Movie Review: Loose in London (1953)
Synopsis: Horace "Sach" Jones is invited to an estate in London, England, to visit a distant relative, a wealthy but elderly earl who wants to meet all his potential heirs before he dies. Sach accepts the invitation and travels across the ocean with his four friends in tow. The earl takes a shine to Sach and wants to make him his primary heir but when the rest of the relatives find out, they plot to kill both the earl and, if needed Sach.
Who's in it? The movie stars Huntz Hall, Leo Gorcey, Bernard Gorcey, Angela Greene and Walter Kingsford.
Review: I came across the Bowery Boys film Loose in London last night and decided to watch it this morning. Since I've had mixed opinions of the previous films I've watched, I wasn't really sure what to expect but this did turn out to be an OK film to watch.
As is the case with most later Bowery Boys movies, the film does the bare minimum to keep the concept alive by having a smaller "gang" but with the focus primarily on Sach (Hall) and Slip (Leo Gorcey) and with the shopkeeper, Louie (Bernard Gorcey) providing some additional comic relief. The other two members (David Gorcey and Benny Bartlett) are largely just background characters without a lot of lines. This, however, does work to the film's advantage.
I've said this before, but I'll say it again, Huntz Hall was a comedic genius who deserved more roles outside this franchise, and it was clear why he became the top-billed Bowery Boys star by the end. This film demonstrated it to its fullest, with everything from sight gags to some funny smart comedy. I especially loved how the film revealed he was smarter than he let on by demonstrating his knowledge of England's history at Slip's expense.
The plot of the movie wasn't anything overly complex, which is a plus when it comes to comedies like this. It was clear, from the start, who the villains were and their motivations. While this meant there weren't a whole lot of surprises, it did allow the film to focus on the comedy and make full use of the relatively short 62-minute runtime.
I especially liked the scene onboard the ship to England, with Louie accidentally stowing away and the rest of the gang doing their best to hide him after seeing firsthand what the captain did to non-paying passengers. Plus, the climax of the movie, which featured both sight gags and sword fighting was fun to watch. Of course, the funniest part, at least for me, was the surprise twist at the end, which was both clever and funny.
Final Opinion: This was one of the better Bowery Boys films and a genuinely funny movie. I'd recommend taking the time to watch it.
My Grade: A
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Here are some reviews of other movies from 1953:
Movie Review: Man in the Attic (1953)
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