Smugglers' Cove (1948) User Reviews

And Here We Are Again

[boblipton · 5/10 · 5 December 2020]

Leo Gorcey comes to the mistaken conclusion that he has inherited an estate on Long Island's North Shore; actually, it is series semi-regular Paul Harvey, also named 'Terence Mahoney' who has done so. They all wind up at the house where diamond smuggler Martin Kosleck has set up shot. The usual low hijinx ensue.

The Bowery Boys movies are held in disesteem by serious cineastes, and there's no sensible way to elevate them to high art -- although the same thing can be said about the Lemmy Caution movies, which didn't stop the New Wave. Cheaply made, formulaically written and directed by William Beaudine at his trough, no one ever claimed these were made to do more than to give jobs to the men who had started out as the gang in DEAD END, entertain the kids at weekend matinees, and show a profit.

They did that, in the tradition of Samuel Johnson, who said "No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." While people maunder on about the cinematic arts and who wins the Academy Awards, they seem to forget that the movies are business, and the businessmen are there to make money. Ignoble as that sounds, the great actors, directors, cameramen, writers and others who make movies also want to make some money too. The Bowery Boys offer no advancement in the arts, no examples of great moments, but they did what they were supposed to do.

Just harmless children...nearing 40.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 20 July 2016]

O.k., closer to 30, but they looked older. But that's how creepy European nobleman Martin Kosleck refers to them in one of the better entries in the series, sort of an old dark house mystery where the audience is in on the truth, but the visitors to this old white elephant of a house are not.

Overhearing his name being mentioned as the heir to a country mansion, Terrence "Slip" Mahoney (Leo Gorcey) decides to take up residency with his gang. Encountering the head of a smuggling ring (Kosleck), they end up prisoners of his gang as the real heir (Paul Harvey) arrives and more confusion begins.

Utilizing the house setting from dozens of other Z grade films, this expands it to make it look more luxurious than it is. A cave set and various other parts of the supposed mansion make it seem to be quite atmospheric with plenty to offset the cheapness of the rest of the budget. A complex plot makes this a step above the normal series entries which usually ranked a 3 or 4 and often too silly to fully enjoy.

About what you'd expect

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 20 March 2016]

Terrence Mahoney--wrong one

"Smuggler's Cove" is a pretty standard Bowery Boys film, though with less antisocial behavior than usual! The film begins with Slap and Sach working at a building doing janitorial work. As usual, Slap doesn't do much of the work and is mostly there to 'supervise'. Soon a messenger brings a note for Terrence Mahoney (Sach's real given name) and he assumes it's for him...though they also happen to be in the office for a difference Terrence Mahoney...the REAL recipient of the letter. Sach reads it and it says he's the heir to a mansion...and even though all his relatives are apparently poor slobs and he's never heard of this family member, he automatically assumes it's meant to be. After all, Sach is, as usual, a bit of an idiot.

Unfortunately, when Sach and the gang arrive at the place, they don't realize that a gang of smugglers are using the place. What's worse, the OTHER Terrence Mahoney soon shows up and the usual hilarity (?) occurs. Oddly, however, the ending comes awfully easily and abruptly between the two Terrences. Overall, it's the usual undemanding time-passer you'd expect. Nothing brilliant but considering it's from Monogram pictures, this isn't a bad thing.

Bowery Boys #11

[Michael_Elliott · 16 May 2010]

Smugglers' Cove (1948)

** (out of 4)

Terrance Mahoney (Leo Gorcey) is left a large mansion on a cliff overlooking the sea. Slip and the boys head out there to take a look not knowing that he's the wrong Terrance Mahoney and that there are some smuggler's working in the house. Number eleven in the series isn't at the bottom but it's no where near the top either. This is the first entry in the series that pretty much left me cold as there wasn't a single laugh to be found anywhere. That might make you think that the movie is a complete waste since this is a comedy after all but in fact I think the more dramatic moments work the best. The actual mystery of what's going on in the basement made for a good drama and director Beaudine actually handles it quite well. I thought he did a very good job at building up the mystery and making the drama work. So, why doesn't the film work better? Because the comedy is so poorly written that it really takes away from the drama. Sach (Huntz Hall) is so out of place here you can't help but wish they'd left him out like they did Louie. The comedy bits from the other players including Gorcey isn't anything special either and in the end we're left with a rather bland attempt at humor. What mild humor does work comes from Gabriel Dell who is once again playing the same character but with a different job. This time out he's playing a rather nerd-ish character who is constantly getting into trouble. I thought the actor did a good job with the role and helped keep the film moving at a decent pace.

