THE BOWERY BOYS on DVD: continuing discussion of Warner's eventual release plans (NEW UPDATE 10/2 Po (2 Viewers)

[Tony Bensley]

My set is on order. With a little luck I may get it by Saturday. Looking forward to seeing how Mr. Hex looks. I kept the TCM copy of this film saved my DVR recording all this time just to compare it when it finally came out. It will be nice to see Spy Chasers with the reels in the correct order.

Hi Randy!

I remember using my PVR of SPY CHASERS to make an in sequence DVD-R, which did take a bit of effort. Of course, there was no helping MISTER HEX! My set should also be coming before long, and I'm greatly looking forward to proper, Non-MacGyvered viewings of these!

Well, it's been a 7 year long journey from Ron Epstein's First post in this thread (July 24, 2007!) to today's Release of THE BOWERY BOYS, VOLUME 4 Set, which now completes the Collection! The Caption that highlights this week's new Warner Archive Releases says it best: WORTH THEIR WAITS!

Indeed!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[rdf8585]

For the uninitiated, are any of the films on Vol. 4 considered to be among the team's best?

 

[Tony Bensley]

For the uninitiated, are any of the films on Vol. 4 considered to be among the team's best?

Hi Ryan!

This is likely a biased answer but, having seen these on TCM, most of the Leo Gorcey led Features included in this Volume are very solid entries. I'll have to wait for my Volume 4 Shipment to arrive before I can make a proper assessment of the previously very myopically challenging MISTER HEX, however!

Hope this helps!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[Randy Korstick]

As Tony said any of the films with Leo Gorcey which are the first 41 are all very good. Every fan will most likely have different favorites. The final 7 films without Gorcey are more of an acquired taste or for fans only so to speak. I personally enjoy them all. They unfortunately were not able to release them in Chronological Order so the final seven are spread out between Volume 3 and 4.

 

[Tony Bensley]

As Tony said any of the films with Leo Gorcey which are the first 41 are all very good. Every fan will most likely have different favorites. The final 7 films without Gorcey are more of an acquired taste or for fans only so to speak. I personally enjoy them all. They unfortunately were not able to release them in Chronological Order so the final seven are spread out between Volume 3 and 4.

Hi Randy!

In my opinion, this was a very smart move on the part of the Warner Archive, as this prevented the final Volume from being overloaded with Non Leo Gorcey Entries, which were instead as you stated, split between the last 2 sets, thus achieving more of a balance in the process!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[Randy Korstick]

As mentioned by me and a few others many times back in this thread this series really benefits from being watched in Chronological order because of the character changes and the gradual shift in the series from Comedy-Drama to Slapstick Comedy.
Here is a list of the films that each character was in so that you can see the change in characters as the series progresses:
For Reference here are the characters:
Slip: Leo Gorcey;
Sach: Huntz Hall;
Whitey: William Benedict;
Chuck: David Gorcey;
Bobby: Bobby Jordan
Gabe: Gabriel Dell
Butch 1: Bennie Bartlett
Butch 2: Buddy Gorman
Louie: Bernard Gorcey
Junior: Gil Stratten Jr.
Duke: Stanley Clements
Myron: Jimmy Murphy
Blinky: Eddie Leroy

And now for the films they appear in listed chronologically:
Slip: Films 1-41
Sach: Films 1-48
Whitey: Films 1-24
Chuck: Films 1-48
Bobby: Films 1-8
Gabe: Films 4-20
Butch 1: Films 10-16 and Returns for Films 24-40
Butch 2: Films 17-23
Louie: Films 2-40-Appears as a different character in film 1
Junior: Films: 25-26
Duke: Films 42-48
Myron: Films 41-46
Blinky: Films 45-48

 

[Tony Bensley]

As mentioned by me and a few others many times back in this thread this series really benefits from being watch in Chronological order because of the character changes and the gradual shift in the series from Comedy-Drama to Slapstick Comedy.

Hi Randy!

