A grocery store clerk turns prizefighter to win prize money to bail his drunken father out of jail.A grocery store clerk turns prizefighter to win prize money to bail his drunken father out of jail.A grocery store clerk turns prizefighter to win prize money to bail his drunken father out of jail.
John Daheim
- Al Gorski
- (as John Day)
Joseph Vitale
- Tony Adamson
- (as Joe Vitale)
Walter Bacon
- Boxing Match Spectator
- (uncredited)
Nicky Blair
- Cab Driver
- (uncredited)
Phil Bloom
- Boxing Match Spectator
- (uncredited)
Nan Boardman
- Mrs. Hall
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- Quotes
Bernie Browne: [Eddie has persuaded the referee of his next fight to "think twice" before stopping it] A referee can't think twice. If he does, that ring turns into a square jungle.
Eddie Quaid: What's so special about that? You think it's any different out there? Outside the ring? You think they're gonna give you favours and pat you on the back because you're a loser? I'm a fighter. And as long as I'm on my feet, I'll fight.
Featured review
Although I am not a huge fan of boxing films, I was excited to see this one simply because of the decision to cast Tony Curtis in the lead. While he was a very good actor, he seemed too pretty and delicate for such a role. Was I wrong? Could he pull this off effectively?
Eddie (Curtis) is a working guy whose life is far from perfect. His father is a drunk and Eddie keeps making excuses for his old man and is quite the enabler. When Dad (Jim Backus) is locked up for being drunk and disorderly, Eddie even goes so far as to take up boxing to pay for his father's bail!
When Eddie has his first match, he's very rough but somehow manages to win. When a respected trainer watches him in action, he (Ernest Borgnine) agrees to train him...and after a montage sequence, he's a middle weight champion. What he does AFTER this is what makes up the bulk of the movie...when he just about kills a man in the ring...and he cannot handle that.
Like nearly all boxing films, the boxers throw way too many punches and show little defense. If sights really went that way, they'd seldom go beyond the first round! But, like other boxing films it is still quite entertaining...though the fans' reaction to the big fight at the end seemed ludicrous. It's blood they want...and it's blood they got!
So is the film good? Yes, in some ways. It's a nice indictment of the brutality of the sport. But on the other, I had a hard time accepting Curtis as a hard-as-nails boxer. He just looked too pretty and too frail. With a different actor, it probably could have been better. Curtis, by the way, was a fine actor...just not in this role.
Eddie (Curtis) is a working guy whose life is far from perfect. His father is a drunk and Eddie keeps making excuses for his old man and is quite the enabler. When Dad (Jim Backus) is locked up for being drunk and disorderly, Eddie even goes so far as to take up boxing to pay for his father's bail!
When Eddie has his first match, he's very rough but somehow manages to win. When a respected trainer watches him in action, he (Ernest Borgnine) agrees to train him...and after a montage sequence, he's a middle weight champion. What he does AFTER this is what makes up the bulk of the movie...when he just about kills a man in the ring...and he cannot handle that.
Like nearly all boxing films, the boxers throw way too many punches and show little defense. If sights really went that way, they'd seldom go beyond the first round! But, like other boxing films it is still quite entertaining...though the fans' reaction to the big fight at the end seemed ludicrous. It's blood they want...and it's blood they got!
So is the film good? Yes, in some ways. It's a nice indictment of the brutality of the sport. But on the other, I had a hard time accepting Curtis as a hard-as-nails boxer. He just looked too pretty and too frail. With a different actor, it probably could have been better. Curtis, by the way, was a fine actor...just not in this role.
- planktonrules
- Sep 8, 2023
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Der Schläger von Chicago
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 26 minutes
- Color
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