"Would you mind informin' me as to what these uncouth characters are doin' tree-passin' on my private property?"

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 23 February 2016]

Another fun Bowery Boys picture from Monogram, the eleventh in the series. This one has Slip Mahoney mistakenly believing he's inherited a fortune from a wealthy uncle. So he packs up the Boys and heads to a secluded mansion to collect, only to get involved with smugglers. As usual with the series, it's a simple story but full of laughs. Leo Gorcey's malapropisms and Huntz Hall's rubberfacing buffoonery are on full display. The other Boys (William Benedict, Gabriel Dell, David Gorcey, and Bennie Bartlett) are all enjoyable. One of the best scenes in the picture has Slip taking inventory of the items he thinks he's inherited ("One baby piano, one mahogany coffee table -- twenty dollars for the both of 'em!"). No Louie the Sweet Shop owner in this one, unfortunately. Martin Kosleck makes for a fine villain. He had enough practice, playing a lot of villains throughout the '40s (usually Nazis). After this, he wouldn't appear in another movie for eight years. Paul Harvey is a treat as the other Terence Mahoney (yes, there is apparently more than one in the world). Amelita Ward provides the pretty. She would go on to marry co-star Leo Gorcey (it did not last happily ever after). Between the Boy's hijinks and a few 'old dark house' elements, this is an entertaining entry in the series. Not the best but far from the worst.

Two Terrence Mahoney's In This World?

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 15 May 2010]

You know there has to be a mistake when Leo Gorcey inherits a spooky Long Island mansion. Spooky mansions only mean one thing in movies, that there is villainy afoot. Otherwise why would you have trap doors, hidden rooms and the like built into your home.

The place is actually owned by another Terrence Aloysius Mahoney if you think the world is ready for another one. This one is played by Paul Harvey who has a command of the English language, but is a rather tired and put upon individual who also visits his Long Island home where caretaker Eddie Gribbon has allowed a group of smugglers headed by Martin Kosleck to operate.

Harvey and the Bowery Boys come separately on the same night, Harvey to visit his house and Gorcey and the gang to claim it. After that it's the usual group of gags that occur in every haunted house picture.

Smuggler's Cove is a pretty good Bowery Boys film, but I personally prefer Hold That Ghost where Abbott&Costello did so much more with the haunted house genre.

The Boychicks in the Haunted House

[sol1218 · 6/10 · 16 May 2010]

***SPOILERS*** It's when Terrence "Slip" Mahoney was mistaken for Terrence Mahoney Esq in a special delivery letter that was handed to Slip as he and his bumbling janitor pal Sach were cleaning up, or out, Mahoney Esq's office in the Metropolis Building is when things started to get pretty serious for the boys and their Bowery friends. The letter address to Terrene Mahoney Esq gave him complete ownership of the Mahoney Manor on the south coast of Long Island. Unknown to Slip & Co, besides that he's not the Terrence Mahoney that Mahoney Manor belongs to, is that the creepy Count "the diamonds & jewelry" Boris Petrove was using the empty mansion for his diamond and jewelry smuggling operations.

In no time at all Slip Sach and the boys drive out, with their dilapidated jalopy, to Mahoney Manor to set up shop and go sun bathing. Unknown to them is that the Count and his henchmen that includes the Sherman tank like, in his indestructibility, Digger and his Great Dame of a guard dog Ajex aren't too keen in the boys interfering with their diamond smuggling operations! The movie really starts cooking when later the real Terrence Mahoney and his lovely daughter Teresa show up to spent the weekend there making what was already a bad situation, for everyone involved, even worse!

With the Count trying to neutralize the pesky Bowery Boys by "Deep Sixing" them at the bottom of Long Island Sound he ends up drawing in "Big Ted", or Terrence, Mahoney Esq into the mix with disastrous results. If the Bowery Boys weren't enough to give the Count king size headaches is was "Big Ted", with his devastating left right combinations, who was the person who tipped the scales in Bowery Boys favor.

It was also in the film "Smugglers Cove" that its star Leo Gorcy, as Terrence "Slip" Mahoney, met his future wife Amelita Ward, who played Teresa Mahoney, whom he married after the film was finished. Both Leo & Amelita were happily married for some 7 years until drinking problems, probably resulting from Leo's fathers tragic death in a traffic accident, resulted in them breaking up in 1956.

