Leo Gorcey
Acting
Biography
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.
Born: June 3, 1917
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
Known For
Filmography
as (archive footage)
as Muggs McGinnis (archive footage)
as Muggs (archive footage)
as The East Side Kids (archive footage)
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
as Leo Gorcey
as First Cab Driver
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as 'Slip' Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius "Slip" Mahoney
as Terrence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney
as Sid Mercer
as Terence 'Slip' Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Terence J. Montgomery 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Slip Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
as Terrence 'Slip' Mahoney
as Muggs McGinnis
as Clutch Tracy
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as Seaman Sarecky
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as Cecil
as Muggs McGinnis
as 'Biff'
as Muggs McGinnis
as 'Snap' Collins
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs McGinnis
as 'Snap' Collins
as Eddie
as Punchy Dorsey
as Muggs McGinnis
as Muggs Maloney
as Doc Reardon
as Apartment House Bellhop
as Muggs Maloney
as Muggs McGinnis
as Jimmy
as Newsboy (uncredited)
as Slip Duncan
as Leo Finnegan
as Gyp Haller
as Spit
as Crime School Kid (uncredited)
as Bim
as Charles 'Spike' Hawkins
as Spike Matz
as Clifford Cassidy
as Boy Boxer in Gym (uncredited)
as Joe Gannow
as Spit