No Holds Barred
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
William Beaudine
Leo Gorcey
Huntz Hall
Marjorie Reynolds
Bernard Gorcey
Leonard Penn
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Terence Aloysius "Slip" Mahoney and his gang of Bowery Boys, including bumbler Horace Debussy "Sach" Jones, Butch and Chuck, are in their friend Louie's ice cream shop when Louie is held up at gunpoint by a robber. Sach leaps to Louie's defense, and shocks everyone by barely noticing when the robber hits him repeatedly on the head with his gun. After the confused robber flees, Slip investigates further, only to be knocked out by Sach's head. A doctor confirms that Sach's skull has solidified until it is impervious to injury, but warns the boys that the superhuman power will probably not last long. Soon after, Slip sees a poster announcing that anyone who can beat wrestler Hombre Montana can win $1,000, and realizes that this is a way to put Sach's newly discovered power to work for them. The boys attend Hombre's next match, and after Slip secretly enters Sach into the competition, Sach attempts to escape but it is held inside the ring by the fight coordinators. Forced to defend himself against the huge wrestler, Sach takes Slip's advice to use his head, and knocks Hombre out with his skull. He then passes out, but the boys rouse him in the locker room. There, Hombre's crooked manager, Pete Taylor, arrives to offer Slip $5,000 to manage Sach, but Slip is certain Sach is worth more, and so refuses. Instead, Slip uses the award money to set up a "training camp" for Sach in the back of Louie's shop, and hires trainer Mike DeMora. Slip then arranges for Sach, now called "Hammerhead Jones," to fight "Brother" Frank Jares, but just before the match, they discover that Sach's skull is back to normal. The boys are crushed until Sach flicks Slip with his finger and, when Slip falls to the ground, realizes that the power has moved to his hands. Newly renamed "Steel-Fingers Jones," Sach wins the match easily. He then prepares to fight Ted Christy, and although the boys are concerned when Sach's fingers lose their strength, after he elbows Slip in the stomach, Slip confirms that the power is now in Sach's elbow. He wins the next fight and is promptly tagged "Iron-Elbow Jones." In the heavyweight championship match, the power travels to Sach's toes, earning him the nickname "Terrible Toes Jones" and the championship belt. Taylor, frustrated at Sach's success, attempts to arrange a new match between him and Hombre. When Slip refuses the request, Taylor has Sach's next scheduled opponent killed and substitutes Hombre. Next, Taylor sends his girl friend, Rhonda Nelson, to seduce Slip into revealing where Sach's secret power is now. To that end, Rhonda invites the boys to a party at her penthouse, where she leads Slip onto the porch for a private conversation. Meanwhile, Sach, while trying to evade an amorous admirer, inadvertently discovers Taylor hidden in a back room, and rushes to inform Slip of their imminent jeopardy. Taylor sends his goons after Sach, forcing Sach to disguise himself as a waiter. After finally managing to alert Slip to the danger, Sach hides his buddy under a serving cart and barely sneaks him out the front door. Desperate to discern Sach's power and allow Hombre to win the boxing match, Taylor has his men capture Slip and Sach, but, unable to find an area of Sach's body that isn't weak and flabby, they let the boys go. Slip and Sach join their pals in the locker room just before the fight, the proceeds from which go to the milk fund charity. Although Sach is terrified of Hombre, Slip convinces him to fight "for the orphans," and Slip enters the ring. Just before the match, Slip pats Sach on the behind and realizes his power has been transferred there. Although Sach is too busy running from Hombre to hear Slip's advice, he finally bends over the ropes to talk to his coach, and Hombre knocks himself out on Sach's rear end. As Sach is declared the winner, he warns Slip they will need to be careful when choosing his new nickname.
Director
William Beaudine
Cast
Leo Gorcey
Huntz Hall
Marjorie Reynolds
Bernard Gorcey
Leonard Penn
Henry Kulky
Hombre Montana
David Condon
Bennie Bartlett
Sandra Gould
Tim Ryan
Lisa Wilson
Murray Alper
Barbara Gray
Leo "ukie" Sherin
Ray Walker
Nick Stewart
Mike Ruby
John Indrisano
"brother" Frank Jares
Ted Christy
John Smith
Pat Fraley
Bob Cudlip
Mort Mills
Bill Page
John Eldredge
Jimmy Cross
Meyer Grace
Crew
William Austin
Frank Beetson
Charles Cooper
Jack Crutcher
Austen Jewell
Edward J. Kay
Bert Lawrence
Ray Mercer
Ernest Miller
Dave Milton
Robert Priestley
Tim Ryan
Jerry Thomas
Ilona Vas
Allen K. Wood
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Stranglehold. The opening title credit reads: "Monogram Pictures Corporation presents Leo Gorcey and The Bowery Boys in No Holds Barred." Although a July 29, 1952 Hollywood Reporter news item states that wrestling match announcer Jimmy Lennon was to play an announcer in the film, he was not in the released film. For more information about "The Bowery Boys" series, please consult the Series Index and see the entry for Live Wires in AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1941-50.
