Spook Busters

"SHUDDERIFIC!"

1946 1h 8m EN

😐

5.5

MID

★5.5TMDB · 6

ComedyHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The Bowery Boys--Slip, Sach, Bobby, Whitey & Chuck--start their own exterminating service, and get a job which takes them to a spooky old abandoned mansion in the middle of the night. Meeting up with pal Gabe and his new French bride, the boys are tormented by mad scientists who try to convince them the place is haunted and then kidnap Sach in order to place his brain inside a gorilla.

“SHUDDERIFIC!”

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Cast

Leo Gorcey
Terence Aloysius 'Slip' Mahoney
Huntz Hall
Sach
Douglass Dumbrille
Dr. Coslow
Bobby Jordan
Bobby
Gabriel Dell
Gabe 'Gabie' Moreno
William Benedict
Whitey (as Billy Benedict)
David Gorcey
Chuck
Tanis Chandler
Mignon

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: William Beaudine
Writers: Tim Ryan, Edmond Seward
Languages: French, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 68-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

80 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Bowery Boys Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by William Beaudine, shot by Harry Neumann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor William Austin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall and Douglass Dumbrille carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

William Beaudine directs. Harry Neumann behind the camera. William Austin cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 68-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
280 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: French, English.
4Part of the "The Bowery Boys Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by William Beaudine, shot by Harry Neumann. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Editor William Austin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall and Douglass Dumbrille carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "SHUDDERIFIC!".
10IMDB entry: tt0038976 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Only 6 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Harry Neumann
Editing: William Austin
Makeup / hair: Harry Ross
Runtime: 68 min · 1h 8m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Spook Busters (1946)

Part of

The Bowery Boys Collection

From Dead Ends to the East Side and finally landing in Louie's Sweet Shop in the heart of the Bowery (3rd and Canal, natch!), there was no stopping these Boys! When understudy Leo Gorcey joined the ensemble of teen thespians on stage for the Broadway hit "Dead End", Hollywood soon followed with William Wyler taking the troupe in toto for 1937's film version. Personifying the grit and heart of the kid gangs sprouting up in city slums, these little wise guys quickly stole the nation's heart. Ably anchored by the central pair of Huntz Hall and Leo Gorcey, the kids moved from "preachment" and crime pictures to straight up comedy as The Bowery Boys - and the rest is history as the boys capered through scores of pictures for over two decades!