David Gorcey

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

David Gorcey
Gorcey in trailer to "Little Tough Guy" (1938)
Born(1921-02-06)February 6, 1921
Washington Heights, New York, United States
DiedOctober 23, 1984(1984-10-23) (aged 63)
Van Nuys, California, United States
Burial placeLos Angeles National Cemetery
Other namesDavid Condon
OccupationActor
Years active1931-1958
Spouse(s)Dorothea Gorcey (divorced); 1 child
Parent(s)Bernard Gorcey
Josephine Condon
RelativesLeo Gorcey (brother)

Life and career

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.[1] 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 Vitaphone studio to portray Sam in the one-reel film One Good Deed.[2]

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, Gorcey helped secure a role for his older brother Leo, who ultimately became a star while Gorcey remained a supporting character.

Although not in the movie Dead End (1937), Gorcey was eventually cast in Universal Pictures' Little Tough Guys, an offshoot of the Dead End Kids. He later joined brother Leo in Monogram Pictures' East Side Kids and The Bowery Boys series. For five years he was credited as "David Condon" (or in one instance, "David Conden"), using his mother's maiden name to avoid accusations of nepotism. During World War II he served in the US Army[3]. He reverted to his real name in 1957. He occasionally appeared apart from the gang, in such films as Sergeant Madden (1939), 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 David Gorcey Jr. Between 1953 and 1956 he fathered two more sons, Raymond Conlin and Timothy Kevin. Later in life, he became a minister 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.[4][5]

Filmography

Film

Television
YearSeriesRoleNotes
1957The Silent ServiceTalkerEpisode: "Hit 'Em Again, Harder"
1958M SquadTelegraph AgentEpisode: "The Long Ride"

References
  1. Profile, books.google.ca; accessed November 6, 2015.
  2. "(untitled brief)". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. November 14, 1931. p. 17. Retrieved December 4, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8041723/david-gorcey
  4. New York Times
  5. Washington Post


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.