Ghost Chasers (1951)

"Ghost Chasers" surprised me, as it's a very enjoyable Bowery Boys film...something I just didn't expect...especially when I learned that the picture was shot in just 6 days!!!The story involves some phony psychics who are bilking customers out of their money with promises they can talk to their dead loved ones. Oddly, the only one who doesn't fall for any of this is Slip...and he's an idiot! Well, the story gets very strange when Edgar, a 300 year-old ghost shows up because he, too, is mad about the phony psychics and offers to help Sach uncover the gang's dirty tricks. However, no one else seems to be able to see Edgar and you can only assume he appears to REALLY dumb folks! Overall, this is actually a rather cute installment of the series. Edgar is a very likable character and I loved when he stopped to talk to the audience early in the story! In addition, the film offers some nice twists and kept my interest. Is it brilliant entertainment? Certainly not but it is a very watchable B-movie--and better than you'd expect.

Considering all the stories the East Side Kids/Bowery Boys did that hinted at ghosts in the title, none actually ever showed up, at least not of the white sheet variety. Besides this one, there was "Spooks Run Wild" (1941), "Ghosts on the Loose" (1943), and "Spook Busters" (1946). Trying to pick a 'best' out of this mix is a moot exercise, you haven't a ghost of a chance.The first surprise I got here was during a roll of the opening credits. Topping the list it was unusual to see the name of Bernard Gorcey, a regular in these stories as Louie Dumbrowsky, but his name usually wound up on the second screen of supporting players. It was also unusual to see the amount of quality time that Billy Benedict got in the story, especially in the early going teamed up with Sach (Huntz Hall). The term 'quality' here is used as a pejorative, there wasn't much quality to these pictures, but if you enjoy the goofy antics of the Bowery Boys, it doesn't much matter.You know, if you follow the money trail here, you might wonder why Slip (Leo Gorcey) never got into the investment business. After he snookered Louie out of the hundred bucks during the séance routine to help out Mrs. Parelli (Argentina Brunetti), he wound up collecting two hundred dollars from Madame Zola (Belle Mitchell). Check it out, if you watch that scene again, you'll see that he got his own hundred bucks back for Louie, and Mrs. Parelli got her hundred dollars too! Maybe these guys weren't as dumb as I thought.Well, hold that thought a minute. There was that later scene when Professor Krantz (Marshall Bradford) failed to hypnotize Sach. Even his amazing hypnotic power wasn't strong enough to affect a moron or an idiot. I guess Sach was both.With an able assist from Lloyd Corrigan as a three hundred year old 'ghost', this is a fast paced Bowery Boys flick that wreaks havoc on the spirit racket and leaves the con men (and women) with the short end of the stick. The only problem with the story was that Louie never did get his money back from dead Uncle Jake, but at least he had the best analysis of things when he observed at one point - "It's a long and ridiculous story".

Ghost Chasers (1951) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Funny entry in the never-ending series has Slip (Leo Gorcey), Sach (Huntz Hall) and the other boys trying to bring down a medium who is charging people large sums of money for her fake spiritual advice. These victims include Slip's neighbor who recently lost her son in the war and is now trying to get in contact with him. At just 68-minutes this movie has a few too many slow spots but overall this is one of the better entries in the series and it's certainly one of their best when it comes to mixing comedy and the darker horror elements. I think some of the funniest moments happen early on when a few of the boys are in the back of Louie's shop doing a fake séance and Louie himself walks in and gets scared out of his wits. Bernard Gorcey is again back as Louie and he has some really funny moments as the screenplay makes the right decision to include him in on some of the action and the viewer gets rewarded with some nice laughs. Lloyd Corrigan gets a rather large part of a ghost who helps Sach get out of the various bad situations he gets himself into. I thought some of the stuff between the Hall and Corrigan was funny but after a while it started to get somewhat boring. With that said, Hall certainly steals the show with his idiot character constantly doing one dumb thing after another. He gets some pretty big laughs especially during the scenes where he gets scared for the various things going on. The scene where he first sees the ghost is priceless and he certainly helps keep things moving. Leo is in fine form as well, although he's part isn't nearly as big as usual. Lela Bliss isn't too bad as the medium but it's Bernard Gorcey that really nails everything home. Fans of the series will certainly want to check this one out but I think this one is good enough to the point where even non-fans will probably find themselves laughing.

***SPOILERS*** The "Bowery Boys" get the unexpected help from 300 year old ghost Edger in them busting a major spirit & medium racket in the New York City area. This spirit racket has been taking people to the cleaners in claiming to be able to contact their dead friends and loved ones. And in the case of sweet shop owner Louie Dumbrowsky,in his long dead Uncle Jake, those who owed them money but kicked off or died before they had a chance to pay them back.It was Slip who got on the case of exposing this phony medium Madam Zola who tired to gyp his neighbor Mrs. Parnelli out of $100.00 in claiming that she can contact the spirit of her dead son Frankie who was killed in the Korean War. Slip in threatening to turn over Madan Zola to the police bunko squad has her spill the beans on the spirit racket that she's a member of by fingering the big boss Dr.Grandville and his partner in crime phony medium Madam Margo.Going to Dr.Grandville's place where Madam Margo conducts séances,at a hefty price for anyone who's interested, Slip's friend Sach is contacted by a real life not fake ghost Edger who, because of Sach's prominent looking nose,took a liking to him. Edger is more then willing to help expose the fake spirit and medium racket in it using fake ghosts to cheat unsuspecting people out of their hard earned cash. It also gives a bad name to real ghosts like himself who only want to help people in need not enrich themselves off their suffering. It's Sach who by being a moron and low IQ idiot, which keeps his subconscious mind open to being contacted by ghosts & spirits, who can both see an hear Edger which helps him as well as the "Bowery Boys" get the jump on Dr.Grandville and his henchmen.***SPOILERS*** One of the best of the "Bowery Boys" films in that it has far more meat, or story-line, to it then the usual "Bowery Boys" movies your used to watching. In fact it was Edger the 300 year old friendly ghost who not only saved the boys from drowning in a tank that Dr.Grandville had them dump into as well as had Dr.Grandville Margo & Co. busted by the police but got those of us watching to believe that there is really such a thing as ghosts! Friendly or otherwise!