David Gorcey

David Gorcey (February 6, 1921 – October 23, 1984) was an American actor and the younger brother of actor Leo Gorcey. Gorcey is best known for portraying "Chuck Anderson" in Monogram Pictures' film series The Bowery Boys, and "Pee Wee" in its antecedent The East Side Kids.

Life and career David Gorcey was born in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York, the son of Josephine (née Condon) and Bernard Gorcey. His father was a Russian Jewish immigrant and his mother was an Irish Catholic immigrant. and entered the entertainment business at a young age. He appeared in vaudeville during his childhood, and eventually made it to the stage and screen.

When Gorcey was 10 years old, he was signed by the Vitaphone studio in New York to co-star in its Penrod and Sam series of short subjects, based on the Booth Tarkington stories. "Dave Gorcey" played Sam Williams opposite Billy Hayes as Penrod Schofield.

He is not usually thought of as one of the "original" Dead End Kids, but he did have a small role in the 1935 Broadway production of Sidney Kingsley's Dead End. During his time as a cast member of Dead End, David helped secure a role for his older brother Leo, who ultimately became a star while David remained a supporting character.

Dead End became a hit motion picture, and the street gang of the play became known as the Dead End Kids. When other studios wanted to make their own tough-kid pictures, Leo Gorcey was unavailable and expensive, so younger brother David Gorcey became a more economical second choice. David became a prolific tough-kid juvenile in such films as Juvenile Court (1938), Sergeant Madden (1939), and Carolina Moon (1940). When Universal Pictures launched its Dead End Kids knockoff The Little Tough Guys, David Gorcey was hired. He later joined brother Leo in Monogram Pictures' East Side Kids series.

His screen career was interrupted by military service. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army. Upon his return to civilian life, he was recruited by his brother Leo for Monogram's new series, now called The Bowery Boys. Beginning in 1952 David Gorcey adopted the screen name "David Condon", using his mother's maiden name to avoid accusations of nepotism. He reverted to his real name in 1957. He occasionally appeared apart from the gang, in such films as The Babe Ruth Story (1948), and Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950).

Personal life He was married to Dorothea Jocker (Aaron), with whom he had a son, David Jr.

David Gorcey was always pleasant and professional to his fellow cast and crew members, unlike his brother Leo who was often argumentative and abusive. In 1956, after the death of their father Bernard Gorcey, David visited Leo's home, only to find Leo in a drunken rampage. Leo threatened David with a gun, causing the appalled David to leave both the premises and Leo behind. He reluctantly became estranged from Leo.

Later in life, he became a minister ("Father David") and founded a halfway house to help recovering alcoholics and people with substance abuse problems. He died in Van Nuys, California on October 23, 1984, of complications of diabetes.

Filmography Film

Little Tough Guy (1938) as 'Sniper' Personal Secretary (1938) as Newsboy (uncredited) Juvenile Court (1938) as Pighead Prairie Moon (1938) as Hector Slick Barton Little Tough Guys in Society (1938) as Yap Newsboys' Home (1938) as Yap Off the Record (1939) as Reform School Inmate (uncredited) Sergeant Madden (1939) as Punchy LePage Code of the Streets (1939) as Yap Call a Messenger (1939) as Yap You're Not So Tough (1940) as First Worker (uncredited) Boys of the City (1940) as Pete City for Conquest (1940) as Ticket Taker (uncredited) That Gang of Mine (1940) as Peewee Pride of the Bowery (1940) as Peewee Flying Wild (1941) as Peewee Bowery Blitzkrieg (1941) as Peewee Spooks Run Wild (1941) as Peewee Blues in the Night (1941) as Jitterbug (uncredited) Tuxedo Junction (1941) as Migrant Boy (uncredited) Jail House Blues (1942) as Bellboy (uncredited) Mr. Wise Guy (1942) as Peewee Junior G-Men of the Air (1942, Serial) as Double Face Gordon Let's Get Tough! (1942) as Peewee Smart Alecks (1942) as Peewee The French Key (1946) as Eddie Miller In Fast Company (1946) as Chuck Bowery Bombshell (1946) as Chuck Spook Busters (1946) as Chuck Mr. Hex (1946) as Chuck Hard Boiled Mahoney (1947) as Chuck News Hounds (1947) as Chuck Bowery Buckaroos (1947) as Chuck Killer McCoy (1947) as Joe (uncredited) Angels' Alley (1948) as Chuck Jinx Money (1948) as Chuck The Babe Ruth Story (1948) as Newsboy (uncredited) Smugglers' Cove (1948) as Chuck Trouble Makers (1948) as Chuck Fighting Fools (1949) as Chuck Hold That Baby! (1949) as Chuck She Shoulda Said No! (1949) as Ricky Angels in Disguise (1949) as Chuck Master Minds (1949) as Chuck Blonde Dynamite (1950) as Chuck, aka Sir Cedric Lucky Losers (1950) as Chuck Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950) as Newsboy (uncredited) Triple Trouble (1950) as Chuck Blues Busters (1950) as Chuck Bowery Battalion (1951) as Chuck Ghost Chasers (1951) as Chuck Let's Go Navy! (1951) as Chuck Crazy Over Horses (1951) as Chuck Hold That Line (1952) as Chuck Here Come the Marines (1952) as Chuck Feudin' Fools (1952) as Chuck No Holds Barred (1952) as Chuck Jalopy (1953) as Chuck Loose in London (1953) as Chuck Clipped Wings (1953) as Chuck Private Eyes (1953) as Chuck Paris Playboys (1954) as Chuck The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters (1954) as Chuck Jungle Gents (1954) as Chuck Bowery to Bagdad (1955) as Chuck High Society (1955) as Chuck Spy Chasers (1955) as Chuck Jail Busters (1955) as Charles 'Chuck' Anderson Dig That Uranium (1955) as Chuck Crashing Las Vegas (1956) as Chuck Fighting Trouble (1956) as Chuck Hot Shots (1956) as Chuck Hold That Hypnotist (1957) as Chuck Spook Chasers (1957) as Chuck Looking for Danger (1957) as Chuck Up in Smoke (1957) as Chuck In the Money (1958) as Chuck Cole Younger, Gunfighter (1958) as Second Man (uncredited) (final film role)

Television Year Series Role Notes 1957The Silent Service Talker Episode: "Hit 'Em Again, Harder" 1958 M Squad Telegraph Agent Episode: "The Long Ride"