I've set up a list for that very purpose:
THE BOWERY BOYS FEATURES IN ORDER OF ORIGINAL THEATRICAL RELEASE

No. Year Vol/DVD# Movie
01. 1946 1/1 Live Wires
02. 1946 1/1 In Fast Company
03. 1946 1/1 Bowery Bombshell
04. 1946 2/1 Spook Busters
05. 1946 4/1 Mr. Hex
06. 1947 2/1 Hard Boiled Mahoney
07. 1947 1/2 News Hounds
08. 1947 2/1 Bowery Buckaroos
09. 1948 3/1 Angels' Alley
10. 1948 3/1 Jinx Money
11. 1948 2/2 Smugglers' Cove
12. 1948 4/1 Trouble Makers
13. 1949 1/2 Fighting Fools
14. 1949 1/2 Hold That Baby!
15. 1949 3/1 Angels in Disguise
16. 1949 1/3 Master Minds
17. 1950 1/3 Blonde Dynamite
18. 1950 1/3 Lucky Losers
19. 1950 4/1 Triple Trouble
20. 1950 1/4 Blues Busters
21. 1951 4/2 Bowery Battalion
22. 1951 2/2 Ghost Chasers
23. 1951 2/2 Let's Go Navy!
24. 1951 1/4 Crazy Over Horses
25. 1952 2/3 Hold That Line
26. 1952 4/2 Here Come the Marines
27. 1952 3/2 Feudin' Fools
28. 1952 1/4 No Holds Barred
29. 1953 3/2 Jalopy
30. 1953 2/3 Loose in London
31. 1953 2/3 Clipped Wings
32. 1953 2/4 Private Eyes
33. 1954 3/2 Paris Playboys
34. 1954 2/4 The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters
35. 1954 4/2 Jungle Gents
36. 1955 4/3 Bowery to Bagdad
37. 1955 2/4 High Society
38. 1955 4/3 Spy Chasers
39. 1955 4/3 Jail Busters
40. 1956 3/3 Dig That Uranium
41. 1956 3/3 Crashing Las Vegas
42. 1956 4/4 Fighting Trouble
43. 1956 3/3 Hot Shots
44. 1957 4/4 Hold That Hypnotist
45. 1957 3/4 Spook Chasers
46. 1957 3/4 Looking for Danger
47. 1957 3/4 Up in Smoke
48. 1958 4/4 In the Money

Note: Although the above columns line up perfectly in Edit mode, the finished chart unfortunately doesn't translate that way! This is the best that I can get it!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[Randy Korstick]

Wow yours is even more detailed than mine! I saw a small mistake I had to correct with Gabe. Forgot he didn't start until film 4.
I also intentionally left out the replacements for Louie in the last 8 films because they changed so much.
I think we made our point about the benefits of this series chronologically.
Thanks Tony

 

[Tony Bensley]

I've actually altered my list. as it appeared much too cluttered and lacked structure. Consider this a work in progress!

CHEERS!

 

[JeffT.]

SPY CHASERS (1955) is definitely considered to be prime Bowery Boys. MR. HEX (1946), TROUBLE MAKERS (1948), TRIPLE TROUBLE (1950), BOWERY BATTALION (1951), BOWERY TO BAGDAD (1955) and Huntz Hall's first solo starring effort FIGHTING TROUBLE (1956) are all good.

IN THE MONEY (1958) is important as the final Bowery Boys outing.

It's interesting that in this final volume edition goodbyes can be said to virtually everyone connnected with the series Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Bernard Gorcey, Bobby Jordan, William Benedict, Gabriel Dell, Stanley Clements, David Gorcey, Benny Bartlett, Buddy Gorman, Gil Stratton, Jr., Jimmy Murphy, Queenie Smith, Percy Helton, Dick Elliott and Eddie LeRoy.

Thank you all for some great entertainment!



Jeff T.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I just ordered the new Volume 4 Set! I can't believe we now have EVERY Bowery Boys feature! Thanks, everyone, for keeping me updated on this release... I have been checking this thread regularly! I know I'm gonna luv dis set, but den again, dat is a simple seduction!

 

[Joe Karlosi]

As mentioned by me and a few others many times back in this thread this series really benefits from being watched in Chronological order because of the character changes and the gradual shift in the series from Comedy-Drama to Slapstick Comedy.
Here is a list of the films that each character was in so that you can see the change in characters as the series progresses:
For Reference here are the characters:
Slip: Leo Gorcey;
Sach: Huntz Hall;
Whitey: William Benedict;
Chuck: David Gorcey;
Bobby: Bobby Jordan
Gabe: Gabriel Dell
Butch 1: Bennie Bartlett
Butch 2: Buddy Gorman
Louie: Bernard Gorcey
Junior: Gil Stratten Jr.
Duke: Stanley Clements
Myron: Jimmy Murphy
Blinky: Eddie Leroy

And now for the films they appear in listed chronologically:
Slip: Films 1-41
Sach: Films 1-48
Whitey: Films 1-24
Chuck: Films 1-48
Bobby: Films 1-8
Gabe: Films 4-20
Butch 1: Films 10-16 and Returns for Films 24-40
Butch 2: Films 17-23
Louie: Films 2-40-Appears as a different character in film 1
Junior: Films: 25-26
Duke: Films 42-48
Myron: Films 41-46
Blinky: Films 45-48

