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Leo Gorcey
Actor
Born June 3, 1917Died June 2, 1969 (51 years)
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.
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.
Known For
Filmography
| 2022 | The Bowery Boys: Legends of Laughter · as (archive Footage) |
| 1994 | The Our Gang Story · as Muggs |
| 1986 | Classic Comedy Teams · as The East Side Kids |
| 1982 | Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter · as Actor - 'angels Wash Their Faces' |
| 1965 | Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar · as Leo |
| 1963 | It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World · as First Cab Driver |
| 1963 | Hollywood: The Great Stars · as Bim |
| 1962 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (TV Series) · as Windy |
| 1961 | The Dick Powell Show (TV Series) · as Billy Vale |
| 1956 | Crashing Las Vegas · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1955 | Dig That Uranium · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1955 | Jail Busters · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1955 | Spy Chasers · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1955 | High Society · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1954 | Bowery to Bagdad · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1954 | Jungle Gents · as 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1954 | The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1954 | Paris Playboys · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1953 | Private Eyes · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1953 | Clipped Wings · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1953 | Loose in London · as Terence Aloysius "slip" Mahoney |
| 1953 | Jalopy · as Terrence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1952 | No Holds Barred · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1952 | Feudin' Fools · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1952 | Here Come the Marines · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1952 | Hold That Line · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1951 | Crazy Over Horses · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1951 | Let's Go Navy! · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1951 | Ghost Chasers · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1951 | Bowery Battalion · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1950 | Blues Busters · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1950 | Triple Trouble · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1950 | Lucky Losers · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1950 | Blonde Dynamite · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1949 | Master Minds · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1949 | Angels in Disguise · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1949 | Hold That Baby! · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1949 | Fighting Fools · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1948 | Trouble Makers · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1948 | Smugglers' Cove · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1948 | Jinx Money · as Terrence 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1948 | So This Is New York · as Sid Mercer |
| 1948 | Angels' Alley · as Terence 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1947 | Bowery Buckaroos · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1947 | News Hounds · as Terence J. Montgomery 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1947 | Hard Boiled Mahoney · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1946 | Mr. Hex · as Slip Mahoney |
| 1946 | Spook Busters · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1946 | Bowery Bombshell · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1946 | In Fast Company · as Terence Aloysius 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1946 | Live Wires · as Terrence 'slip' Mahoney |
| 1945 | Come Out Fighting · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1945 | Midnight Manhunt · as Clutch Tracy |
| 1945 | Mr. Muggs Rides Again · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1945 | Docks of New York · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1944 | Bowery Champs · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1944 | Block Busters · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1944 | Follow the Leader · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1944 | Million Dollar Kid · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1943 | Mr. Muggs Steps Out · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1943 | Destroyer · as Seaman Sarecky |
| 1943 | Ghosts on the Loose · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1943 | Clancy Street Boys · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1943 | Kid Dynamite · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1942 | 'Neath Brooklyn Bridge · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1942 | Smart Alecks · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1942 | Maisie Gets Her Man · as Cecil |
| 1942 | Let's Get Tough! · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1942 | Sunday Punch · as 'biff' |
| 1942 | Mr. Wise Guy · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1942 | Born to Sing · as 'snap' Collins |
| 1941 | Spooks Run Wild · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1941 | Bowery Blitzkrieg · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1941 | Down in San Diego · as 'snap' Collins |
| 1941 | Out of the Fog · as Eddie |
| 1941 | Angels with Broken Wings · as Punchy Dorsey |
| 1941 | Flying Wild · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1940 | Pride of the Bowery · as Muggs Maloney |
| 1940 | Gallant Sons · as Doc Reardon |
| 1940 | Hullabaloo · as Apartment House Bellhop |
| 1940 | That Gang of Mine · as Muggs Maloney |
| 1940 | Boys of the City · as Muggs Mcginnis |
| 1939 | Invisible Stripes · as Jimmy |
| 1939 | Private Detective · as Newsboy (uncredited) |
| 1939 | On Dress Parade · as Slip Duncan |
| 1939 | Angels Wash Their Faces · as Leo Finnegan |
| 1939 | Hell's Kitchen · as Gyp Haller |
| 1939 | They Made Me a Criminal · as Spit |
| 1938 | Angels with Dirty Faces · as Bim |
| 1938 | Crime School · as Charles 'spike' Hawkins |
| 1938 | The Beloved Brat · as Spike Matz |
| 1937 | Mannequin · as Clifford Cassidy |
| 1937 | Portia on Trial · as Joe Gannow |
| 1937 |