The boxer and the lady

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Movie
German title The boxer and the lady
Men around a woman
The boxer and the lady
Original title The Prizefighter and the Lady
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1933
length 102 minutes
Rod
Director Howard Hawks
W.S. Van Dyke
script John Lee Mahin
John Meehan
production WS Van Dyke
music Paul Marquardt
Frank Skinner
camera Lester White
cut Robert Kern
occupation

The Boxer and the Lady (Original title: The Prizefighter and the Lady ) is an American comedy film from 1933. The screenplay is based on a story by Frances Marion .

action

After Edwin J. Bennett, a hapless boxing manager, known as Professor, sees the seaman Steve Morgan knock out a drunk in a bar, he offers him a $ 100 fight. Steve witnessed a traffic accident while running in the woods. He can free the unconscious Belle Mercer from her overturned car. He brings the unconscious to a nearby farm where she comes to. Belle is grateful to her rescuer and accepts his invitation to the next boxing match.

To Bennett's astonishment, Steve defeated the experienced opponent in the first round. Steve wants to date Belle, which she refuses. From Bennett he learns that Belle is the girlfriend of the gambler Willie Ryan. Steve follows Belle to Ryan's nightclub where she appears as a singer. Steve presents himself to Ryan as his rival, but Belle assures her boyfriend that she is not interested in Steve. She can't prevent Steve from following her to her apartment and confessing his love there.

The next day, Belle tells Ryan that she and Steve got married. Ryan is shocked. Although he gives the couple his blessing, he instructs his assistant, Adopted Son, to kill Steve, should Belle make Belle unhappy. Bennet sets up a rigorous training course for Steve that he should complete outside of town. Belle assures the skeptical Bennett that Steve's training would not suffer. She agrees to postpone the honeymoon until Steve's training program is completed. Bennett sees Steve as having the potential to become a champion and quits drinking. Steve wins a number of boxing matches. He is becoming more and more popular and therefore has the attention of some female fans. Ryan warns Belle about Steve's flirtation with fans. But Belle sees this as harmless. But when Belle catches Steve telling a lie, she accuses him of infidelity and threatens to divorce him. Steve swears to be faithful. Shortly before a heavyweight championship fight, he appears in a revue with several dancers. Belle finds one of the dancers in Steve's cabin. She leaves him and returns to Ryan's nightclub.

Ryan wants Steve out of Belle's life. He tries to increase Steve's self-confidence in arrogance by placing huge bets on Steve's victory. Steve is paralyzed by the enthusiastic audience. He breaks up with Bennett in an argument. Without his trainer and without Belle, he stumbles through the first rounds of his fight against heavyweight champion Primo Carnera . Belle and Bennett are in the stands cheering Steve on. When Steve notices this, he finds his way back to his old strength and forces a draw. Ryan sees true love between Steve and Belle. Now he gives them all his blessings.

background

Both Primo Carnera, reigning heavyweight world champion at the time, and Max Baer, ​​the challenger for the next title fight, both made their film debuts. In June 1934 they then completed their world championship fight in New York, which Baer won by technical knockout in the eleventh round. When entering the boxing ring, he wore the coat named Steve Morgan, which he also wore in the film. According to an article by Variety , Steve was supposed to knock out Carnera. But Carnera did not agree with the result. Only after receiving additional remuneration from the MGM production studio was Carnera ready to accept the draw in the film.

Howard Hawks stated in an interview that the film should be directed first with Clark Gable , Franchot Tone and Jean Harlow . However, when the decision was made for Baer and Mirna Loy, Hawks wanted to resign. However, the studio convinced Hawks to prepare and start production for Van Dyke and help Baer with his debut. However, author John Lee Mahin dismissed this version, claiming that Hawks was fired after two days of shooting for being too slow.

Myrna Loy (or the playback voice of Bernice Alstock) sang the song Downstream Drifter in the film, which was composed by David Snell, Gus Kahn and Ray Egan. Max Baer sang the song Lucky Fella , composed by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields . Production designer Edwin B. Willis provided the equipment, and Douglas Shearer was responsible for the sound .

The premiere of the film took place on November 10, 1933. In 1934 the film was shown in Germany under the title Men for a Woman . Since the main actor Max Baer was of Jewish origin, the film was immediately banned by the authorities. It was not shown again in Germany until July 18, 1988, as part of a TV premiere in the third program of the NDR .

criticism

The lexicon of international films describes the film as a "routinely staged, but strangely heterogeneous mixture of gangster and boxing film, which makes real greats of the boxing sport of the time appear to the public." Myrna Loy is “remarkable” in her role as “a steadfast, self-confident woman”.

Awards

At the 1934 Academy Awards , Frances Marion was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Story category.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b See Notes on tcm.com
  2. ↑ The Boxer and the Lady. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed February 2, 2020 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used