Rather typical

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 18 September 2018]

SMUGGLERS' COVE is another Bowery Boys cheapie from the notorious Monogram director William Beaudine. This one feels exactly the same as all of the old 'haunted house' style comedies that inevitably starred Bela Lugosi and the like. The boys hole up at a remote seaside cottage that turns out to be the centre of a smuggling ring, and the hijinks go from there. It's cheap and rather mirthless, with lots of mugging actors running around and shouting a lot; not a film that's particularly dated well in the subsequent years.

DIGGER, NOT SHOVELER!

[Robert_Wagner62 · 10/10 · 21 May 2004]

Maybe the greatest Bowery Boy pic ever, right up there with Ghost Chasers & Spook Busters. Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Billy Benedict & Gabriel Dell join in the hijinks when Slip (Leo) mistakingly believes he inherits a mansion on the Sea Coast in Bayshore Long Island. Although he isn't the true owner of the house the Bowery Boys end up taking over the house & make it their own, only to discover that Diamond Smugglers are using the Mansion as their drop off point.

Well enough on the plot, the best parts of this movie are the Boys destroying the English language at every turn & battling the bad guys into submission. The caretaker, played by the GREAT EDDIE GRIBBON, has a great name that Satch (Huntz) messes up, his name is DIGGER, but Satch calls him SHOVELER... Satch & Whitey (Billy Benedict) have some great performance as Satch says...Whitey, Whitey, Whitey..., see this film, it's GREAT!

Smugglers' Cove (1948) **1/2

[JoeKarlosi · 6/10 · 21 May 2010]

In this usual Bowery Boys entry, jokes are mixed with drama and creepy trappings when Leo Gorcey (as Terrence Mahoney) thinks he's been left a large mansion located in Bay Shore, Long Island. What he doesn't know is he's the wrong Mahoney -- the real intended heir is an elder well-to-do type, one "Terrence Mahoney, Esq." All the same, Gorcey, Sach (Huntz Hall) and the rest of the boys head out to the eerie house which happens to be the headquarters of a gang of smugglers. B-movie bad man Martin Kosleck is the leader of the group, and it's always a pleasure to have him, but he doesn't add much to the proceedings this time around. As a side note, this film also features Amelita Ward (seen in 1945's THE JUNGLE CAPTIVE), who went on to become Mrs. Leo Gorcey, and the mother of his son, Leo Jr. **1/2 out of ****

A Diamond in the Rough

[wes-connors · 3/10 · 23 May 2010]

While cleaning offices in the "Metropolis Building", loquacious Leo Gorcey (as Terrance "Slip" Mahoney) receives a letter stating "Terrance Mahoney, Esq." is the heir to an estate in Long Island. Believing he has struck it rich, Mr. Gorcey brings pals Huntz Hall (as Sach), William "Billy" Benedict (as Whitey), David Gorcey (as Chuck), and Benny "Bennie" Bartlett (as Butch) to inspect the mansion. As you might expect, "The Bowery Boys" discover "Mahoney Manor" is inhibited by spooks and diamond smugglers. Describing himself s a "friend of the family," private investigator Gabriel Dell (as Gabe Moreno) arrives to help. This is yet another stab in the "old dark house" plot, with the most notable feature being the return of pretty Amelita Ward (as Teresa Mahoney), who would soon marry Gorcey.

*** Smugglers' Cove (10/10/48) William Beaudine ~ Leo Gorcey, Huntz Hall, Gabriel Dell, Amelita Ward

Terrence Mahoney, Esq. - Esq me another...

[Robert_Wagner62 · 10/10 · 19 May 2004]

This is one of my favorite Bowery Boys comedies, minus Bobby Jordan. Slip (Terrence Mahoney)played by the great LEO GORCEY, "thinks" he inherits a mansion, but he's mistaken, because the letter is addressed to "Terrence Mahoney, Esq.", and Slip just happens to be cleaning this other Mahoney's office when the letter arrives, great pretense aay?

Well then the hijinks begins as Slip, Satch (Huntz Hall), Whitey (Billy Benedict) & the rest of the boys go to the mansion & discover that there's a diamond smuggling racket going on right in the house. One great scene is when the bad guys have our heroes locked up in a room, Satch loses it and begins to jabber "Oooh Whitey, Whitey, Whitey..." but Whitey just keeps on pacing the floor and doesn't notice Satch's frustration.

Well, the real Terrence Mahoney shows up just in the nick of time as does Gabriel Dell, another original Dead End Kid, and the boys get saved & Slip gets the house. If you get a chance to, see this movie, it'll make you laugh.

light Bowery fun

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 5 December 2020]

Terrence "Slip" Mahoney (Leo Gorcey) and Sach (Huntz Hall) are cleaning an empty office. A delivery boy mistakenly gives a letter addressed to Terrence Mahoney which tells him that he has inherited the Mahoney Manor. Only he's the wrong Terrence Mahoney. He and his friends go take possession of the mansion but it's being occupied by criminal smugglers.

