Leo Gorcey
Born: 1917-06-03 in New York City, New York, USA
Died: 1969-06-02
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2020
- The Bowery Boys: Legends of Laughter as (archive footage)
2007
- Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb as Muggs McGinnis (archive footage)
1991
- Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook as Muggs (archive footage)
1986
- Classic Comedy Teams as The East Side Kids (archive footage)
1983
- Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1970
- The Phynx as Leo Gorcey
1966
1963
- It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World as First Cab Driver
1962
1956
- Crashing Las Vegas as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
1955
- High Society as Slip Mahoney
- Dig That Uranium as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- Jail Busters as Slip Mahoney
- Spy Chasers as Slip Mahoney
- Bowery to Bagdad as Slip Mahoney
1954
- Paris Playboys as Slip Mahoney
- Jungle Gents as 'Slip' Mahoney
- The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters as Slip Mahoney
1953
- Private Eyes as Slip Mahoney
- Jalopy as Terrence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- Clipped Wings as Slip Mahoney
- Loose in London as Terence Aloysius "Slip" Mahoney
1952
- Hold That Line as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- No Holds Barred as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- Feudin' Fools as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- Here Come the Marines as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
1951
- Bowery Battalion as Slip Mahoney
- Let's Go Navy! as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- Crazy Over Horses as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- Ghost Chasers as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
1950
- Triple Trouble as Slip Mahoney
- Lucky Losers as Slip Mahoney
- Blonde Dynamite as Slip Mahoney
- Blues Busters as Slip Mahoney
1949
- Hold That Baby! as Slip Mahoney
- Master Minds as Slip Mahoney
- Fighting Fools as Slip Mahoney
- Angels in Disguise as Slip Mahoney
1948
- Angels' Alley as Terence 'Slip' Mahoney
- So This Is New York as Sid Mercer
- Jinx Money as Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney
- Smuggler's Cove as Slip Mahoney
- Trouble Makers as Slip Mahoney
1947
- Bowery Buckaroos as Slip Mahoney
- Hard Boiled Mahoney as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- News Hounds as Terence J. Montgomery 'Slip' Mahoney
1946
- Spook Busters as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- Live Wires as Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney
- Mr. Hex as Slip Mahoney
- Bowery Bombshell as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
- In Fast Company as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
1945
- Midnight Manhunt as Clutch Tracy
- Mr. Muggs Rides Again as Muggs McGinnis
- Docks of New York as Muggs McGinnis
- Come Out Fighting as Muggs McGinnis
1944
- Follow the Leader as Muggs McGinnis
- Bowery Champs as Muggs McGinnis
- Million Dollar Kid as Muggs McGinnis
- Block Busters as Muggs McGinnis
1943
- Destroyer as Seaman Sarecky
- Mr. Muggs Steps Out as Muggs McGinnis
- Kid Dynamite as Muggs McGinnis
- Ghosts on the Loose as Muggs McGinnis
- Clancy Street Boys as Muggs McGinnis
1942
- Maisie Gets Her Man as Cecil
- 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge as Muggs McGinnis
- Smart Alecks as Muggs McGinnis
- Sunday Punch as 'Biff'
- Born to Sing as 'Snap' Collins
- Let's Get Tough as Muggs McGinnis
- Mr. Wise Guy as Muggs McGinnis
1941
- Spooks Run Wild as Muggs McGinnis
- Out of the Fog as Eddie
- Flying Wild as Muggs McGinnis
- Bowery Blitzkrieg as Muggs McGinnis
- Down in San Diego as 'Snap' Collins
- Angels with Broken Wings as Punchy Dorsey
1940
- Gallant Sons as Doc Reardon
- That Gang of Mine as Muggs Maloney
- Hullabaloo as Apartment House Bellhop
- Pride of the Bowery as Muggs Maloney
- Boys of the City as Muggs McGinnis
1939
- Invisible Stripes as Jimmy
- They Made Me a Criminal as Spit
- Hell's Kitchen as Gyp Haller
- Angels Wash Their Faces as Leo Finnegan
- On Dress Parade as Slip Duncan
- Private Detective as Newsboy (uncredited)
1938
- Angels with Dirty Faces as Bim
- Crime School as Charles 'Spike' Hawkins
- Mannequin as Clifford Cassidy
- The Beloved Brat as Spike Matz
- Swingtime in the Movies as Crime School Kid (uncredited)
1937
- Dead End as Spit
- Portia on Trial as Joe Gannow
- Headin' East as Boy Boxer in Gym (uncredited)