Leo Gorcey
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.
Known For
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963
Angels with Dirty Faces
1938
Dead End
1937
Invisible Stripes
1939
Ghosts on the Loose
1943
They Made Me a Criminal
1939
Out of the Fog
1941
So This Is New York
1948
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
Triple Trouble
1950
Live Wires
1946
Filmography
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self · 1962
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
as First Cab Driver · 1963
Angels with Dirty Faces
as Bim · 1938
Dead End
as Spit · 1937
Invisible Stripes
as Jimmy · 1939
Ghosts on the Loose
as Muggs McGinnis · 1943
They Made Me a Criminal
as Spit · 1939
Out of the Fog
as Eddie · 1941
So This Is New York
as Sid Mercer · 1948
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited) · 1983
Triple Trouble
as Slip Mahoney · 1950
Live Wires
as Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney · 1946
Destroyer
as Seaman Sarecky · 1943
Angels Wash Their Faces
as Leo Finnegan · 1939
Here Come the Marines
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1952
Mr. Wise Guy
as Muggs McGinnis · 1942
Swingtime in the Movies
as Crime School Kid (uncredited) · 1938
Let's Go Navy!
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1951
The Phynx
as Leo Gorcey · 1970
Jail Busters
as Slip Mahoney · 1955
Hell's Kitchen
as Gyp Haller · 1939
Docks of New York
as Muggs McGinnis · 1945
Crime School
as Charles 'Spike' Hawkins · 1938
The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters
as Slip Mahoney · 1954
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
as Muggs (archive footage) · 1991
Spooks Run Wild
as Muggs McGinnis · 1941
Down in San Diego
as 'Snap' Collins · 1941
Headin' East
as Boy Boxer in Gym (uncredited) · 1937
Jalopy
as Terrence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1953
Mr. Muggs Steps Out
as Muggs McGinnis · 1943
Maisie Gets Her Man
as Cecil · 1942
Angels with Broken Wings
as Punchy Dorsey · 1941
That Gang of Mine
as Muggs Maloney · 1940
Let's Get Tough
as Muggs McGinnis · 1942
Angels' Alley
as Terence 'Slip' Mahoney · 1948
No Holds Barred
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1952
Portia on Trial
as Joe Gannow · 1937
Pride of the Bowery
as Muggs Maloney · 1940
Spy Chasers
as Slip Mahoney · 1955
Mannequin
as Clifford Cassidy · 1938
On Dress Parade
as Slip Duncan · 1939
Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb
as Muggs McGinnis (archive footage) · 2007
Boys of the City
as Muggs McGinnis · 1940
Mr. Muggs Rides Again
as Muggs McGinnis · 1945
Crashing Las Vegas
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1956
Classic Comedy Teams
as The East Side Kids (archive footage) · 1986
The Beloved Brat
as Spike Matz · 1938
Dig That Uranium
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1955
Hold That Baby!
as Slip Mahoney · 1949
Bowery to Bagdad
as Slip Mahoney · 1955
Hard Boiled Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1947
High Society
as Slip Mahoney · 1955
Bowery Blitzkrieg
as Muggs McGinnis · 1941
Gallant Sons
as Doc Reardon · 1940
Lucky Losers
as Slip Mahoney · 1950
Loose in London
as Terence Aloysius "Slip" Mahoney · 1953
Sunday Punch
as 'Biff' · 1942
Born to Sing
as 'Snap' Collins · 1942
Master Minds
as Slip Mahoney · 1949
Ghost Chasers
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1951
Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar
as Leo · 1966
Blonde Dynamite
as Slip Mahoney · 1950
Midnight Manhunt
as Clutch Tracy · 1945
Paris Playboys
as Slip Mahoney · 1954
Clancy Street Boys
as Muggs McGinnis · 1943
The Bowery Boys: Legends of Laughter
as (archive footage) · 2020
Angels in Disguise
as Slip Mahoney · 1949
Fighting Fools
as Slip Mahoney · 1949
In Fast Company
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1946
Million Dollar Kid
as Muggs McGinnis · 1944
Feudin' Fools
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1952
Follow the Leader
as Muggs McGinnis · 1944
Flying Wild
as Muggs McGinnis · 1941
Jungle Gents
as 'Slip' Mahoney · 1954
Hold That Line
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1952
Come Out Fighting
as Muggs McGinnis · 1945
Hullabaloo
as Apartment House Bellhop · 1940
Kid Dynamite
as Muggs McGinnis · 1943
Private Detective
as Newsboy (uncredited) · 1939
'Neath Brooklyn Bridge
as Muggs McGinnis · 1942
Trouble Makers
as Slip Mahoney · 1948
Mr. Hex
as Slip Mahoney · 1946
Clipped Wings
as Slip Mahoney · 1953
Private Eyes
as Slip Mahoney · 1953
Bowery Battalion
as Slip Mahoney · 1951
Blues Busters
as Slip Mahoney · 1950
Crazy Over Horses
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1951
Bowery Buckaroos
as Slip Mahoney · 1947
Bowery Bombshell
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1946
Block Busters
as Muggs McGinnis · 1944
News Hounds
as Terence J. Montgomery 'Slip' Mahoney · 1947
Jinx Money
as Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney · 1948
Smuggler's Cove
as Slip Mahoney · 1948
Bowery Champs
as Muggs McGinnis · 1944
Spook Busters
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney · 1946
Smart Alecks
as Muggs McGinnis · 1942