SPOOK CHASERS (1957)
Article 2180 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 3-5-2007
Posting Date: 8-1-2007
Directed by George Blair
Featuring Huntz Hall, Stanley Clements, Darlene Fields

When a doctor orders Mike Clancy to get some rest and relaxation, a salesman hoodwinks him into buying a rickety house in the country for an extended rest. He brings the Bowery Boys along to help him clean the place, but Sach discovers a stash of money. However, gangsters want the money and the place is rumored to be haunted, so…

This movie is not to be confused with GHOSTS ON THE LOOSE, SPOOKS RUN WILD, SPOOK BUSTERS, or GHOST CHASERS, all of which feature the Bowery Boys or one of its earlier incarnations, all of which predate this one, and any one of which you would be better off with. This one was made after the death of Bernard Gorcey and the departure of Leo Gorcey, leaving only one third of the attractions left – namely, Huntz Hall. Replacements for the Gorceys in the form of Percy Helton and Stanley Clements do little to compensate for the loss. To his credit, Hall keeps the energy level up, and he lets some of the other Bowery Boys share in the gags, but it doesn’t help much; the gags are abysmal, and they’ve gone down this route one too many times for there to be any hope of freshness. Director George Blair’s next two movies would also veer into fantastic territory, namely SABU AND THE MAGIC RING and THE HYPNOTIC EYE. This is the bottom of the Bowery Boy barrel.