SPOOKS RUN WILD (1941)
Article #409 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing date: 4-28-2002
Posting date: 9-21-2002

The East Side Kids take refuge in a haunted house, where they match wits with a man they believe to be a killer.

This was the Bowery Boys back when they were the East Side Kids and young enough to still be thought of as kids. The movie is designed around them; the story is inconsequential, the character development is time-filler, and Bela Lugosi and Angelo Rossitto are just scary window-dressing. Ultimately, how much you like this movie depends on how much you like the East Side Kids, and a little goes a long way with them. Still, compare them to some of the other comedy acts that Bela worked with over the years, and they look pretty good. Unfortunately, you can only handle so many gags about being scared, and the movie wears out its welcome long before it’s over. I do prefer it to their other collaboration with Bela, GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE.