Actor
Bobby Jordan
Born April 1, 1923 in Harrison, New York, USADied September 10, 196550 films
Though he was the youngest, Jordan was the first of the boys who made up the Dead End Kids to work in films with a role in a 1933 Universal short. In 1935, he became one of the original Dead End Kids by winning the role of Angel in Sydney Kingsley's Broadway drama Dead End about life in the slums of the east side of New York City. The play was performed at the Belasco Theatre and ran for three years with over 600 performances. He appeared for the first season and the beginning of the second but left in mid-November 1936. He returned in time to join the others in 1937 in Hollywood, California to make the movie version of the play, starring big names such as Humphrey Bogart, Joel McCrea, Sylvia Sidney, and Claire Trevor.
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Following the making of Dead End, Jordan found himself "released" from his contract at Goldwyn, and, subsequently, he appeared at Warner Brothers with the rest of the Dead End Kids. After one year, Warners released most of them, but kept Leo Gorcey and Jordan as solo performers. Jordan appeared (as "Douglas Fairbanks Rosenbloom") in Warner's Damon Runyon comedy A Slight Case of Murder (1938) and at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in Young Tom Edison (1940).
In 1940, Jordan appeared in the film Military Academy and accepted an offer from producer Sam Katzman to star in a new tough-kid series called "The East Side Kids." Leo Gorcey soon joined him, then Huntz Hall, and the trio continued to lead the series through 1943, when Jordan entered the United States Army during World War II as a foot soldier in the 97th Infantry Division. He was subsequently involved in an elevator accident, when the elevator fell five floors, that forced him to have surgery to remove his right kneecap.
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The best way into Bobby Jordan's work
First watchAngels with Dirty Faces19387.5as SwingChildhood chums Rocky Sullivan and Jerry Connelly grow up on opposite sides of the fence: Rocky matures into a prominent gangster, while Jerry becomes a priest, tending to the needs of his…View filmEssential films
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Filmography
50 films as actor- 1956The Man Is ArmedThorne (as Bob Jordan)
- 1956High Tor3rd Sailor
- 1955The Matchmaking MarshalSteven 'Steve' Manson
- 1953The Eddie Cantor StoryCustomer
- 1953Secret of Outlaw FlatsSandy Smith
- 1949Treasure of Monte CristoTony Torecelli
- 1947Bowery BuckaroosBobby
- 1947News HoundsBobby
- 1947Hard Boiled MahoneyBobby
- 1946Mr. HexBobby
- 1946Spook BustersBobby
- 1946Bowery BombshellBobby
- 1946In Fast CompanyBobby
- 1946Live WiresBobby
- 1944Bowery ChampsBobby Jordan
- 1943Adventures of the Flying CadetsJinx Roberts
- 1943DestroyerSobbing Sailor
- 1943Ghosts on the LooseDanny
- 1943Clancy Street BoysDanny
- 1943Keep 'Em SluggingTommy
- 1943Kid DynamiteDanny Lions
- 1942Junior ArmyJockey
- 1942'Neath Brooklyn BridgeDanny Lyons
- 1942Smart AlecksDanny Stevens
- 1942Let's Get ToughDanny Connors
- 1942Mr. Wise GuyDanny Collins
- 1941Spooks Run WildDanny
- 1941Bowery BlitzkriegDanny Breslin
- 1941Flying WildDanny Graham
- 1940Give Us WingsRap
- 1940Pride of the BoweryDanny
- 1940That Gang of MineDanny Dolan
- 1940Military AcademyDick Hill
- 1940You're Not So ToughRap
- 1940Boys of the CityDanny Dolan
- 1940Young Tom EdisonJoe 'Joey' Dingle
- 1939On Dress ParadeCadet Ronny Morgan
- 1939Dust Be My DestinyJimmy Glenn
- 1939Angels Wash Their FacesBernie Smith
- 1939Hell's KitchenJoel "Joey" Richards
- 1939They Made Me a CriminalAngel
- 1939Off the RecordMickey Fallon
- 1938Swingtime in the MoviesCrime School Kid (uncredited)
- 1938Angels with Dirty FacesSwing
- 1938My BillReginald Colbrook
- 1938ReformatoryPinkey Leonard
- 1938Crime SchoolLester 'Squirt' Smith
- 1938A Slight Case of MurderDouglas Fairbanks Rosenbloom
- 1937Dead EndAngel
- 1934Kid MillionsTourist (uncredited)