WELL NOW, HERE'S yet another fine example of just how fine an example of the "B" Movie comedy series was the early BOWERY BOYS were. This one titles SMUGGLERS' COVE is perhaps yet a cut above the others.THIS ENTRY BRINGS us to that point in time where Bobby Jordon had left the series. This left three of the original DEAD END Kids in the series.* In addition to the principal players of Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall (as the screen comedy duo of "Slip & Sach"), Gabe Dell lent his considerable talents to the stories. The actor born Gabriel Del Vecchio was cast as a sort of member of the old gang; who had now sort of moved up in the world, being employed in a job that kept him away from Louie's Sweet Shop.AND SPEAKING OF the recurring supporting character of "Louie Dombrowsky" himself, Bernard Corcey, was AWOL for this outing. Although the elder Gorcey's talents were greatly missed, he was mentioned at least three times; either by name or in referencing his Malt Shop.THE MOVIE IS a prime example of how a less than high brow "B" picture can boast of such a large and varied cast of supporting players. Among those present we have: Andrew Kosleck, Paul Harvey, Amelia Ward, Jacqueline Dalya, Eddie Gribbon, Hans Schumm and Gene Roth. Benny Bartlett replaces Bobby Jordan in the gang's lineup, filling out the roster along with David Gorcey and Billy Benedict.IN ADDITION TO being perhaps the only BOWERY BOYS installment to have been adapted to the screen from a magazine short story, there are several elements that serve to amplify its total storyline and effect. For example, it has elements of the "Old Dark House Mystery" type of picture. They also showcase elements of the "evil secret society" engaged in clandestine criminal enterprise; which are typically the domain of the Movie Serial ("Cliff-Hanger" or "Chapterplay").THE END EFFECT of this movie at story's end brings it right up to the threshold of an "A" Picture. Now Schultz, that's right up to the edge, but not crossing over the line to the next classification.NOTE: * Although David Gorcey as "Chuck", son of Bernard Gorcey (Louie) and younger brother of Leo (Slip)did have a supporting role in the Broadway stage production of DEAD END, it was that of a rival gang member. a "Second Avenue Boy." This is in itself another story; as his own brother, Leo Gorcey, also had been cast as the other "Second Avenue Boy", but later was upgraded to the part of "Spit", replacing Charles R. Duncan.Is that all clear, Schultz?

Smugglers' Cove (1948) ** (out of 4) Terrance Mahoney (Leo Gorcey) is left a large mansion on a cliff overlooking the sea. Slip and the boys head out there to take a look not knowing that he's the wrong Terrance Mahoney and that there are some smuggler's working in the house. Number eleven in the series isn't at the bottom but it's no where near the top either. This is the first entry in the series that pretty much left me cold as there wasn't a single laugh to be found anywhere. That might make you think that the movie is a complete waste since this is a comedy after all but in fact I think the more dramatic moments work the best. The actual mystery of what's going on in the basement made for a good drama and director Beaudine actually handles it quite well. I thought he did a very good job at building up the mystery and making the drama work. So, why doesn't the film work better? Because the comedy is so poorly written that it really takes away from the drama. Sach (Huntz Hall) is so out of place here you can't help but wish they'd left him out like they did Louie. The comedy bits from the other players including Gorcey isn't anything special either and in the end we're left with a rather bland attempt at humor. What mild humor does work comes from Gabriel Dell who is once again playing the same character but with a different job. This time out he's playing a rather nerd-ish character who is constantly getting into trouble. I thought the actor did a good job with the role and helped keep the film moving at a decent pace.

***SPOILERS*** It's when Terrence "Slip" Mahoney was mistaken for Terrence Mahoney Esq in a special delivery letter that was handed to Slip as he and his bumbling janitor pal Sach were cleaning up, or out, Mahoney Esq's office in the Metropolis Building is when things started to get pretty serious for the boys and their Bowery friends. The letter address to Terrene Mahoney Esq gave him complete ownership of the Mahoney Manor on the south coast of Long Island. Unknown to Slip & Co, besides that he's not the Terrence Mahoney that Mahoney Manor belongs to, is that the creepy Count "the diamonds & jewelry" Boris Petrove was using the empty mansion for his diamond and jewelry smuggling operations.In no time at all Slip Sach and the boys drive out, with their dilapidated jalopy, to Mahoney Manor to set up shop and go sun bathing. Unknown to them is that the Count and his henchmen that includes the Sherman tank like, in his indestructibility, Digger and his Great Dame of a guard dog Ajex aren't too keen in the boys interfering with their diamond smuggling operations! The movie really starts cooking when later the real Terrence Mahoney and his lovely daughter Teresa show up to spent the weekend there making what was already a bad situation, for everyone involved, even worse!With the Count trying to neutralize the pesky Bowery Boys by "Deep Sixing" them at the bottom of Long Island Sound he ends up drawing in "Big Ted", or Terrence, Mahoney Esq into the mix with disastrous results. If the Bowery Boys weren't enough to give the Count king size headaches is was "Big Ted", with his devastating left right combinations, who was the person who tipped the scales in Bowery Boys favor.It was also in the film "Smugglers Cove" that its star Leo Gorcy, as Terrence "Slip" Mahoney, met his future wife Amelita Ward, who played Teresa Mahoney, whom he married after the film was finished. Both Leo & Amelita were happily married for some 7 years until drinking problems, probably resulting from Leo's fathers tragic death in a traffic accident, resulted in them breaking up in 1956.

You know there has to be a mistake when Leo Gorcey inherits a spooky Long Island mansion. Spooky mansions only mean one thing in movies, that there is villainy afoot. Otherwise why would you have trap doors, hidden rooms and the like built into your home.The place is actually owned by another Terrence Aloysius Mahoney if you think the world is ready for another one. This one is played by Paul Harvey who has a command of the English language, but is a rather tired and put upon individual who also visits his Long Island home where caretaker Eddie Gribbon has allowed a group of smugglers headed by Martin Kosleck to operate. Harvey and the Bowery Boys come separately on the same night, Harvey to visit his house and Gorcey and the gang to claim it. After that it's the usual group of gags that occur in every haunted house picture.Smuggler's Cove is a pretty good Bowery Boys film, but I personally prefer Hold That Ghost where Abbott&Costello did so much more with the haunted house genre.