Fighting Fools

Leo gorcey and huntz hall were now called the bowery boys, since the mid 1940s. And like so many others in the 1940s and 1950s, they had to make a film about corruption in the fights. Althought their's will undoubtedly have more humor than (any of) the others. Hollywood star lyle talbot is blinky, the crooked manager, handling the fixed fights. Gorcey's dad bernard is in this one, along with leo's brother david. When slip's friend dies in the ring, they talk johnny into going back into the ring to fight an honest fight, with the winnings going to the dead guy's family. The usual word play and tongue twisting, for humor. It's all in good fun. But of course, the thug managers have more tricks up their sleeves than to just let johnny take the fight without trickery and deceit. Can slip and johnny figure out what happened, and explain it to the commissioner? There's a serious story here, with a minimal amount of silliness and pratfalls in this one. It's good. Totally predictable, but good. Free on tubi streaming. Directed by reginald le borg. He made a bunch of the joe palooka films, and a real mish-mash of other films.

Thirteenth movie in Monogram's Bowery Boys series is another one with boxing as part of the plot. The last one was Mr. Hex, which saw Sach hypnotized into becoming a great prizefighter. This time none of the Boys enter the ring, but rather they help out a friend whose brother was killed in the boxing ring in a fight rigged up by racketeers. The friend is played by Frankie Darro, who returns for the second Bowery Boys movie in a row (playing a different character). The Boys help Darro train to fight and get vengeance for his brother. The regular cast is enjoyable in this entry that's a little heavier than the typical film in this series. Gabriel Dell plays a reporter in one of his more likable Bowery Boys appearances. Lyle Talbot is the gangster villain and he's solid as usual. Bernard Gorcey is fun as Louie ("Long live Louie's Sweet Shop!"). But this one really belongs to Frankie Darro, who turns in one of his better performances since his 1930s classics like "Wild Boys of the Road" and "The Mayor of Hell." The dramatics here work well but I will admit to being disappointed that there wasn't more comedy. I watch the Bowery Boys for laughs, after all. Also, the boxing backdrop is pretty played out even by 1949 standards. Still, I can't imagine many fans of the series hating this one.

The Bowery Boys are scam vendors at a boxing match. Local boxer Jimmy Higgins gets killed in a rigged fight. The Boys care for Jimmy's mother. Jimmy's older brother Johnny returns vowing to take down the corrupted boxing game with help from the Boys.

The use of an outside character does diffuse some of the comedy and tension. Otherwise, this is a perfectly fine Bowery Boys film. The hot dog gag is fun but the movie doesn't have as many gags later on. I don't know if any of the Boys could be a fighter but that has the potential for great gags. I'm just recalling the many great comedians doing comedic boxing. That's what's missing from this one.

The difference between the BOWERY BOYS films of the 1940s, as compared to the 1950s episodes, was a heavy dose of drama, siimilar to the former EAST SIDE KIDS movies.

Here, FIGHTING FOOLS relies on a more structured plot in which a boxer is killed in the ring. The gang has to figure out whodunit, add more drama and even a side story concerning alcoholism. Frankie Darro is featured here, and in a dramatic role, going after the killers of his brother and at the same time attempting to expose corruption in the boxing arena. Also Huntz Hall has some dramatic scenes, far from his usual goofy escapades. Make no mistake, though, Leo Gorcey delivers his usual line of classic malaprops to tie this together.

Veteran B director Reginald Le Borg was called in as Monogram Pictures was trying out different directors, though William Beaudine managed the bulk of the episodes quite well, cranking out one after another, on time, watching expenses -- especially -- letting Gorcey and Hall work their ad-lib magic. A solid series entry, one of the first to be put on dvd via Warner Brothers box set. Released 2012. Check out the super color covers of each set,

"May the best gladiator submerge victorious!"

A solid Bowery Boys entry, directed by Reginald LeBorg. The gang try to stop a crooked fight-fixing racket with the aid of a boxer whose brother met with tragedy in the ring. Many of these comedies utilized drama to help them along, especially back when the boys were called The Eastside Kids. This one's an interesting blend of comedy and drama with some funny dialogue and some unconventionally serious acting (for this period) from Huntz Hall and Leo Gorcey.

Recommended for BB newbies.

*** out of ****