Bernard Gorcey


Bernard Gorcey was a Russian actor. He was a professional vaudeville actor on Broadway who starred in 5 shorts and 67 films. He is best remembered for playing ice cream shop proprietor Louie Dumbrowski in Monogram Pictures' The Bowery Boys series of B movies.

Stage career

Very early on Gorcey focused on comedy roles in his acting career, rather than trying to get the lead role. Between 1907 and 1937 he had a role in several stage play productions including Tom Jones, What Ails You?, Somebody's Sweetheart , Always You , Abie's Irish Rose, Wildflower , Song of the Flame , Cherry Blossoms , Pressing Business, Joy of Living, Wonder Boy , Keeping Expenses Down , Creeping Fire , and Satellite .
The most successful show of Gorcey’s entire career was Abie’s Irish Rose.

Radio and film career

He also performed some radio work for the Popeye Show. At 42 years old, he began working in movies. Starting in 1928, he appeared in 67 movies, with minor roles with both Monogram and Warner Bros.
Forty-four of these were with sons Leo and David in The East Side Kids and The Bowery Boys film series. Between 1946 and 1955, there were between four and five Bowery Boys movies annually with Gorcey playing the role of Louie Dumbrowski, the owner of a sweet shop where the Bowery Boys would "hang out," usually getting free sodas while planning their next escapade, much to Dumbrowski's displeasure. He also appeared as Charlie Chaplin's meek Jewish neighbor Mr. Mann in the film classic The Great Dictator.

Personal life

Gorcey married Josephine Condon in 1914 and had 3 sons, Leo, David, and Fred.

Death

On 31 August 1955, he crashed his car into a bus on 4th & LaBrea, Los Angeles. On 11 September 1955, he died from his injuries.

Filmography