The Bowery Boys tackle the past life regression fad that was popular in the '50s thanks to the Bridey Murphy book and film. This is the second movie in a row where the series tried something different from the rut it had been in for a long time. I give it credit for trying but, unfortunately, it's too little too late. Without Leo and Bernard Gorcey, the laughs are all on Huntz Hall's shoulders. Hall is someone I found barely tolerable at the height of this series but I find him insufferable in these later entries. This is the forty-fourth Bowery Boys film, which is pretty amazing. But the end is near and that's pretty obvious by the lack of memorable scenes in the last few films. A chuckle here and there but, for the most part, these movies stink.This one has Sach undergoing hypnosis and remembering a past life. From there we get into some nonsense about a pirate treasure. Hall does his usual shtick, for those who enjoy him. Stanley Clements continues to be unimpressive as Slip Mahoney-wannabe, Duke. David Gorcey and Jimmy Murphy blend in with the wallpaper. Queenie Smith makes her final appearance as landlady Mrs. Kelly. She was a likable enough actress but never had the comedic talents of Bernard Gorcey or the chemistry with the rest of the cast that he had. Anyway, this isn't the worst of the post-Leo Bowery Boys movies. It might even be the best. That being said, it's really nothing special. I wouldn't bother with it unless you want to see every Bowery film at least once.

The last decade of Bowery Boy films are among the most beloved of all the films the gang had made. But be aware, after Leo Gorcey was fired, (his last film was Dig that Uranium) the seven remaining movies were not only a departure from the usual formula, they were weak, disjointed, and badly executed. By this time, Leo and Huntz were a well-oiled comedy team. Without Gorcey, and his late father who played Louie (he died in a horrible car crash), the very heart and soul of the series was no more. But the contracts called for 7 more films. The boys became men (wearing suits and now interested in women rather than girls, and focused on making money more than ever). This film is the worst of the bunch! A lost attempt to play on the Bridey Murphy phenomenon. Sach is taken back to his past life. This involves a treasure. The story doesn't resemble a Bowery Boys romp in the least bit. If you are a fan and have seen their best films you will be saddened to witness this installment.

It's not surprising that the Bridey Murphy phenomenon would turn up on the silver screen, even if it's only a low-budget Bowery Boys production. In 1956, a Pueblo, CO housewife claimed to have been "regressed" under hypnosis to a previous life as an Irish farm girl, complete with Irish brogue, etc. For some reason, it caught on and became a brief national fad with all kinds of similar claims being made. Here, Sach gets regressed to a former life as a 17th century English fop, where he encounters pirate Blackbeard and his treasure. Back in modern time, the boys go after the treasure, ahead of the bad guys, they hope, while busty blonde Jane Nigh provides brassy eye candy.Aside from the predictable hi-jinks, Hall (Sach) gets to show off some real acting skills, getting to play more than just his usual buffoonish character. Rather poignant to think how many of those skills went unused once he settled into playing Sach. (An interview with him would be interesting.) Clements does okay as Gorcey's replacement, but Gorcey really makes a better tough-talking Moe (The Three Stooges) to Sach's ever-befuddled Curley. All in all— the 60-minutes provides something of a departure for both the plot and and actor Hall, but with no more chuckles than usual.

Hold That Hypnotist (1957) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Sach (Huntz Hall) and Duke (Stanley Clements) try to protect Ms. Kelly from a crooked hypnotist so they set out to prove that he's a fake. When the hypnotist puts Sach under it turns out that the nutty fool at one time knew Blackbeard the Pirate and also knows where a hidden treasure is. The forty-fourth film in the Bowery Boys series is the third without Gorcey and I must admit that compared to the previous two horrid entries this one here comes off as a mini-masterpiece. A new writer and director were introduced to the series and they clearly made a much better movie than we've seen in quite a few films and this goes back to when Leo was with the series. I was a little skeptical when the movie first started because we got all sorts of silly slapstick that really didn't prove any major laughs but once the story is set in place I thought the pacing was very good and things really started to pick up. I think this film works for a number of reasons but one is that the screenplay doesn't get burdened down in familiar plots. Yes, it turns out that the hypnotist is a crook who tries to steal the treasure from the boys but thankfully this doesn't take over the entire plot. Instead of the plot being centered around this, the bad guy aspect doesn't turn up until the final ten-minutes and by doing this the screenplay can center on the boys and I think it does a very good job at keeping everything moving. There's a very funny sequence when Sach first goes under and then another one later when the boys are flirting with the doctor's sexy blonde. There's a flashback sequence where we see Sach's previous life with Blackbeard and while I didn't understand the "game" they were playing, the entire thing was funny and rather clever. Another plus this time out is that Hall and Clements have got a nice chemistry flow, which is yet something else that was missing in the previous two movies. I thought the two worked well off one another and they also mixed well with the other cast members. At just 61-minutes the movie really doesn't contain any dry moments and in the end it turned out to be one of the most entertaining entries in the series.