Right to the Heart
Cast & Crew
Eugene Forde
Brenda Joyce
Joseph Allen Jr.
Cobina Wright Jr.
Stanley Clements
Don Defore
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
New York City playboy John T. Bromley, III goes upstate to the rural boxing camp of famed trainer Jim Killian. Using the name Johnny White, John tells Jim that he has to get in shape for an important amateur bout in six weeks. Jim recognizes John but does not say so and agrees to give him a tryout, which annoys his two champion fighters, Tommy Sands and Willie Donovan, and his young foster son, Stash Lanigan. Stash, whose late father was a renowned prizefighter, believes that John will be a washout and waste Jim's time, so he arranges for Tommy to be especially hard on him during his tryout. Jim sees potential in John, however, and decides to let him stay. Although Stash, Willie and Tommy start John on a grueling training schedule, John sticks with it. One afternoon, Willie knocks John down during a sparring match, and as he wavers in and out of consciousness, John remembers the reason why he came to Jim: During a night out on the town, John and his debutante girl friend, Barbara Paxton, are confronted by her former boyfriend, ex-champion boxer Danny Morgan. Morgan accuses Barbara of being a gold digger, then punches John. Disgusted, Barbara leaves alone, and the publicity provokes John's crusty aunt Minerva to disown him for causing yet another scandal. Determined to win Barbara back, John vows to knock Morgan out by learning boxing. After John regains consciousness back at Jim's, he continues his training. He gets discouraged by Stash's constant criticism, however, and is about to return home when Jim's daughter Jenny praises his determination and progress. John decides to persevere, and Stash, afraid that Jenny is falling for him, sends Barbara a telegram to come at once because John is ill. Barbara shows the telegram to Minerva, who goes to the training camp herself. She is surprised to see Jim, whom she pursued romantically when they attended high school together, but recovers sufficiently to order John to leave. John refuses to leave without accomplishing his goal, and Minerva storms off. One afternoon, John succeeds in knocking down Willie, and Jim pronounces him ready to fight Morgan. John goes on a picnic with Jenny to celebrate, and when they return, they find that Stash's beloved dog Salome has gone into labor. While Jenny rushes to get the veterinarian, John delivers the puppies, and his gentle assistance finally wins Stash over. When John leaves for home the next day, Stash observes Jenny's lovesick devastation. Stash drives alone to New York City, where he confronts Minerva and tells her that she must help reunite John and Jenny. Determined to show John that Barbara is a gold digger, Minerva pretends to reconcile with her in a nightclub. John does realize that Barbara is interested only in his money and breaks off their relationship, after which Morgan enters, and John knocks him out. Minerva and Stash return to the camp, where Minerva tells Jenny to go after John while she herself resumes her pursuit of Jim. Jenny rushes outside to John and agrees to elope with him.
Director
Eugene Forde
Cast
Brenda Joyce
Joseph Allen Jr.
Cobina Wright Jr.
Stanley Clements
Don Defore
Hugh Beaumont
Charles D. Brown
Ethel Griffies
Frank Orth
Phil Tead
William Haade
Spencer Charters
Tubby
Billy Benedict
Lee Tong Foo
Tom Fadden
Arno Frey
Lester Dorr
Charles Coleman
Chester Clute
Harry Carter
Mae Marsh
Crew
Harry Brand
Walter Bullock
Lewis Creber
Edwin H. Curtis
Richard Day
Herbert Farjeon
W. D. Flick
Hal Herman
Herschel
William Koenig
Harry M. Leonard
Thomas Little
Louis Loeffler
Virgil Miller
Cyril J. Mockridge
George Russell
Sailor Billy Vincent
Sol M. Wurtzel
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working titles of this film were A Straight Left and You Can't Always Tell. According to Hollywood Reporter news items, Clark Andrews was briefly set as the picture's producer, and Lester Ziffren and Stanley Rubin worked on the screenplay for the film. The extent of Ziffren and Rubin's contributions to the completed picture has not been confirmed, however. Hollywood Reporter news items also noted that Cornel Wilde was originally set for the leading role but was replaced by Joseph Allen, Jr. after Wilde became ill with a "stomach disorder." According to the Twentieth Century-Fox records of the Legal Department, contained in the UCLA Arts-Special Collections Library, some scenes were shot on location at Malibu, CA. Fox first filmed Harold McGrath's story in 1926 as Woman Power, which was directed by Harry Beaumont and starred Ralph Graves and Kathryn Perry (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1921-30; F2.6504).
