The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933)

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Frances Marion (story)
John Lee Mahin (writer) ...

Release Date:

10 November 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Romance | Comedy

Plot:

An ex-sailor turned boxer finds romance and gets a shot at the heavyweight title.

Plot Keywords:

Adultery | Boxing Manager | Boxing Promoter | Boxing | Madison Square Garden New York

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Myrna Loy	...	Belle
Max Baer	...	Steve
Primo Carnera	...	Carnera
Jack Dempsey	...	Promotor
Walter Huston	...	Professor
Otto Kruger	...	Willie Ryan
Vince Barnett	...	Bugsie
Robert McWade	...	Adopted Son
Muriel Evans	...	Linda
Jean Howard	...	Show Girl

Also Known As:

Every Woman's Man

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate number not assigned at release) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Primo Carnera was the world's heavyweight boxing champion when this film was made and released. He refused to make the movie using the first script, which had him knocked out in the end, but agreed to a revised script with an additional $10,000 salary.

Goofs:

Continuity: Steve buttons up his sweater, straightens the bottom and puts his hands in his pockets in one shot with the Professor. In the next shot, when he's facing Belle, he buttons the bottom buttons again (before putting his hands in his pockets again).

Movie Connections:

Featured in Sports on the Silver Screen (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Lucky Fella

forgettable BUT historically significant

Max Baer plays a fat-headed boxer who falls in love and marries sweet Myrna Loy. However, soon after the wedding, Baer begins drinking and womanizing and seemed to be a major jerk--and a very talented boxer. Unfortunately, he promised again and again he'd change, but he didn't. By the end of the film, he'd lost his wife and manager and didn't seem to care. However, the usual cliché of "turnaround scene" when the boxer hit bottom never really occurred with Baer's character! By the big fight at the end of the film, he STILL was a jerk--yet despite this, the wife and manager came running back to him!! This made very little sense and seems to have set back women's rights several decades.

While the plot of this film and production values are at best average, this film has a lot of historical value and so it shouldn't be written off completely. That's because this boxing film is unique in that it stars several real boxers--including several champions. Max Baer and Primo Carnera were, at the time, the most famous active boxers--both having been champions. Max Baer is the star of the film and does a pretty good job of acting considering he is NOT an actor. Plus, it's interesting to see Max Baer, Jr.'s ("Jethro" from THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES) father act. In addition, Jack Dempsey (perhaps the most famous boxer of the 20th Century) makes a significant appearance as well and there are some small cameos by famous boxers and wrestlers of the age. So, as a result, this movie is a MUST for boxing fans or lovers of pop culture and American history. All I suggest, though, is that you realize this is NOT a great film--just interesting for reasons other than artistic merit.