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.
95 movies · 1 shows
The Bowery Boys: Legends of Laughter
2020·8.0
Terror in the Pharaoh's Tomb
2007·0.0
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
1991·9.5
Classic Comedy Teams
1986·7.0
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983·7.0
The Phynx
1970·3.5
Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar
1966·5.3
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963·7.0
Crashing Las Vegas
1956·5.7
Dig That Uranium
1955·4.3
Jail Busters
1955·6.7
Spy Chasers
1955·8.0
High Society
1955·5.7
Bowery to Bagdad
1955·6.3
Jungle Gents
1954·5.2
The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters
1954·5.4
Paris Playboys
1954·5.0
Private Eyes
1953·7.8
Clipped Wings
1953·7.0
Loose in London
1953·5.9
Jalopy
1953·5.3
No Holds Barred
1952·5.6
Feudin' Fools
1952·5.5
Here Come the Marines
1952·7.3
Hold That Line
1952·7.0
Crazy Over Horses
1951·6.7
Let's Go Navy!
1951·8.0
Ghost Chasers
1951·6.8
Bowery Battalion
1951·8.5
Blues Busters
1950·6.7
Triple Trouble
1950·7.0
Lucky Losers
1950·6.6
Blonde Dynamite
1950·6.8
Master Minds
1949·6.4
Angels in Disguise
1949·6.0
Hold That Baby!
1949·5.8
Fighting Fools
1949·6.0
Trouble Makers
1948·6.1
Smuggler's Cove
1948·5.3
Jinx Money
1948·5.6
So This Is New York
1948·6.7
Angels' Alley
1948·5.2
Bowery Buckaroos
1947·6.6
News Hounds
1947·6.8
Hard Boiled Mahoney
1947·6.8
Mr. Hex
1946·7.3
Spook Busters
1946·5.5
Bowery Bombshell
1946·6.5
In Fast Company
1946·6.8
Live Wires
1946·5.6
Come Out Fighting
1945·7.5
Midnight Manhunt
1945·4.6
Mr. Muggs Rides Again
1945·7.0
Docks of New York
1945·8.0
Bowery Champs
1944·7.3
Block Busters
1944·8.0
Follow the Leader
1944·3.8
Million Dollar Kid
1944·5.9
Mr. Muggs Steps Out
1943·8.0
Destroyer
1943·6.8
Ghosts on the Loose
1943·4.2
Clancy Street Boys
1943·6.6
Kid Dynamite
1943·7.0
'Neath Brooklyn Bridge
1942·6.3
Smart Alecks
1942·5.8
Maisie Gets Her Man
1942·6.7
Let's Get Tough
1942·5.3
Sunday Punch
1942·6.0
Mr. Wise Guy
1942·6.6
Born to Sing
1942·5.4
Spooks Run Wild
1941·5.1
Bowery Blitzkrieg
1941·6.1
Down in San Diego
1941·6.7
Out of the Fog
1941·6.3
Angels with Broken Wings
1941·5.3
Flying Wild
1941·6.1
Pride of the Bowery
1940·6.2
Gallant Sons
1940·7.4
Hullabaloo
1940·6.5
That Gang of Mine
1940·5.8
Boys of the City
1940·5.3
Invisible Stripes
1939·6.2
Private Detective
1939·6.8
On Dress Parade
1939·6.6
Angels Wash Their Faces
1939·6.7
Hell's Kitchen
1939·6.8
They Made Me a Criminal
1939·6.3
Swingtime in the Movies
1938·6.0
Angels with Dirty Faces
1938·7.5
Crime School
1938·6.4
The Beloved Brat
1938·6.5
Mannequin
1938·6.0
Headin' East
1937·10.0
Portia on Trial
1937·5.8
Dead End
1937·7.1