Wallace Beery plays yet another lovable lug in this movie about a former boxer turned bouncer for 1890s Bowery saloon. He's gruff, hard drinking and unsentimental. He ends up taking care of a little orphan boy (played by the always good Dean Stockwell) who just arrived from England to live with his Uncle. Along the way, the boy acquires a little dog (of course, an incredibly cute little dog). McGurk doesn't think much of either the kid or the dog at first but of course his attitude softens by the end of the movie. Aline MacMahon as the pawn shop owner and McGurk's long time friend (throughout the movie they engage in friendly spatting) does her usual good job in a small part. Edward Arnold as the saloon owner really doesn't have much to do and is pretty much wasted in this movie. However, Stockwell and the dog were great. But the star was Beery – I have always liked his movies; he may have done the same character over and over but he did it so well. Knowing that in real life he was not lovable but indeed a crude and repulsive lout does reduce the charm of his movies somewhat but this movie is still recommended.
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Paularoc8 May 2012
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According to one of his young co-stars (Jackie Cooper), despite making a career out of playing avuncular but rough characters who love kids, he was, quite the opposite. But the public loved his film image and despite apparently disliking kids, he co-starred with a bunch of them*. In this very formulaic film, he's paired with a young Dean Stockwell.
The film finds Slag McGurk (Beery) a bit of a blow-hard. While he lives on his public image as an ex-boxing champ and all around swell guy, he's a bit of a phoney--though few know the truth. But his boss (Edward Arnold) does and keeps it to himself. One day the boss sends McGurk on an errand and the guy ends up getting stuck with a cute British kid whose accent seems to come and go like the wind (Stockwell). The kid, 'Nipper', takes an almost instant like to the guy and believes all his tales of boxing and manliness. However, McGurk only hangs on to the kid because he mistakenly thinks the boy's uncle wants him and will handsomely reward McGurk for caring for him. But when the uncle turns out to be a crook, what is to become of Nipper and McGurk?
As I mentioned above, this is a standard Beery formula. This is not only because of the kid (as many Beery films did NOT have kids) but because Beery plays pretty much the same sort of rogue who eventually proves he has a heart of gold. Enjoyable but also not particularly new or unique if you've seen a few of his films. -
Ed-Shullivan25 April 2018Wallace Beery who plays former heavyweight champion Roy 'Slag' McGurk encapsulates what a diversified actor must be able to bring to the large screen for not only a successful box office picture, but for a vastly entertaining one for decades of future movie goers such as myself. Beery's facial expressions and body mannerisms are priceless and he utilizes his full ensemble in this charming 1940's black and white family themed picture to draw you in and keep us all entertained.
Director John Waters not only knew what he had in a bonafide star of Wallace Beery's calibre he also surrounded his film The Mighty McGurk with a terrific supporting cast such as with the little English born orphan boy Nipper (played by the great character actor Dean Stockwell), the mean spirited bar owner Mike Glenson (Edward Arnold), a former boxing middleweight turned Salvation Army recruiter named Johnny Burden (Cameron Mitchell) and a high spirited pawn shop owner named Mamie Steeple (Aline MacMahon) round out a uniquely entertaining cast and story.
Oh, did I fail to mention that director John Waters chooses to even bring out the "big guns" in the cutest little dog nicknamed "Pat" because the orphan boy Nipper likes the way his runaway dog "pats" his little tail on the floor? It's a great family film for the ages that centers around an over the hill boxer who wants to be considered a world champion until this orphan boy named Nipper means more to him than all the money in the world and if that is not enough for you, than the dog named Pat will surely win your heart of cold hearts over.
It's a great film for 1947 and surely under rated. -
JohnHowardReid17 November 2017Narrated by William Demarest. Director: JOHN WATERS. Screenplay: William R. Lipman, Grant Garrett, Harry Clork. Art directors: Cedric Gibbons, Hubert Hobson. Set decorators: Edwin B. Willis, Alfred E. Spencer. Photography: Charles Schoenbaum. Film editor: Ben Lewis. Music score: David Snell. Assistant director: Tom Andre. Costumes: Howard Shoup. Costume supervisor: Irene. Sound recording: Douglas Shearer. Western Electric Sound System. Producer: Nat Perrin.
