Actor. The younger brother of actor Leo Gorcey, his career spanned three decades and he is best remembered for his roles as 'Yap' in the "Dead End Kids" film series, followed by 'Chuck' in the film series "The Bowery Boys" and 'Pee Wee' in its antecedent "The East Side Kids". The son of an Irish Catholic and a Russian Jewish immigrant who were vaudevillian actors, he got his start at age 10 when he was signed by the Vitaphone studio in New York City to co-star in its "Penrod and Sam" series of short subjects, based on the Booth Tarkington stories. His first major film appearance was in "Little Tough Guy" (1938) which became a precursor to the "Dead End Kids". He then portrayed 'Yap' in four "Dead End Kids" films between 1938 and 1939, 'Pee Wee' in eight "East Side Kids" films between 1940 and 1942, and as 'Chuck' in forty-seven "Bowery Boys" films between 1946 and 1958. During World War II, he served in the US Army. He left the film industry in 1958 to become a minister, and founded a halfway house to help recovering alcoholics and people with substance abuse problems. He died at the age of 63.
Actor. The younger brother of actor Leo Gorcey, his career spanned three decades and he is best remembered for his roles as 'Yap' in the "Dead End Kids" film series, followed by 'Chuck' in the film series "The Bowery Boys" and 'Pee Wee' in its antecedent "The East Side Kids". The son of an Irish Catholic and a Russian Jewish immigrant who were vaudevillian actors, he got his start at age 10 when he was signed by the Vitaphone studio in New York City to co-star in its "Penrod and Sam" series of short subjects, based on the Booth Tarkington stories. His first major film appearance was in "Little Tough Guy" (1938) which became a precursor to the "Dead End Kids". He then portrayed 'Yap' in four "Dead End Kids" films between 1938 and 1939, 'Pee Wee' in eight "East Side Kids" films between 1940 and 1942, and as 'Chuck' in forty-seven "Bowery Boys" films between 1946 and 1958. During World War II, he served in the US Army. He left the film industry in 1958 to become a minister, and founded a halfway house to help recovering alcoholics and people with substance abuse problems. He died at the age of 63.
Bio by: William Bjornstad
Inscription
C-179 4
DAVID GORCEY
PVT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
FEB 6 1921 OCT 23 1984
Gravesite Details
WORLD WAR II
Family Members
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Records on Ancestry
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