Joe Palooka in Fighting Mad
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Reginald Leborg
Leon Errol
Joe Kirkwood
Elyse Knox
John Hubbard
Patricia Dane
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
When Joe Palooka's manager, Knobby Walsh, has a flat tire, a trucker who once tried out for him as a boxer, offers to take him to an all-night garage. As they drive, Knobby reminisces about a particular episode in boxing champ Joe's career: After Joe wins a tough match, he goes blind. A specialist diagnoses the need for surgery in Canada and the operation proves successful, but the doctor advises Knobby that Joe will not be able to fight for two years. After Knobby announces to the press that Joe is retiring as undefeated heavyweight champion of the world and will be marrying his girl friend, Anne Howe, he conducts a search for a new fighter to manage and eventually buys forty per cent of Jeff Lundy's contract from his manager, Archie Stone. However, Knobby does not realize that the majority of Lundy's contract is held by racketeer George Wendell, who knows that Knobby will provide a legitimate front for him. While Lundy wins a number of bouts, Joe becomes depressed by his inactivity and does not follow through on his wedding plans. Knobby has an idea about putting Joe into show business and arranges a vaudeville tour for him in which singer/socialite Iris March will also participate. When Iris vamps Joe, her boyfriend, Charles Kennedy, shows interest in Anne. Later, when Knobby brings Lundy to Chicago for a fight, he meets up with Joe, who is appearing there. Wendell, meanwhile, blackmails Kennedy into staying away from Anne so that she will return to Joe, marry him and keep him out of the fight game, thereby enabling Lundy to become the next champ. However, Anne unwittingly tells Kennedy about Joe's medical condition and he passes the information on to Wendell. When Knobby discovers that Lundy's fights have been fixed and that he is in a partnership with Wendell, he tries to get out of the deal. However, Joe wants in as a partner and Knobby is forced to coldly reject him to keep him out of the mess. Later, when Joe and Anne learn about the setup from Looie, Knobby's assistant, Joe arranges for a meeting with the state boxing commissioner, Knobby and Stone. Joe announces that he is coming out of retirement and, as his contract with Knobby is still valid, requests that he manage him, forcing Knobby to relinquish his deal with Lundy. Knobby is concerned that Joe may be permanently blinded if he returns to the ring and makes a deal with Wendell whereby if Lundy does not hit Joe about the head, Knobby will ensure that Lundy wins on points. By the end of round five of the fight, the crowd is unhappy watching Joe fight defensively and Lundy limit his punches to Joe's body. After Wendell, who has many bets riding on the outcome of the fight, instructs Lundy to change his tactics, Lundy hits Joe several times about the head, almost knocking him out and blurring Joe's vision. Knobby wants to throw in the towel, but when Joe's vision suddenly clears, he rallies and knocks out Lundy. The police, who have been tipped off about a possible fix, arrest Wendell and his henchmen when they approach Knobby. Back on board the truck, Knobby's story has taken so long to relate that they have gone far past the gas station.
Director
Reginald Leborg
Cast
Leon Errol
Joe Kirkwood
Elyse Knox
John Hubbard
Patricia Dane
Charles Cane
Wally Vernon
Horace Mcmahon
Jack Overman
Sarah Padden
Eddie Gribbon
Frank Hyers
Jack Roper
Jay Norris
Cy Kendall
Jack Shea
Michael Mark
Evelynne Smith
Geneva Gray
Johnny Indrisano
Frank Reicher
Paul Scardon
Virginia Belmont
Larry Steers
Robert Conway
Herb Vigran
Dewey Robinson
Emil Sitka
Murray Leonard
Robert C. Mccracken
Billy Mclean
Jack Mower
Paul Bryar
Frank Mayo
Sammy Wolfe
Reid Kilpatrick
Teddy Pavelec
Meyer Grace
Mickey Simpson
Bill Wallace
Bill Dalton
Eddie Simms
Bob Evans
Crew
Richard Bachelor
Wesley Barry
Raymond Boltz Jr.
John Bright
Bernard W. Burton
Lela Chambers
Hal E. Chester
Monte F. Collins
Glenn Cook
G. Joseph Dell
John Indrisano
Edward Kay
Edward J. Kay
Harry Lewis
Ralph S. Lewis
Roy Livingston
Lorraine Maclean
John Martin
Eddie Maxwell
Dave Milton
Talmadge Morrison
Harry Ross
Bernard D. Shamberg
William Sickner
Earl Sitar
Ilona Vas
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
This film's working title was A Palooka Named Joe. For additional information on the "Joe Palooka" series, please consult the Series Index and see the above entry for Joe Palooka, Champ