It's The Bowery Boys doing some Scooby Doo stuff. It's a bit light fun. It needs more but it's plenty silly anyways.

"Aah, you're havin' hallucinations!"

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 29 May 2021]

Slip Mahoney (Leo Gorcey) is mistakenly delivered a letter informing him he's inherited a mansion from a deceased uncle out on Long Island, and from there, the fun begins in the usual Bowery Boys manner in this early film caper of theirs. When the gang arrives at Mahoney Manor, they're greeted by caretaker 'Digger' (Eddie Gribbon), who's in league with Count Petrov (Martin Kosleck) and a diamond smuggling operation! Out in Long Island Sound a ship is moored that communicates with the mainland with flashing Morse Code signals. There was probably an easier way to do all this underhanded stuff, but this was a Bowery Boys flick.

The picture makes a minor attempt at a haunted house story, making it at least one of a half dozen or so pictures in which the series used that gimmick, going all the way back to the East Side Kids days. 1951's "Ghost Chasers" and 1946's "Spook Busters" rate higher here on IMDb, but my favorite will always be "Ghosts on the Loose" from 1943, with horror icon Bela Lugosi in the cast. There really isn't much in terms of scares in this one; a supposed ghost that terrifies Whitey (Billy Benedict), Butch (Benny Bartlett) and Chuck (David Gorcey) is dismissed rather quickly in favor of eavesdroppers in portraits and an expected lights out scenario.

When the real Terrence Mahoney (Paul Harvey) eventually shows up, the diamond smuggling gang is quickly brought to heel, while Sach (Huntz Hall) casts his eyes on Mahoney's pretty daughter Teresa (Amelita Ward). It's all pretty standard stuff for the Bowery Boys, with sometimes member Gabe (Gabriel Dell) showing up as a cop to lend a hand in putting away the bad guys.

mixup leads to more mixups

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 19 February 2021]

This chapter of the Bower Boys adventures was kind of right in the middle of the many. Leo Gorcey is Slip, along with his real life brother, but not the father, this time. and Sach (Huntz Hall) have another caper. as usual, some big misunderstanding gets them into HUGE trouble, which they barely escape at the last minute. that's the recipe. here, Slip receives a letter meant for someone else, informing him of an inheritance. right name, wrong person, but the guys are already checking out the mansion they think belongs to Slip. what's really going on at this house? is it haunted? now it's up to Slip and Sach to solve the mystery. if they don't get scared off first! the usual pratfalls and word play by Slip. pretty good. was probably a lot of fun, when there weren't many other things to do on a saturday afternoon! directed by Bill Beaudine, who made TONS of these with the bowery boys.

A True Gem

[O'Malley · 8/10 · 12 February 2005]

If this Bowery Boys comedy-melodrama doesn't make you laugh, then we could never be friends. Filled with wonderful moments, the "Shoveler" line is one I remember from childhood, and thanks to Rob Waggs for mentioning it.

I would disagree with Rob that this is the greatest Bowery Boys picture (for me that is Blues Busters, followed by Blonde Dynamite and then Live Wires), but it is certainly up there.

Piece of trivia: In 1949, Leo Gorcey married Amelita Ward, who played Teresa in the film. They met on the set, and given the hurried shooting schedules of Monogram pictures, it must have been a whirlwind romance.

Pushing the "B" Picture stigma envelope to the very edge.

[redryan64 · 10/10 · 25 January 2016]

WELL NOW, HERE'S yet another fine example of just how fine an example of the "B" Movie comedy series was the early BOWERY BOYS were. This one titles SMUGGLERS' COVE is perhaps yet a cut above the others.

THIS ENTRY BRINGS us to that point in time where Bobby Jordon had left the series. This left three of the original DEAD END Kids in the series.* In addition to the principal players of Leo Gorcey & Huntz Hall (as the screen comedy duo of "Slip & Sach"), Gabe Dell lent his considerable talents to the stories. The actor born Gabriel Del Vecchio was cast as a sort of member of the old gang; who had now sort of moved up in the world, being employed in a job that kept him away from Louie's Sweet Shop.

AND SPEAKING OF the recurring supporting character of "Louie Dombrowsky" himself, Bernard Corcey, was AWOL for this outing. Although the elder Gorcey's talents were greatly missed, he was mentioned at least three times; either by name or in referencing his Malt Shop.