Copyright 10 October 1946 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture. New York opening at Loew's State: 3 April 1947. U.S. release: January 1947. U.K. release: 10 March 1947. Australian release: 15 May 1947. 9 reels. 7,875 feet. 87½ minutes.
SYNOPSIS: English orphan befriends a Bowery bouncer.
NOTES: An unofficial re-make in the U.S.A., but in the U.K. the studio loudly trumpeted the fact that the picture was a new version of Beery's 1931 success, "The Champ".
COMMENT: Well, it does provide the spectacle of watching Wallace Beery in a Salvation Army uniform, and there is a real donnybrook at the conclusion, but one has to sit through some pretty intolerable sludge, with Beery hamming away with all stops out.
The sticky script which one imagined to be the work of a team of retired nuns, was actually penned with "The Champ" firmly in mind. In the U.K. in fact this movie was even advertised as a re-make, but M- G-M made no such admissions in America or Australia.
Although Beery's star was fading, M-G-M pushed the movie strongly in its American and Australian release, using Beery's name in letters as big as the title. It was a last hurrah for the once super-popular star. Although receipts were good, particularly in Beery's loyal stamping grounds in working-class neighborhoods, M-G-M felt that all the publicity effort was not quite worth the return. Beery's next solo vehicle, "Alias a Gentleman" (1948) was released without fanfare.
True, the publicity trumpets came blaring out for "A Date With Judy", but it was mostly Jane Powell they were serenading. Wally's last movie, "Big Jack" (1949) in which he was partnered by Marjorie Main, was given a bit of a push, but nothing like the campaign that went into promoting "The Mighty McGurk".
For all its blatant Beeriness, McGurk does have one solid point of interest. It's the only sound credited feature directed by the well- known silent film-maker, John Waters, who worked with Gary Cooper on his first starring film, Arizona Bound (1927) and subsequently directed Coop in Nevada (1927), and Beau Sabreur (1928).
M-G-M did make use of Waters' abilities as a 2nd unit director (largely uncredited). He won an Academy Award in 1934 for his work on Viva Villa and staged the action spots in Boom Town (1940). I also believe he did some work on A Tale of Two Cities (1935), The Good Earth (1937) and Dragon Seed (1944). And he did direct one other movie in the sound period: a 1935 Pete Smith short called Donkey Baseball. -
F Gwynplaine MacIntyre15 October 2003It's always sad when an actor's career degenerates into self-parody. 'The Mighty McGurk' is a star vehicle for Wallace Beery, made late in his career. It's also a thin and obvious retread of material which Beery had done better several times before, in much better films than this ... notably in 'The Bowery' and his Oscar-winning performance in 'The Champ'.
McGurk (Beery) is a drunken, broken-down ex-prizefighter (sound familiar?), now employed as a chucker-out at the Bowery saloon owned by Mike Glenson (played by the usually reliable Edward Arnold, in a less dynamic performance than usual). McGurk trades insults with Mamie Steeple, the local pawnbroker (Aline MacMahon, whose performances always annoy me). Glenson's daughter Caroline is in love with Johnny, a roughly handsome Salvation Army officer who wants to close down all the saloons. Naturally, Caroline's publican father opposes the romance.
The only thing missing in this brew-haha is a tousle-haired orphan. Cue Dean Stockwell to enter upstage left, wearing Jackie Cooper's reach-me-down tousles. Dean Stockwell was one of the few male child actors whose performances consistently impressed me, and I'm also impressed that (unlike most other child performers, male or female) he went on to a respectable acting career in adulthood. In this movie, young Dean is an orphan saddled with the twee name 'Nipper'. Worse luck, our Nipper is an *English* orphan, so Dean Stockwell is forced to toddle through his scenes with a dead-awful cod accent that's meant to be from England by way of Pasadena. Too bad Freddie Bartholomew had outgrown his Fauntleroy britches.
SPOILERS COMING. Nothing in 'The Mighty McGurk' wasn't done better in some other movie, better-known than this one. It's bang obvious that McGurk will connive a happy ending for the bar-crossed lovers. It's also obvious that McGurk and Mamie will end up as a couple, despite (or because of) their bickering. After the success of 'Min and Bill', which memorably partnered Wallace Beery on screen with Marie Dressler, Beery tried to recapture that chemistry opposite a long downhill progression of other character actresses, with diminishing results: in this movie, it's Aline MacMahon's turn. (Offscreen, Beery was a truly nasty lout, who publicly criticised Dressler's physical appearance while she was dying of cancer.)
