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Leo Gorcey‌

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1917-06-03

Popularity

star2.4

Leo Gorcey

New York City, New York, USA

Leo Gorcey

New York City, New York, USA

Gender

Male

Birthday

calendar1917-06-03

Popularity

star2.4

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.

Movie Credits

Kid Dynamite

Kid Dynamite‌
star6.6
calendar 1943

Let's Get Tough

Let's Get Tough‌
star6.0
calendar 1942

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World‌
star7.0
calendar 1963

Midnight Manhunt

Midnight Manhunt‌
star4.5
calendar 1945

Mr. Wise Guy

Mr. Wise Guy‌
star6.1
calendar 1942

Million Dollar Kid

Million Dollar Kid‌
star6.4
calendar 1944

Pride of the Bowery

Pride of the Bowery‌
star6.1
calendar 1940

Mannequin

Mannequin‌
star6.1
calendar 1938

They Made Me a Criminal

They Made Me a Criminal‌
star6.3
calendar 1939

Out of the Fog

Out of the Fog‌
star6.3
calendar 1941

Dead End

Dead End‌
star7.0
calendar 1937

Angels with Dirty Faces

Angels with Dirty Faces‌
star7.6
calendar 1938

Spooks Run Wild

Spooks Run Wild‌
star4.9
calendar 1941

The Phynx

The Phynx‌
star3.5
calendar 1970

Bowery Blitzkrieg

Bowery Blitzkrieg‌
star6.1
calendar 1941

Bowery to Bagdad

Bowery to Bagdad‌
star6.1
calendar 1955

Jinx Money

Jinx Money‌
star4.7
calendar 1948

Ghosts on the Loose

Ghosts on the Loose‌
star4.2
calendar 1943

Spook Busters

Spook Busters‌
star4.7
calendar 1946

Crime School

Crime School‌
star6.3
calendar 1938

Born to Sing

Born to Sing‌
star5.0
calendar 1942

So This Is New York

So This Is New York‌
star6.0
calendar 1948

Boys of the City

Boys of the City‌
star5.4
calendar 1940

Flying Wild

Flying Wild‌
star5.9
calendar 1941

Maisie Gets Her Man

Maisie Gets Her Man‌
star6.5
calendar 1942

Angels' Alley

Angels' Alley‌
star4.0
calendar 1948

Destroyer

Destroyer‌
star6.6
calendar 1943

Bowery Bombshell

Bowery Bombshell‌
star6.0
calendar 1946

Bowery Buckaroos

Bowery Buckaroos‌
star6.5
calendar 1947

The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters

The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters‌
star5.2
calendar 1954

Loose in London

Loose in London‌
star5.1
calendar 1953

Angels Wash Their Faces

Angels Wash Their Faces‌
star6.4
calendar 1939

Smart Alecks

Smart Alecks‌
star6.0
calendar 1942

Ghost Chasers

Ghost Chasers‌
star6.7
calendar 1951

Dig That Uranium

Dig That Uranium‌
star3.0
calendar 1955

Hold That Line

Hold That Line‌
star6.0
calendar 1952

Jalopy

Jalopy‌
star5.2
calendar 1953

Paris Playboys

Paris Playboys‌
star6.0
calendar 1954

Let's Go Navy!

Let's Go Navy!‌
star7.0
calendar 1951

Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook

Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook‌
star10.0
calendar 1991

Swingtime in the Movies

Swingtime in the Movies‌
star5.7
calendar 1938

Feudin' Fools

Feudin' Fools‌
star5.0
calendar 1952

No Holds Barred

No Holds Barred‌
star5.0
calendar 1952

Jungle Gents

Jungle Gents‌
star4.0
calendar 1954

Clipped Wings

Clipped Wings‌
star0.0
calendar 1953

Triple Trouble

Triple Trouble‌
star6.2
calendar 1950

Master Minds

Master Minds‌
star5.8
calendar 1949

High Society

High Society‌
star8.0
calendar 1955

Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar

Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar‌
star4.5
calendar 1966

Bowery Battalion

Bowery Battalion‌
star8.0
calendar 1951

Blues Busters

Blues Busters‌
star5.5
calendar 1950

Angels in Disguise

Angels in Disguise‌
star6.8
calendar 1949

Private Eyes

Private Eyes‌
star7.5
calendar 1953

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage‌
star6.5
calendar 1983

Follow the Leader

Follow the Leader‌
star3.5
calendar 1944

Hell's Kitchen

Hell's Kitchen‌
star6.2
calendar 1939

Spy Chasers

Spy Chasers‌
star7.0
calendar 1955

The Beloved Brat

The Beloved Brat‌
star6.4
calendar 1938

Jail Busters

Jail Busters‌
star6.0
calendar 1955

In Fast Company

In Fast Company‌
star6.3
calendar 1946

Crashing Las Vegas

Crashing Las Vegas‌
star4.6
calendar 1956

On Dress Parade

On Dress Parade‌
star6.3
calendar 1939

Gallant Sons

Gallant Sons‌
star7.2
calendar 1940

Here Come the Marines

Here Come the Marines‌
star6.0
calendar 1952

Trouble Makers

Trouble Makers‌
star5.7
calendar 1948

'Neath Brooklyn Bridge

'Neath Brooklyn Bridge‌
star6.8
calendar 1942

Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb

Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb‌
star0.0
calendar 2007

Mr. Muggs Rides Again

Mr. Muggs Rides Again‌
star5.0
calendar 1945

Blonde Dynamite

Blonde Dynamite‌
star5.0
calendar 1950

Angels with Broken Wings

Angels with Broken Wings‌
star3.7
calendar 1941

Lucky Losers

Lucky Losers‌
star5.8
calendar 1950

Mr. Hex

Mr. Hex‌
star6.7
calendar 1946

Crazy Over Horses

Crazy Over Horses‌
star5.5
calendar 1951

Docks of New York

Docks of New York‌
star6.0
calendar 1945

Hard Boiled Mahoney

Hard Boiled Mahoney‌
star6.4
calendar 1947

Portia on Trial

Portia on Trial‌
star5.0
calendar 1937

That Gang of Mine

That Gang of Mine‌
star5.6
calendar 1940

Clancy Street Boys

Clancy Street Boys‌
star7.3
calendar 1943

Smuggler's Cove

Smuggler's Cove‌
star4.7
calendar 1948

Sunday Punch

Sunday Punch‌
star5.0
calendar 1942

Hullabaloo

Hullabaloo‌
star4.0
calendar 1940

Block Busters

Block Busters‌
star0.0
calendar 1944

Mr. Muggs Steps Out

Mr. Muggs Steps Out‌
star0.0
calendar 1943

Come Out Fighting

Come Out Fighting‌
star7.0
calendar 1945

Bowery Champs

Bowery Champs‌
star7.0
calendar 1944

Hold That Baby!

Hold That Baby!‌
star5.0
calendar 1949

Live Wires

Live Wires‌
star5.5
calendar 1946

Fighting Fools

Fighting Fools‌
star5.0
calendar 1949

News Hounds

News Hounds‌
star6.3
calendar 1947

The Bowery Boys: Legends of Laughter

The Bowery Boys: Legends of Laughter‌
star0.0
calendar 2020

Down in San Diego

Down in San Diego‌
star5.5
calendar 1941

Private Detective

Private Detective‌
star6.0
calendar 1939

Invisible Stripes

Invisible Stripes‌
star6.1
calendar 1939

Headin' East

Headin' East‌
star0.0
calendar 1937

Tv Credits