I appreciate your diligence in that, Randy ... and I myself as a rule am always a staunch supporter of having things in perfect chronological order whenever possible... but I still feel that The Bowery Boys series is not one which makes a big difference in how they're screened. There are no key character or plot threads running between the films, and the comedy/drama variations always switched back and forth anyway in the earlier entries. I have been surprised that I haven't minded watching these discs out of sequence and getting a taste of different things here and there. The other boys in this series are interchangeable, as long as we have Slip and Satch as the two main front men.. For the sake of being "official', chronological order is always preferred.. but here the enjoyment of the movies does not hinge on it.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

 

[Randy Korstick]

Good to see you back Joe.

 

[Tony Bensley]

I appreciate your diligence in that, Randy ... and I myself as a rule am always a staunch supporter of having things in perfect chronological order whenever possible... but I still feel that The Bowery Boys series is not one which makes a big difference in how they're screened. There are no key character or plot threads running between the films, and the comedy/drama variations always switched back and forth anyway in the earlier entries. I have been surprised that I haven't minded watching these discs out of sequence and getting a taste of different things here and there. The other boys in this series are interchangeable, as long as we have Slip and Satch as the two main front men.. For the sake of being "official', chronological order is always preferred.. but here the enjoyment of the movies does not hinge on it.

Hi Joe!

I echo Randy in welcoming you back! Just last night, I was reading a few of the older posts from this thread and realized that I hadn't seen anything from you for awhile. I hope that all is well with you!

Regarding the official chronological order, while I've personally held off on viewing the bulk of these Films for that purpose, I think it's also important to note that the Leo Gorcey/Huntz Hall association dates back almost a full decade before the first Bowery Boys Film. Because there are unfortunately, a number of East Side Kids Entries that haven't been issued to Home Video in any Form, we can't quite get all of the steps in their progress from the start of the Dead End Kids to the end of the East Side Kids Series, though we can get some general idea. I can say that the very early Bowery Boys Films do very much possess an East Side Kids Flavor, along with the bulk of that previous Series Cast Members.

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[Randy Korstick]

I don't think I could ever bring myself to not watch them in Chronological order. There really is no reason not to unless you are not watching the series and just throwing on a random title one night. Its not that hard to view them in Chronological order now that we have them all even if they are mixed up. I see the point on most of the supporting characters in the gang being interchangeable. The 2 exceptions are Whitey and Gabe. They both played more significant parts. In fact that's one of the sad things when watching them in Chronological order you get used to the cast and then after film 20 no more Gabe and then after film 24 no more Whitey. No more Whitey is always tough for me as he's my favorite of the series after Slip and Sach of course.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

But I wonder if no more Gabe wasn't actually a good thing? I say that because he always seemed to be juggled around in different "serious" roles, and nobody knew what to do with him.

By the way - thanks for the welcome back, guys.

 

[JoHud]

Got the set today and just watched Mr. Hex. While not perfect, this one is a huge step up in picture quality. It may not look it at first--the first two reels look like they may have been derived from 16mm (soft, but w/ a very good grey scale)--but then the remaining 2/3s of the film uses a quality 35mm source that looks as good as the Bowery Boys films in the previous 3 volumes. Audio is strong throughout.

On another note, after watching that film, I wondered if it was the inspiration for the Sydney Pontier/Bill Cosby film Let's Do It Again which had a very similar premise.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Got the set today and just watched Mr. Hex. While not perfect, this one is a huge step up in picture quality. It may not look it at first--the first two reels look like they may have been derived from 16mm (soft, but w/ a very good grey scale)--but then the remaining 2/3s of the film uses a quality 35mm source that looks as good as the Bowery Boys films in the previous 3 volumes. Audio is strong throughout.

On another note, after watching that film, I wondered if it was the inspiration for the Sydney Pontier/Bill Cosby film Let's Do It Again which had a very similar premise.

Hi Joe!

So long as it doesn't go in and out of focus like that g*dawful print that played on TCM a few years back, I'm quite happy!

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[JoHud]

Hi Joe!

So long as it doesn't go in and out of focus like that g*dawful print that played on TCM a few years back, I'm quite happy!

CHEERS!

Tony

It's not pristine, the elements on the 35mm are a bit rough with some noticeable marks and scratches, but the detail and clarity is certainly there.