birth name "Ethelbert" would become a running gag for the duration of the series. Huntz Hall in drag gets and Sammy Morrison passing as the offspring each get the most laughs here, making this among a favorite and memorable among series fans.
Available on video cassette and DVD format, cable television broadcasts to CLANCY STREET BOYS and other films in the series include to date Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: September 14, 2004) and MGM Plus. Next in the series: GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE (1943) with Bela Lugosi. (***)
Following the opening credits with names of staff and cast listing on sheets hanging on clothes lines and aerial view of New York's East Side, the story starts off with the East Side Kids: Danny (Bobby Jordan), Glimpy (Huntz Hall), Bennie (Bennie Bartlett), Stash (Dick Chandler, replacing Stanley Clements) and Scruno ("Sunshine Sammy" Morrison), along with rival gang leader, Butch (Billy Benedict) and his boys (Jimmy Strand and Johnny Duncan) all looking for Mugs Maginnis (Leo Gorcey) to help him "celebrate" his 18th birthday. Mugs hides about expecting to get what's coming to him, which he gets, even from policeman on their beat, Officer Flanagan (J. Farrell MacDonald). Upon his return home, Mugs finds his mother, Molly Maginnis (Martha Wentworth) concerned about a letter she has received, revolving around his late father's rich oil tycoon friend, Pete Monahan (Noah Beery), passed along as his uncle, coming from Texas with his daughter, Judy (Lita Ward) to visit with Ma Maginnis and her seven children, including "Ethelbert," (being Mugs) and their only daughter, Annabelle. To help his mother, and not wanting to make a liar out of his father, Mugs gathers his friends to pose as the Maginnis children, with Glimpy dressed as Annabelle, and Scruno, the only black member of the gang, as the adopted son. All goes well until George Mooney (Rick Vallin) gets into the act, but not for reasons of assistance. Featuring Jan Rubini (The Violinist); Eddie Mills (Dave) and Jack Normand (The Henchman).
An amusing entry that moves swiftly throughout its 66 minutes without and dull spots. For this edition, Bobby Jordan simply plays Danny, with no new surname added. Earlier a major attraction to the series, he's becoming background gang member in favor of more scenes involving Gorcey and Hall. Noah Beery's entrance to the story with he and his on-screen daughter riding on horseback through the streets of New York is true character to his portrayal. Gorcey's facial expression of his hating his birth name "Ethelbert" would become a running gag for the duration of the series. Huntz Hall in drag gets and Sammy Morrison passing as the offspring each get the most laughs here, making this among a favorite and memorable among series fans.
Available on video cassette and DVD format, cable television broadcasts to CLANCY STREET BOYS and other films in the series include to date Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: September 14, 2004) and MGM Plus. Next in the series: GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE (1943) with Bela Lugosi. (***)
Leo Gorcey gets a Licking and Keeps on Kicking
wes-connors15 March 2009
"The East Side Kids" are looking for leader Leo Gorcey (as Ethelbert "Muggs" McGinnis), who is celebrating his 18th birthday (several years too late, obviously). "Clancy Street" pals Huntz Hall (as Glimpy Freedhoff), Bobby Jordan (as Danny), Benny Bartlett (as Benny), Ernest "Sammy" Morrison (as Scruno), Dick Chandlee (as Stash aka Skinny), and Eddie Mills (as Dave aka Eddie) give Mr. Gorcey's hind quarters 18 whacks with a paddle. To make it a gang-banging he won't forget, rival "Cherry Street" kid Billy Benedict (as Butch) forces Gorcey to bend over for 19 more bare-handed and paddle hits (the 19th isn't one to grow on; Mr. Benedict can't count).
After taking some additional hits, from a policeman's stick, Gorcey learns his wealthy Texas uncle, Noah Berry (as Pete Monahan), is coming to visit. Gorcey must produce the five brothers and a sister that he lied about having. He uses his "East Side Kids", of course. Mr. Morrison offered up as "adopted". And, Mr. Hall dons a dress and wig to become "little Annabelle". Then, greedy gangsters discover the ruse. - "Clancy Street Boys" isn't much of a movie; but, Gorcey's spankings and Hall's posing as a woman are amusing. Later, Gorcey married lovely guest-star Lita Ward.
**** Clancy Street Boys (4/23/43) William Beaudine ~ Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan, Noah Beery
After taking some additional hits, from a policeman's stick, Gorcey learns his wealthy Texas uncle, Noah Berry (as Pete Monahan), is coming to visit. Gorcey must produce the five brothers and a sister that he lied about having. He uses his "East Side Kids", of course. Mr. Morrison offered up as "adopted". And, Mr. Hall dons a dress and wig to become "little Annabelle". Then, greedy gangsters discover the ruse. - "Clancy Street Boys" isn't much of a movie; but, Gorcey's spankings and Hall's posing as a woman are amusing. Later, Gorcey married lovely guest-star Lita Ward.
