The "Dead End Kids" - Milty Traditional Cache
The "Dead End Kids" - Milty
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"Milty" played by Bernard Punsly, was one of the original "Dead End
Kid" actors for the stage play and Movie "Dead End".
In the filthy slums of New York, wealthy people have built luxury
apartments there because of the view of the picturesque East River.
While they live in opulence, the destitute and dirt poor live
nearby in crowded, filthy tenements.
At the end of the street is a dock on the East River; to the left
are the luxury apartments and to the right are the slums. The Dead
End Kids, led by Tommy Gordon (Billy Halop), are a petty gang of
street urchins who are already well onto a path to a life of crime.
Members of the gang besides Tommy include, Dippy (Huntz Hall),
Angel (Bobby Jordan), Spit (Leo Gorcey), T.B. (Gabriel Dell), and
Milty (Bernard Punsly), the new kid on the block in search of
friends. Spit is a bit malicious with a cruel streak and initially
bullies the newcomer and takes his pocket change. However, Tommy
eventually lets Milty join the gang and turns out to be both a
loyal and generous friend.
Punsly auditioned for a part in the play Dead End in 1935 because
he thought it might be fun. The success of the play led to a series
of film appearances for the cast, including Punsly. The first film
of the "Dead End Kids" (or Bowery Boys) series was Dead End, also
produced in 1937. Punsly played the parts of "Milt" and later
"Ape." He appeared with actors such as Ronald Reagan, James Cagney,
Pat O'Brien, John Garfield, and Humphrey Bogart.
He continued with similar film parts until he joined the army. Even
as an actor, he was known to read medical books in his spare time.
After receiving medical training in the army, Punsley entered the
Medical College of the University of Georgia, subsequently
obtaining his medical degree. He returned to the west to set up a
medical practice in Torrance, California, never returning to show
business.
He became chief of staff in the South Bay Hospital in Redondo
Beach, California. He was married and had two children.
On January 20, 2004, age 80, he died of cancer in Torrance,
California.
In total the various teams that began life as 'The Dead End Kids'
made 89 films and three serials for four different studios during
their 21 year long film career. The team was awarded a star on
Hollywood's Walk of Fame, which can be found at the corner of La
Brea and Hollywood. One notable aspect of the group's history is
their transition from stark drama to comedy. When they began, in
"Dead End" and their other early films, their characters were
serious, gritty, genuinely menacing young hoodlums. But by the
height of their career, their movies were essentially comedies,
with the Kids depicted as low-class but basically harmless, likable
teens - comic caricatures of their former selves.
As always, be careful and replace the cache as
found!
* * * * Congratulations to Woodland3000 and Rattledbox for
the Co-F-T-F * * * *
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