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Leo Gorcey was an American stage and film actor, famous for portraying the leader of a group of hooligans known variously as the Dead End Kids, the East Side Kids and, as adults, The Bowery Boys.
Gorcey was born in New York City on June 3, 1917, the son of vaudevillian actors of short stature. He started his acting career in 1935, when he and five other youths were cast as a gang of toughs in the Broadway play Dead End.
Gorcey rose to stardom in 1937, when he and the other Dead End Kids appeared in the film version of the play, produced by Samuel Goldwyn. He went on to star in over 60 films, mostly in the same street kid role, with variations of his character name and personality.
Gorcey was known for his use of malapropisms, such as “I depreciate it!” instead of “I appreciate it!” or “optical delusion” instead of “optical illusion”. He reportedly spent 30 minutes a day studying a dictionary to find new words to misuse.
Gorcey’s private life was turbulent. He was married five times, with three of the marriages ending in stormy divorces. He once served five days in jail for speeding, and was cleared of a charge of shooting at his second wife.
Gorcey gave up acting in 1956 and settled down on a farm in Northern California. He also owned commercial property there.
Gorcey, a lifetime alcoholic, died of liver failure on June 2, 1969, one day short of his 52nd birthday. He was survived by his fifth wife, Mary Gannon, whom he married in 1968, and three children from previous marriages.
Gorcey’s funeral services were held in Red Bluff, California, followed by interment at Los Molinos, California.
