IMDb RATING
7.6/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
As bare-knuckled boxing enters the modern era, brash extrovert, Jim Corbett, uses new rules and dazzlingly innovative footwork to rise to the top of the top of the boxing world.As bare-knuckled boxing enters the modern era, brash extrovert, Jim Corbett, uses new rules and dazzlingly innovative footwork to rise to the top of the top of the boxing world.As bare-knuckled boxing enters the modern era, brash extrovert, Jim Corbett, uses new rules and dazzlingly innovative footwork to rise to the top of the top of the boxing world.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- Vincent Lawrence(screen play)
- Horace McCoy(screen play)
- James J. Corbett(based upon the life of)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Vincent Lawrence(screen play)
- Horace McCoy(screen play)
- James J. Corbett(based upon the life of)
- Stars
Videos1
Madeleine Lebeau
- Anna Heldas Anna Held
- (as Madeleine LeBeau)
John Alban
- Party Guestas Party Guest
- (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich
- Lumberjackas Lumberjack
- (uncredited)
Walter Bacon
- Pedestrianas Pedestrian
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- Vincent Lawrence(screen play)
- Horace McCoy(screen play)
- James J. Corbett(based upon the life of)
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
- All cast & crew
Storyline
Because boxing is a considered an illegal and disreputable enterprise in 1880's San Francisco, wealthy and influential members of the prestigious Olympic Club vow to make the sport a "gentlemanly" one. They sponsor a brash, extroverted young bank clerk named Jim Corbett, who quickly becomes an accomplished fighter under the new Marquis of Queensbury Rules. Despite his success, the young Irish-American's social pretensions and boastful manner soon estrange him from his benefactors, who plot to give their conceited former protégé a well-deserved comeuppance. Despite this, his dazzlingly innovative footwork helps him to beat a succession of bigger and stronger men, and he finally finds himself fighting for the world's championship against his childhood idol, John L. Sullivan. —duke1029
- heavyweight boxer
- heavyweight championship fight
- john l. sullivan character
- two word title
- nickname as title
- 62 more
- Taglines
- The grandest story of the Naughty "Nineties" becomes the gayest picture of the Fighting "Forties!"
- Genres
- Certificate
- Approved
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaErrol Flynn did all of his own boxing stunts in the film, and although production was shut down for a time after Flynn suffered a mild heart attack, he came back and finished the picture without ever using a double.
- GoofsIn the bank the day after the first fight (and their arrest with the bank director for attending it), Corbett (Flynn) and Lowrie (Carson) decide they should resign preemptively, rather than wait to be fired. However, Corbett gets a raise instead and returns from his boss's office to tell his pal Lowrie about it. As he talks, he's counting a stack of "money" of which only the top and bottom sheets appear genuine. The other "notes" are all blank sheets of paper.
- Quotes
Judge Geary: We'll take in a few clean-cut boys from good families, and if we can't make you fighters into gentlemen, we'll try to make some gentlemen into fighters.
- Alternate versionsAlso available in a computer colorized version.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Men Who Made the Movies: Raoul Walsh (1973)
- SoundtracksThe Wearing of the Green
(ca 1798) (uncredited)
Traditional Irish folk tune
In the score during the opening credits and occasionally in the score
Top review
One of the Most Enjoyable of Flynn's Films; Intelligent and Lively Fun
James J. Corbett's autobiography "The Roar of the Crowd" was the starting point of this lively and well-remembered fictionalized biography. The author was heavyweight champion of the world, succeeding John L. Sullivan, before the turn of the century. The events of the narrative depict Corbett as a brash but likable and intelligent young man whose conquest of the world of boxing and social prejudice in his time, when he was considered merely the son of Irish immigrants, a lowly bank teller and a nobody surprised everyone. It took him several hours of exciting and often amusing screen-time to prove his compeers were wrong. He is an bank teller when the film opens, but he somehow wangles an invitation to a sporting club for the well-to-do. He falls in love with a beautiful but snobbish girl, with whom he always seems to be quarreling, and he lives at home with a brawling clan of Corbetts who seem to fight with one another as often as with others. When he defeats the club's best and a professional fighter borough in to embarrass him, he finally decides to become famous by fighting. he sets out on the road with his friend, who acts as manager and trainer, and despite a few near setbacks, he wins all his bouts and attracts attention. Coming home to pursue his girl again, he contrives to annoy the Boston Strongboy, mighty John L. Sullivan, who enters bars and claims he can "lick any man in the world". Few believe he can win a bout against Sullivan, but Corbett, dubbed "Gentleman Jim" for his gracious manners and patrician appearance surprises everyone by moving, dancing out of range, and negating the furious Sullivan's power. The film's finest scene perhaps comes when a beaten Sullivan comes to congratulate Corbett. The new champion rises to the moment, tells Sullivan a few years before it might have been different, and shows him nothing but admiration and respect. He gets his girl as a result of his two performances, but by the end of the film, as they visit his s parents, his manager is able to tell the world, "The Corbetts are at it again". The films is attractive and has a consistent style without being flashy. The script was written by veteran Horace McCoy and Vincent Lawrence from the Corbett novel. Sidney Hickox did the cinematography, with period set decorations by Clarence Steensen and art direction by Ted Smith. Heinz Roemheld did the music and Milo Anderson the gowns. The film was ably directed by action-film specialist Raoul Walsh. Flynn also liked working with Walsh but did not care for the other director he worked for most often, Michael Curtiz. Among the cast,were Ward Bond as John L. Sullivan, in one of his best performances lovely Alexis Smith a bit spotty but intelligent as the girl Corbett loves and a very able Errol Flynn as Corbett, a young man he seemed to relish playing--he later said it was his favorite role from the period...Jack Carson was his manager, Alan Hale his charismatic father, John Loder a rich foe, with William Frawley, Minor Watson, Madeleine LeBeau, Rhys Williams, Arthur Shields, Dorothy Vaughn and Mike Mazurki along for the enjoyable proceedings. It is hard to say enough about the logic and light-hearted fun this movie's makers have generated; it is one of the best-liked of all sports biography films, and by my standards one of the most enjoyable as well.
helpful•174
- silverscreen888
- Aug 2, 2005
Details
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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