**** Clancy Street Boys (4/23/43) William Beaudine ~ Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan, Noah Beery
Well I'll be a Mugsy's uncle.
mark.waltz23 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The East Side kids went through some ridiculous situations in their time, but any excuse to see one of them in a dress put that entry near the top of the list. For this one, Huntz Hall must don the gay apparel and looks delightfully ugly as he pretends to be Leo Gorcey's sister with the rest of the gang as siblings when wealthy adopted uncle Noah Beery shows up from the wild west for a visit. It appears that Gorcey's late father told Beery that he had seven children when in fact it was only one. of course, the ruse is exposed but not before Beery has to deal with a bunch of New York criminal types who want some of that Texas loot.
While the later Bowery Boys films were more played as farce, the East Side Kids films earlier had a more serious tone. Certainly neither of them were realistic, and they remain a product of their time, programmers that are best viewed for their nostalgia. Amelita Ward, looking like a taller Jane Withers, is Beery's cowgirl daughter, hysterically taking Hall out on a shopping spree. Beery, usually cast as the villain, best to play a more sentimental character here, although I never want to hear him sing "Home on the Range" ever again.
While the later Bowery Boys films were more played as farce, the East Side Kids films earlier had a more serious tone. Certainly neither of them were realistic, and they remain a product of their time, programmers that are best viewed for their nostalgia. Amelita Ward, looking like a taller Jane Withers, is Beery's cowgirl daughter, hysterically taking Hall out on a shopping spree. Beery, usually cast as the villain, best to play a more sentimental character here, although I never want to hear him sing "Home on the Range" ever again.
Clancy Street Boys was a more than enjoyable East Side Kids comedy
tavm4 July 2015
In a previous East Side Kids movie called 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge, Noah Beery Jr. played a former member of the gang. Here his father, Noah Beery Sr., plays an uncle (so to speak) of Muggs from Texas with his grown daughter in tow. In seems Muggs' mom had a late husband who exaggerated about how many children they had when he wrote to his friend. So guess who becomes the other 6 siblings of Muggs including one sister? Anyway, this was more of a comedy than drama though there's still somewhat of a thrilling finish of the latter. So on that note, Clancy Street Boys was a very enjoyable East Side Kids adventure. P.S. Since I always like to cite when a player of my favorite movie-It's a Wonderful Life-is in something else I review, here it's J. Farrell MacDonald as a police officer named Flanagan.
Pretty funny
SanteeFats3 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
You have a rich uncle and his not to shabby daughter coming for a visit for the first time to New York to see the woman he wanted to marry but lost to Muggs's father long ago. The uncle thinks there are seven kids instead of just Muggs as Muggs's dad has lied over the years before he died to make his old rival jealous. So Muggs enlists the gang to play the other siblings. There is just two problems, one is a girl, who of course has to be played by Huntz Hall and they have to use the black gang member as a "readopted" seventh kid. The uncle gets grabbed by some hoods to hold for ransom. Muggs and the gang figure it out, trail the car taking the daughter to her pop, call in several other gangs to help get both of the kidnapped sprung. This they manage to do. The closing scenes show the gang out west on the uncle's ranch. Here Muggs tries his macho New York crap by trying to ride a bronc no one else has been able too. He gets thrown and the film ends with everyone laughing.
Funny Film with Unique Characters
tr-834952 July 2019
Two Bowery
Michael_Elliott11 March 2008
Clancy Street Boys (1943)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Muggs' rich cowboy uncle is coming to town for the first time ever and he thinks Muggs' parents had seven kids instead of one. In order to full them Muggs has to get the gang to play his brothers and Hall to be his sister. Decent entry from The East Side Kids has the usual cheap story but we do gets some good laughs with the highlight being Hall in drag.
Smart Alecks (1942)
*** (out of 4)
One of the better East Side Kids films has Danny knocking over a racket and getting a $200 reward. The rest of the gang turn their backs on him thinking he's sold them out. Like most of the others, this film suffers from a somewhat stale story but there are plenty of laughs with the best being the one where the gang poison's one of the crooks. The last fifteen minutes turn to drama and the actors handle this very well.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Muggs' rich cowboy uncle is coming to town for the first time ever and he thinks Muggs' parents had seven kids instead of one. In order to full them Muggs has to get the gang to play his brothers and Hall to be his sister. Decent entry from The East Side Kids has the usual cheap story but we do gets some good laughs with the highlight being Hall in drag.
Smart Alecks (1942)
*** (out of 4)
One of the better East Side Kids films has Danny knocking over a racket and getting a $200 reward. The rest of the gang turn their backs on him thinking he's sold them out. Like most of the others, this film suffers from a somewhat stale story but there are plenty of laughs with the best being the one where the gang poison's one of the crooks. The last fifteen minutes turn to drama and the actors handle this very well.
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