Up in Smoke

Up in Smoke is a 1957 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. The film was released on December 22, 1957, by Allied Artists and is the penultimate film in the series. Plot The Bowery Boys have been collecting money to help a young polio survivor in the neighborhood. A local crook delivers Sach to a phony bookie joint, where Sach loses the $90 the gang collected. At Mike Clancy's café, Sach declares that he would give his very soul to get even with the bookies, and immediately receives a visit from the Devil himself, sporting a morning coat and two small horns under his hat. The Devil offers Sach a deal: he will give Sach the name of a winning horse every day for a week in return for Sach's soul. Sach signs the Devil's contract and is provided with his winner of the day. The Devil keeps materializing unexpectedly with more tips. Sach returns to the phony bookie joint to make a bet. The bookies, mystified by Sach's inside information, persuade girlfriend Mabel to take a waitress job at Mike's and find out the source of Sach's tips. On the last day of their agreement, the Devil gives Sach a $100 bill and tells him to go to the racetrack and await word from him. At the track the Devil, disguised as a soft-drink vendor, gives Sach the winning horse's name, "Rubber Check." Sach's pal Chuck arrives with the news that the Polio Fund has agreed to pay for their friend's treatment. Sach then realizes that they no longer need the money and he can cancel the Devil's contract. The Devil refuses and points out that if the horse wins, Sach's soul is his. Sach takes the place of Rubber Check's jockey in the race, but the horse wins anyway. The Devil reappears to claim Sach, but is thwarted: Rubber Check is disqualified because he had an unauthorized jockey, thereby nullifying the Devil's contract with Sach and causing the bookies to lose all their money.