Movie Review: Bowery to Bagdad (1955)

Synopsis: Sach Jones buys an old lamp at the pawn shop and is surprised to discover it contains a genie willing to grant his every wish, something his friend Slip Mohoney quickly tries to capitalize on as well. However, the lamp is soon stolen by a group of gangsters working for Duke Dolan who, after learning the genie can only grant wishes made by Sach and Slip, attempt to abduct the pair as well. Meanwhile, a pair of Arabs are also hunting for the lamp and join in the chaos.

Who's in it? The movie stars Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bernard Gorcey, Eric Blore and Robert Bice.

Review: When I came across Bowery to Bagdad this morning, I had quite a few doubts about the film. Bowery Boys movies, especially some of the later ones, have always been a bit hit-or-miss for me and this seemed like one that was taking things a little too out of the realm of believability. However, I watched it this morning and it turned out to be one of my favorites.

As is the case with other later films in this series, the movie does take some liberties with whole "Bowery Boys" concept since it is primarily Slip (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Hall), who by this point were clearly no longer boys, carrying the film and the shopkeeper Louie (Bernard Gorcey) providing the filler. The only other two regulars, from what used to be a fairly large ensemble, are Chuck (David Gorcey) and Butch (Benny Bartlett), who have very few lines and nothing of importance to do.

Still, the movie works.

I think the thing that makes this movie work is the complication Slip and Sach create by commanding the genie (Blore) to only grant wishes they both make at the same time. This command made the traditional "whoever possesses the lamp" concept from genie stories null and void and it was no longer as simple as stealing the lamp, Duke Dolan (Bice) had to either convince (or force) the pair to work for him or (at least in theory) kill both of them to reset things.

The end result was a movie that wasn't anywhere near as predictable as I expected, especially when you had gangsters and Arabs attempting to get the two, and the lamp, in the same room together. It was crazy, it was hilarious and it was entertaining.

Another thing that helps this movie is Dolan himself. This is a film that relies heavily on slapstick comedy, and he takes the brunt of it to humorous effect, especially with the various shots to the head he was taking at almost every turn, leaving him a bit loopy but still dangerous.

I also thought the movie's ending was clever, providing an unforeseen twist, a very funny final scene and, most importantly, closure. The last one was something I was concerned about at first because, with only a few minutes remaining, it looked as though the film was going to forget to address Louie still being inside the gangsters' lair, and I was glad when my mind was set at ease.

Final Opinion: It's a goofy plot but the movie proves to be a lot less predictable and much funnier than I expected. I was entertained and would recommend it.

My Grade: A

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Here are some reviews of other 1950s comedies:

Movie Review: Dance with Me Henry (1956)

Movie Review: The Runaway Bus (1954)

Movie Review: Callaway Went Thataway (1951)

Movie Review: Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)