For all its faults, 'The Mighty McGurk' will please old-movie fans, due to brief appearances by some of the finest character actors of Hollywood's golden era. Gravel-voiced Al Bridge gets a brief moment to shine. Also welcome are Vince Barnett, Al Hill, Tom Kennedy, sourpuss Robert Emmett O'Connor, gargoyle-faced Oliver Prickett, banana-nosed Johnny Berkes, cadaverous Bill Wolfe, brawny Dewey Robinson (one of my favourites) and skull-faced Milton Parsons, the latter perfectly cast here as an undertaker. Joe Yule (Mickey Rooney's real-life father) does an annoying Irish brogue. Clinton Sundberg (oily of voice and oily of hair) gives his usual unpleasant one-note performance.
'The Mighty McGurk' was helmed by an untalented director who would be utterly forgotten today if not for the coincidental fact that he had the same name as a more notorious (and more talented) film director: John Waters, of 'Pink Flamingos' and so forth. I'll rate 'McGurk' 4 points out of 10, mostly out of affection for the supporting cast. -
bkoganbing5 March 2019Watching a film like The MIghty McGurk and seeing those scenes between former pug Wallace Beery and young English orphan Dean Stockwell you can hardly believe you are seeing one of the great misanthropes of the last century. I can't find anyone who enjoyed working with Wallace Beery..
Still seeing The Mighty McGurk might convince you Beery was the greatest actor who ever lived knowing what we know about him. This film has Beery working for saloonkeeper Edward Arnold as a bragging bouncer on retainer. Beery gets an assignment to pick up Arnold's daughter Dorothy Patrick over from the boat from Great Britain. But he muffs it and winds up with young English orphan Dean Stockwell who has come over to be with his uncle who has taken a powder with company funds.
So the two are kind of stuck with each other. If you've seen Treasure Island or The Champ with Beery and young Jackie Cooper you know what you'll get with this film.
As for Arnold he wants the corner location of the Salvation Army has on The Bowery where former fighter and Beery protege Cameron Mitchell is running the place. He wants Beery's help to get him out one way or another. Gives Beery some critical choices to make. Aline McMahon gets the roles that usually went to Marie Dressler or Marjorie Main as the pawnbroker who Beery parks his championship belt with when he needs a few bucks.
The Mighty McGurk is a pleasant piece of turn of the last century nostalgia. -
capone6666 March 2019The Mighty McGurk
After retiring from the ring most boxers take cushy jobs as crash-test dummies.
However, the prizefighter in this drama spends his days bouncing at a dive bar.
Former heavyweight champion Slag McGurk (Wallace Beery) now works the door at Mike's (Edward Arnold) tavern. When presented with the chance to partner on Mike's latest venture, Slag jumps at the chance to help his friend ruin the Salvation Army so Mike can expand. But as he rounds up thugs to help Slag meets an orphan (Dean Stockwell) that convinces him to stand-up to Mike.
While the story of a lovable ex-fighter finding their fire in an adoring orphan isn't all that new, this 1947 take on the dynamic is an amiable attempt that has plenty of barroom brawls to whet the appetite of fight fans.
Furthermore, this film finally proves that boxing gloves are not made out of the skins of orphans. Yellow Light
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drjgardner4 March 2019If you're a big fan of Wallace Beery, as I am, you'll be disappointed with this rehash of the common theme that Beery is rough on the outside but sweet inside. Beery's best days were in the 30s, and by 1947 he is far too old to be playing the "Champ" or even the ex-Champ. Do yourself a favor and give this one a miss. Go back and see "The Champ" again. Among my favorite Beery films - "Dinner at 8", "Big House", "Treasure Island".. and for a hoot, "Viva Villa"
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Has any research been done to connect the movie with real life people? Do we know what real-life identities the characters were supposed to represent or were loosely based upon? For instance is there any reason to connect the movie to McGurk's Suicide Hall, 295 Bowery; or to John H. McGurk or to Jack McManus. Do we know if there was a real life identity for the pawn shop woman? What about the English orphan? The Salvation Army man? Maybe it was already done-if so, where? What did they find? Your comments would be appreciated. Does the background information give details? If not John McGurk, do we know which person it was based upon? What research has already been done on the movie's influences, characters, and settings? Thanks