Movie Review: Bowery Blitzkrieg (1941)
Synopsis: Friends Muggs McGinnis and Danny Breslin seemed destined to take different paths. Danny is a talented boxer and good student while the local authorities believe Muggs will eventually end up in prison. After Muggs and Danny get into a fight, Muggs is given the choice to become a boxer instead of going to reform school and starts straightening his life out. Danny, meanwhile, begins associating with Monk Martin, a juvenile criminal who tempts him down a path of crime. Both boys face a crossroads when Muggs is offered money to throw a fight, and Danny takes a bullet in a police shootout.
Who's in it? The movie stars Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan, Warren Hull, Charlotte Henry and Bobby Stone.
Review: It had been several weeks since I last watched a Bowery Boys/East Side Kids movie so, when I came across Bowery Blitzkrieg this morning, I decided to give it a try. This was one of the earliest films I've seen from this series, and it ended up surprising me in a good way.
Despite the Bowery Boys/East Side Kids being known for comedy and this film being described as such, I didn't see the movie in that light. In fact, it was a somewhat serious and dramatic movie that did a great job of showing how the right (or wrong) influence can quickly and dramatically change a young person's life path. In this case, it was Muggs (Gorcey) going from hoodlum to Golden Gloves contender while Danny (Jordan) went from straight-A student to possibly going to prison.
In addition to that main story, the part about the local crime boss taking an interest in Muggs and attempting to get him to throw the fight was intriguing. There was the question about if Muggs would do it, especially after being offered a significant amount of money. In addition, there was also the question of what would potentially happen to Muggs if he refused.
The additional suspense at the end, with Muggs choosing to fight even after giving a blood to help save Danny kept the film interesting. Muggs was in no condition to fight but if he were to lose as a result of that, it was clear nobody would believe he didn't intentionally throw it. It did make me wonder what direction the film was going to take. Was he going to find a way to win or would someone step in and stop the fight before he got seriously hurt?
I also found I liked the way the movie ultimately ended, with a pleasantly funny high note involving the friends. Again, I wouldn't describe this film as a comedy movie but the joke at the end did at least offset the somewhat darker tone.
Final Opinion: It wasn't what I was expecting but it turned out to be an entertaining and interesting movie that I still enjoyed watching.
My Grade: A
______________________________________________________________
Here are some reviews of other Bowery Boys/East Side Kids movies:
Movie Review: Loose in London (1953)
Movie Review: In the Money (1958)
Comments
Post a Comment