SMUGGLERS’ COVE (1948)
Article 1846 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 4-4-2006
Posting Date: 9-1-2006
Directed by William Beaudine
Featuring Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell

Slip mistakenly believes that he has inherited a mansion, and when he goes down to visit it with the other Bowery Boys, he discovers that there are mysterious goings-on.

Though they were cut from the same cloth, I think the Bowery Boys had a comedic style that was fairly distinct than that of the East Side Kids. Maybe that’s why this one feels like such a throwback; despite the fact that the movie was based on a story called “Smugglers’ Cove” (I’m willing to bet that it was heavily modified to accommodate the talents of the Boys), it feels more like a remake of GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE than a new Bowery Boys movie. It’s somewhat better than that one, but the shtick feels pretty similar. Bernard Gorcey is noticeably absent from the proceedings (though he is referred to in passing a few times), and Gabriel Dell is given a lot more to do than usual. The fantastic content is incredibly slight; though there is some talk about the house being haunted, it largely amounts to people getting scared at seeing Martin Kosleck’s face in the window. There’s a few amusing bits; in particular, I like Leo Gorcey’s attempt to beat the crap out of Eddie Gribbon (as Digger the Caretaker) who gets the unusual task of playing someone who is even dumber than the Boys.