Only hampered by the lack of production values that Allied Artists gave this film, they had just changed their name from Monogram Pictures, prevents me from giving this more stars. Bowery Batallions finds the Bowery Boys joining the army and catching a ring of spies, presumably Communist spies given the year of the film, 1951.
The film is also a great example of how Leo Gorcey was not any smarter than the others, just that he was loud and asserted his authority that way. Huntz Hall and the other geniuses join the army because of a rash of patriotism that wanted them to defend the USA after they mistook a simulated air strike on New York for the real thing. Huntz Hall shooting at planes with kid's cap pistol is a sight.
Leo however joins the army because the same recruiting sergeant who signed Huntz and the gang gets Leo to sign this piece of paper and he can 'visit' his friends. The funniest sequence in the film by far is when he and the other guys grab some uniforms off the rack because they don't like the ill fitting duds the army has given them. Problem is that they're officers uniforms and when wearing them, they're directed to the officer's club for eats and start mingling with the brass they're in a heap of trouble when day one in the Armed Forces hasn't finished.
Donald MacBride is in the film in his usual role as an exasperated authority figure, in this case a sergeant trying to make these boys fit to defend their country. All in all it's a fine Bowery Boys comedy and it might make you fans of their's if you've never seen any of their films.