THE MOVIE IS a prime example of how a less than high brow "B" picture can boast of such a large and varied cast of supporting players. Among those present we have: Andrew Kosleck, Paul Harvey, Amelia Ward, Jacqueline Dalya, Eddie Gribbon, Hans Schumm and Gene Roth. Benny Bartlett replaces Bobby Jordan in the gang's lineup, filling out the roster along with David Gorcey and Billy Benedict.

IN ADDITION TO being perhaps the only BOWERY BOYS installment to have been adapted to the screen from a magazine short story, there are several elements that serve to amplify its total storyline and effect. For example, it has elements of the "Old Dark House Mystery" type of picture. They also showcase elements of the "evil secret society" engaged in clandestine criminal enterprise; which are typically the domain of the Movie Serial ("Cliff-Hanger" or "Chapterplay").

THE END EFFECT of this movie at story's end brings it right up to the threshold of an "A" Picture. Now Schultz, that's right up to the edge, but not crossing over the line to the next classification.

NOTE: * Although David Gorcey as "Chuck", son of Bernard Gorcey (Louie) and younger brother of Leo (Slip)did have a supporting role in the Broadway stage production of DEAD END, it was that of a rival gang member. a "Second Avenue Boy." This is in itself another story; as his own brother, Leo Gorcey, also had been cast as the other "Second Avenue Boy", but later was upgraded to the part of "Spit", replacing Charles R. Duncan.

Is that all clear, Schultz?

BOWERY BOYS TAKE OFF ON THE HARDY BOYS!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 7 January 2022]

The Hardy Boys were the exact opposite of the Bowery Boys. Their mission was to exclusively track down some nefarious character, generally with a supernatural slant, and just plain eerie. The Bowery Boys got their chance in a nifty old dark house mystery/ adventure, which was based on the popular Bluebook series. This was also one of the few comedies without Louie, though the gang mentions him, but in name only. The hilarious start has Slip, a big building janitor, being mistaken for a well established businessman who is about to inherit a sprawling oceanside estate.

The cool part is that the place is a headquarters for a nest of smugglers. Martin Kosleck, fresh from playing a host of Nazi spies, is on target as the menacing leader. There's lots of sliding doors and stairways to nowhere, making this one quite atmospheric, and a well directed series entry.

Huntz Hall is hilarious running around the house and Gabe Dell has a neat scene as he bursts into the place, looking for the gang, and starts his way up the stairs. He turns to the towering caretaker and exclaims, "It's better than crawling! The caretaker is played by Eddie Gribbon, a familiar face in many films, who was a regular in the Joe Palooka boxing films, also shot at Monogram. To note Gribbon's humungous Great Dane (called Ajax), was similarly cast in the cult chiller THE FACE OF MARBLE (1946), another Monogram production. Of special note, we get a glimpse of Leo Gorcey's real-life wife, Amelita Ward, playing Paul Harvey's daughter. She may have started a trend in Hollywood as she was one of a few actors to drive a PINK Cadillac, like Jayne Mansfield. This is one stylish, classy if not over the top entry not to be be missed, especially for all the familiar faces! Originally released on Warner Brothers box set dvd in 2013, which has come down in price thru the years!

Smugglers' Blues

[hogwrassler · 8/10 · 8 January 2022]

The Bowery Boys are actually employed in the beginning of Smuggler's Cove. They work as office cleaners and it's in a high rise office building that Slip spies a letters addressed to Terence Mahoney, Esquire. He opens it, thinking it's for him, and learns that a rich uncle has died and left him Mahoney Manor on Long Island, and that he is expected there right away. Thinking they are now rich, the Boys arrive at Mahoney Manor and are met by a spooky caretaker named Digger. The manor has been taken over a gang of diamond smugglers and don't like the Boys being there. Eventually, they manage to trap the boys in the cellar. Then, the real Terence Mahoney shows up with his lovely daughter, Teresa. Then Gabe Moreno, this time a reporter arrives looking for the Boys and soon figures out that something crooked is going on. He frees the Boys from the cellar, and it looks like a showdown between the Boys, Gabe, and the real Terence Mahoney and Teresa against the smugglers.

Louie (Bernard Gorcey) doesn't appear in this BB movie, although Sach mentions both him and his sweet shop a couple of times.

Amelita Ward plays Teresa. She had been discovered by two producers in Harlingen, Texas, who were shooting on location there. Amelita had ready appeared in several films when she met Leo Gorcey while doing this movie. They were married the following year in Ensenada, Mexico. They had two children but divorced in 1956.

Smuggler's Cove is a very good entry in the Bowery Boys series. It's well worth watching.