David Gorcey
| David Gorcey | |
|---|---|
|
Gorcey in trailer to "Little Tough Guy" (1938) | |
| Born |
February 6, 1921 Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Died |
October 23, 1984 (aged 63) Van Nuys, California, U.S. |
| Other names | David Condon (mother's maiden name) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1931-1958 |
| Spouse(s) | Dorothea Gorcey (divorced; 1 child) |
David Gorcey (February 6, 1921 – October 23, 1984) was an American actor and comedian best known as being a member of the "East Side Kids" named "PeeWee". He was the younger brother of Dead End Kids member Leo Gorcey.
Life and career
Gorcey was born in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York, the son of Josephine (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.
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.
Although not in the movie Dead End (1937), David Gorcey was actually featured in more of the Dead End Kids/East Side Kids/Bowery Boys movies than anyone else except Huntz Hall. 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. 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).
He was married to Dorothea Jocker (Aaron), with whom he had his only child, David Gorcey Jr.
Later years/death
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.