Charming and brutal

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

In this East Side Kids flick, the gang encounter a stepfather abusing his stepdaughter as she runs from him. They chase him back and fight him, knocking him out. He ends up dead but it was at the hands of a gangster who arrived later after the kids and the girl left. There's more than that but I'll just now say that I liked the story presented here which had a nice mix of drama and some comedy which is usually provided by Huntz Hall and aided by Leo Gorcey whenever he and Hall bantered. Huntz also had a nice dance sequence with Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison in a demonstration of their expert footwork. Also on hand is Noah Beery Jr. as a former member now a sailor. Ann Gillis plays the girl Sylvia. Anyway, 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge was another enjoyable entry in the series.

They help move furniture and admire the architecture of The Brooklyn Bridge. But more importantly, "The Eastside Kids" Leo Gorcey (as Muggs McGinnis), Bobby Jordan (as Danny Lyons), Huntz Hall (as Glimpy), Ernest Morrison (as Scruno), Stanley Clements (as Stash) and Bobby Stone (as Skinny) save beautifully-shaped Anne Gillis (as Sylvia) from her wicked step-father. Unfortunately, this leads to Mr. Jordan being arrested for murder… which leads to Mr. Gorcey being blackmailed into heavy-duty crime...This average Bowery entry is made engaging by the regular, semi-regular, and guest characterizations. Former "Dead End" kid turned "cheap crook" Gabriel Dell (as Skid) works for accomplished hood Marc Lawrence (as McGuffey). Returning "charter member" of the kid gang Noah Berry Jr. (as Butch) makes his first appearance and gets to romance Ms. Gillis, who hides out with the guys disguised as a boy. Making his last appearance on the Bowery is officer Dave O'Brien, always genuine as Jordan's big brother.***** 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge (11/20/42) Wallace Fox ~ Leo Gorcey, Bobby Jordan, Marc Lawrence, Dave O'Brien

Neath Brooklyn Bridge finds the East Side Kids helping a young girl played by Ann Gillis who is being beaten on by her stepfather Bud Osborne. Leo Gorcey uses the leg of a table to knock him out. Later on Osborne turns up dead and Bobby Jordan who came back for a change of clothes gets himself in a jackpot being found with the dead Osborne.It's up to the kids on the East Side to help their pal out. The only witness to the crime is J. Arthur Young who is Gillis's grandfather and he's paralyzed and unable to speak and is in a wheelchair.It's the Navy in the form of former gang member Noah Beery, Jr. who comes to the rescue of all concerned. The fact that Young is also a former sailor helps a great deal in cracking the case and bringing justice to all concerned.Also in the cast is perennial movie heavy Marc Lawrence and henchman Gabriel Dell. Lawrence is a pretty crafty villain and his downfall comes from leaving a loose end at the scene of the homicide, namely a witness he thinks can't say anything.This East Side Kids film runs at a nice pace without a let up in any of the action. One of their better films for Monogram.

This time Muggs, Glimpy and the gang take on a real hard case: gangster Marc Lawrence, a cold-blooded baddie who entraps sweet young thing Ann Gillis (whose most recent film credit remains 2001: A Space Odyssey) in a murder case. Lawrence elevates this Poverty Row billfiller above its station; as always, he brings absolute conviction to his role. There's also a fun subplot involving a wheelchair-bound paraplegic played by Ed Wood regular Bud Osborne. The fact that these films were all shot on a shoestring oddly benefits the East Side Kids movies: the threadbare sets, minimal costuming, and muffed lines add a patina of Bowery believability to these endearing little films.