Biography
Leo Gorcey's parents were actor Bernard Gorcey (born 1888) who stood 4' 10", and Josephine Condon (born 1901), who stood 4' 11" and weighed 95 pounds; they worked in vaudeville in New York. In 1915, 14-year-old Josephine gave birth to Fred. In 1917, Leo was born, a large baby at 12 lb. 3 oz.; as an adult he would be 5' 6". In 1921 his brother David Gorcey was born. In 1935, Leo and David appeared in the stage play "Dead End." In 1937, this was made into a movie, and Leo became one of the busiest actors for the next 20 years -- from 1937-1939 he starred in seven Dead End Kids movies, from 1940-1945 in 21 East Side Kids films, from 1946-1956 in 41 Bowery Boys movies. In 1939, Leo married 17-year-old dancer Kay Marvis, who appeared in four of his movies. They divorced in 1944 after five years of marriage; she went on to marry Groucho Marx. In 1945, Leo married Evalene Bankston; they divorced in 1948. Leo was to have paid her $50,000 in a divorce settlement; however, when two detectives she hired broke into his home, he retaliated by firing his gun at them. They sued, and Leo countersued for illegal entry and won $35,000 back. In 1949, Leo married Amelita Ward, whom he met while filming Smugglers' Cove (1948). Their marriage produced Leo Gorcey Jr. in 1949, and a baby girl they named Jan (after Leo's producer and manager, Jan Grippo) in 1951. They divorced in 1956. That year Leo married his young nanny, Brandy, who was taking care of his two kids. They had a baby girl, Brandy Jo, in 1958. The couple divorced in 1962. Leo went to the altar one last time in February, 1968, marrying Mary Gannon. He stayed married to her until his death from liver failure on June 2, 1969, in Oakland, California.
Acted in 94
2020s
- 2020
The Bowery Boys: Legends of Laughter
(archive footage)
2000s
- 2007
Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb
Muggs McGinnis (archive footage)
1990s
- 1991
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
Muggs (archive footage)
1980s
- 1986
Classic Comedy Teams
The East Side Kids (archive footage)
1970s
- 1970
The Phynx
Leo Gorcey
1960s
- 1966
Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar
Leo
- 1963
1950s
- 1956
Crashing Las Vegas
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- 1955
Dig That Uranium
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
Jail Busters
Slip Mahoney
Spy Chasers
Slip Mahoney
High Society
Slip Mahoney
Bowery to Bagdad
Slip Mahoney
- 1954
Jungle Gents
'Slip' Mahoney
The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters
Slip Mahoney
Paris Playboys
Slip Mahoney
- 1953
Private Eyes
Slip Mahoney
Clipped Wings
Slip Mahoney
Loose in London
Terence Aloysius "Slip" Mahoney
Jalopy
Terrence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- 1952
No Holds Barred
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
Feudin' Fools
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
Here Come the Marines
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
Hold That Line
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- 1951
Crazy Over Horses
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
Let's Go Navy!
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
Ghost Chasers
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
Bowery Battalion
Slip Mahoney
- 1950
Blues Busters
Slip Mahoney
Triple Trouble
Slip Mahoney
Lucky Losers
Slip Mahoney
Blonde Dynamite
Slip Mahoney
1940s
- 1949
Master Minds
Slip Mahoney
Angels in Disguise
Slip Mahoney
Hold That Baby!
Slip Mahoney
Fighting Fools
Slip Mahoney
- 1948
Trouble Makers
Slip Mahoney
Smuggler's Cove
Slip Mahoney
Jinx Money
Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney
So This Is New York
Sid Mercer
Angels' Alley
Terence 'Slip' Mahoney
- 1947
Bowery Buckaroos
Slip Mahoney
News Hounds
Terence J. Montgomery 'Slip' Mahoney
Hard Boiled Mahoney
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- 1946
Mr. Hex
Slip Mahoney
Spook Busters
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
Bowery Bombshell
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
In Fast Company
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
Live Wires
Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney
- 1945
Come Out Fighting
Muggs McGinnis
Midnight Manhunt
Clutch Tracy
Mr. Muggs Rides Again
Muggs McGinnis
Docks of New York
Muggs McGinnis
- 1944
Bowery Champs
Muggs McGinnis
Block Busters
Muggs McGinnis
Follow the Leader
Muggs McGinnis
Million Dollar Kid
Muggs McGinnis
- 1943
Mr. Muggs Steps Out
Muggs McGinnis
Destroyer
Seaman Sarecky
Clancy Street Boys
Muggs McGinnis
Kid Dynamite
Muggs McGinnis
- 1942
'Neath Brooklyn Bridge
Muggs McGinnis
Smart Alecks
Muggs McGinnis
Maisie Gets Her Man
Cecil
Let's Get Tough
Muggs McGinnis
Sunday Punch
'Biff'
Mr. Wise Guy
Muggs McGinnis
Born to Sing
'Snap' Collins
- 1941
Bowery Blitzkrieg
Muggs McGinnis
Down in San Diego
'Snap' Collins
Angels with Broken Wings
Punchy Dorsey
Flying Wild
Muggs McGinnis
- 1940
Pride of the Bowery
Muggs Maloney
Gallant Sons
Doc Reardon
Hullabaloo
Apartment House Bellhop
That Gang of Mine
Muggs Maloney
Boys of the City
Muggs McGinnis
1930s
- 1939
Private Detective
Newsboy (uncredited)
On Dress Parade
Slip Duncan
Angels Wash Their Faces
Leo Finnegan
Hell's Kitchen
Gyp Haller
- 1938
Swingtime in the Movies
Crime School Kid (uncredited)
Angels with Dirty Faces
Bim
Crime School
Charles 'Spike' Hawkins
The Beloved Brat
Spike Matz
Mannequin
Clifford Cassidy
- 1937
Headin' East
Boy Boxer in Gym (uncredited)
Portia on Trial
Joe Gannow
Appearances2
1980s
- 1983
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
