Leo gorcy biography

American actor (1917–1969)

Leo Bernard Gorcey (June 3, 1917^[1]– June 2, 1969) was an American stage and pelt actor, famous for portraying distinction leader of a group apply hooligans known variously as integrity Dead End Kids, the Acclimate Side Kids, and as adults, The Bowery Boys.

Gorcey was famous for his use presentation malapropisms, such as "I reduce it!" instead of "I provide work for it!"^[2]

Early years

Gorcey was born get going New York City on June 3, 1917, the son regard Josephine (née Condon), an Island Catholic immigrant, and Bernard Gorcey, a Russian Jewish immigrant.

Both were vaudevillian actors of concise stature. Bernard Gorcey was 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) and his old lady was 4 ft 11 in (1.50 m). Their son reached 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) in adulthood.

Film career

In integrity 1930s, Gorcey's father lived break off from the family while lay down in theater and film.

During the time that he returned in 1935, Leo's younger brother David Gorcey dispatch he persuaded Leo to test for a small part obligate the play Dead End. Somebody had just lost a not wasteful as a plumber's apprentice wallet wished to emulate his father's modest success. The Gorcey boys were cast in small roles as two members of position East 53rd Place Gang (originally dubbed the "2nd Avenue Boys") in the play Dead End by Sidney Kingsley.

Charles Dancer, originally cast as Spit, maintain equilibrium the play, and Gorcey, sovereignty understudy, was promoted. Gorcey actualized the stage persona of great quarrelsome guttersnipe whose greatest exultation was to make trouble.

In 1937, Samuel Goldwyn made grandeur popular play into a membrane of the same name, most recent transported the six rowdy grassy men to Hollywood.

Gorcey became one of the busiest colouring in Hollywood during the followers 20 years, starring in septet Dead End Kids films betwixt 1937 and 1939, 21 Puff up Side Kids films between 1940 and 1945, and 41 Rank Bowery Boys films between 1946 and 1955.

The earlier big screen presented Gorcey in variations prepare his Dead End character Sputter, a sneering tough guy coronet anyone's challenge with a wisecracking remark.

In the early Decennium, as the dramatic films shifted to roughneck comedy, Gorcey towering absurd his dialogue with malapropisms, in all cases delivered in a thick Borough accent. "A clever deduction" would be mangled by Gorcey because "a clever seduction"; "I reiterate" became "I regurgitate"; "optical illusion" came across as "optical delusion"; and "I should see initiative optometrist" was rendered as "I should see an ichthyologist." Unblended studio press release reported prowl Gorcey spent 30 minutes unornamented day studying a dictionary: "He has made something of regular career for himself as be over actor by the use a number of words no one else has ever heard of, and coarse the misuse or mispronunciation drug others."^[3]

In 1944, Gorcey took graceful recurring role on the Pabst Blue Ribbon Town radio agricultural show, starring Groucho Marx.

He very had a small role tension a 1948 film, the fun So This Is New York, starring radio comedians Henry Mount and Arnold Stang, which was Gorcey's last appearance as clean straight character actor.

In 1945, Sam Katzman, producer of glory East Side Kids series, unconditionally refused to meet Gorcey's commandment of double his usual takings.

Gorcey walked out on Katzman, and Katzman discontinued the apartment. Gorcey turned to Dead List teammate Bobby Jordan, who advisable a meeting with Jordan's detect, Jan Grippo. The series became The Bowery Boys, with Gorcey holding a 40% financial sayso, and Grippo as producer. Gorcey brought aboard his father, Physiologist Gorcey, to appear as Louie Dumbrowski, the panicky owner disruption a sweet shop where primacy boys gathered, as well considerably his brother David to loom one of the gang people.

The series was immediately comfortable, and Gorcey starred in quatern Bowery Boys films per collection through 1955. That year, potentate father died as a play a role of injuries from an mouthpiece accident. Gorcey, devastated, began breach alcohol and lost a sum deal of weight. When noteworthy allegedly trashed a film setting in an intoxicated rage (an occurrence which was later ferociously denied in the 1980s strong both Huntz Hall and King Gorcey),^[4] the studio refused unity grant him a pay levy that he had demanded, tolerable he parted ways with glory Bowery Boys and was replaced in the last seven flicks by Stanley Clements.

However, Gorcey's brother David remained with picture series until it ended principal late 1957.

During the Decennary, Gorcey did very little close. He had a bit height in the 1963 comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Crazy World, and he appeared strike up a deal old sidekick Huntz Hall temper a pair of low-budget motion pictures, Second Fiddle to a Strengthen Guitar in 1966 and The Phynx, released in 1970 aft his death.

Gorcey also enthusiastic an appearance in a take in one\'s arms commercial for a 1969 Shawnee model.

Autobiography

In 1967, Gorcey self-published an autobiography, An Original Dead-End Kid Presents: Dead End Yells, Wedding Bells, Cockle Shells, lecture Dizzy Spells, which was old as methuselah to 1,000 copies.

It was reprinted in 2004.

Personal life

In May 1939, Gorcey married 15-year-old dancer Kay Marvis, who arrived in four of his Arbitrary movies. They divorced in 1944, and the following year, Marvis became the second wife noise Groucho Marx.

Gorcey married participant Evalene Bankston in October 1945, but they divorced two eld later.

He was arrested entertain firing a gun at queen wife when she entered wreath home in Van Nuys, Calif., but was acquitted of righteousness charge in 1948.^[5]

In February 1949, Gorcey married actress Amelita Press on, with whom he had arised in Clancy Street Boys captivated Smugglers' Cove. The marriage find two children, including Leo Gorcey, Jr., but the couple were divorced in February 1956.

Consequent that year, Gorcey married Brandy Davis. They had a girl, Brandy Gorcey Ziesemer, but divorced in 1962. Gorcey was ringed to Mary Gannon on July 12, 1968,^[5] until his ephemerality, nearly one year later.

Death

Gorcey, a lifelong alcoholic, died chide liver failure on June 2, 1969, one day short assert his 52nd birthday.^[6] He denunciation buried at Molinos Cemetery fasten Los Molinos, California.

Legacy

In 1967, Gorcey's image was to put in an appearance in the crowd of celebrities on the cover of birth Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Isolated Hearts Club Band, but since he requested a fee, unwind was removed.

Me and excellence Dead End Kid, a unspoiled about Gorcey written by queen son Leo, Jr., was available in 2003.

In 2017, expert third book on his nation appeared, Leo Gorcey's Fractured World by Jim Manago, which limited in number an examination of Gorcey's relating to of malapropisms in the Street Boys films. Also in 2017, Richard Roat, known for receipt the largest collection of Shut up End Kids/Little Tough Guys/East Even out Kids/Bowery Boys memorabilia in say publicly United States, published the hard-cover, Hollywood's Made-to-Order Punks: The Lose the thread End Kids, Little Tough Guys, East Side Kids and excellence Bowery Boys , complete suitable photographs, behind-the-scenes trivia, and interviews with the surviving Dead Excise Kids/Little Tough Guys/East Side Kids/Bowery Boys that he had calm since the 1980s.^[4]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links