Joe Palooka, Champ
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Reginald Leborg
Leon Errol
Joe Kirkwood
Elyse Knox
Eduardo Cianelli
Joe Sawyer
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
When fight promoter Knobby Walsh is asked by a reporter how he ended up managing his champ, Joe Palooka, he recalls the time, just before he met Joe, when he was managing fighter Al Costa: Soon after taking the heavyweight championship title, Costa is lured away from Knobby by gangster Florini, who takes advantage of the fact that Knobby does not have a written contract with his fighter. Knobby, realizing that he has little chance in getting Costa back from the powerful Florini mob, begins a fruitless search for a new fighter to represent. When Knobby's money runs out, he decides to take his old cronies on a road tour to stage fake fights. While traveling through the country, Knobby and his pals drive into Pop Palooka's Larksville, Pennsylvania gas station, where they meet Pop's son Joe. Knobby and his cohorts spend the night with the Palookas, as does stranded motorist Anne Howe. Joe later takes Anne out for a night on the town. Next to the Palookas' house is a barn that Knobby and his men rent for their staged fights. During one of their events, Joe is coaxed into the ring, and all eyes are soon focused on him as he flattens all four of his contenders. In an instant, Knobby realizes that he has his new fighter and that Joe will be an easy match for Costa. Joe, however, is reluctant to fight professionally, and consents to do so only after insisting that there be no written contract between him and Knobby. Joe's first six fights result in easy victories, and Joe becomes an overnight sensation. His fighting career is soon imperiled, however, when the snobbish Ronnie Brewster begins to vie for Anne's affections and Joe is driven to distraction. After punching Ronnie for insulting him, Joe threatens to leave both Anne and Knobby. He eventually changes his mind, though, and continues to fight. When Lefty and Curly, two of Florini's thugs, take Joe aside and offer to pay him more than his salary for taking a dive in the upcoming fight against Costa, Joe is insulted and punches them. He then tells Knobby about the incident, and Knobby, certain that Florini will retaliate, takes Joe to a secret training facility. During the big fight, the boxing commissioner notices Florini's men absent from their seats and alerts the security men, who find a Florini gunman in the camera booth preparing to shoot Joe. The gunman is shot before he can pull the trigger, however, and Joe, after fighting his way to victory, is declared the world champion and reunited with Anne.
Director
Reginald Leborg
Cast
Leon Errol
Joe Kirkwood
Elyse Knox
Eduardo Cianelli
Joe Sawyer
Elisha Cook Jr.
Warren Hymer
Robert Kent
Sarah Padden
Joe Louis
Manuel Ortiz
Henry Armstrong
Jimmy Mclarnin
Lou Nova
Ceferino Garcia
Jack Roper
Sam Mcdaniel
Eddie Gribbon
J. Farrell Macdonald
Jo-ann Marlowe
Roger Daniel
Michael Mark
Dave "tugwell" Willock
Sam Hayes
Philip Van Zandt
Betty Blythe
John Kelly
Carol Hughes
Emmett Vogan
Carole Donne
Russ Vincent
Alexander Laszlo
Harry Danning
Crew
Bernard W. Burton
Mario Castegnaro
Hal E. Chester
Hal E. Chester
Glenn Cook
Albert De Pina
Cyril Endfield
Perry Finnerman
Frank Fox
Larry Glickman
John Indrisano
Edward Jewell
Joseph I. Kane
Ben Kline
Alexander Laszlo
William H. Lynch
Lorraine Maclean
Michael Mark
George Moskov
Glenn [p.] Thompson
William H. Wilmarth
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Joe Palooka, Champ was the first of eleven Monogram-produced films based on the "Joe Palooka" comic strip. The films in the Monogram series all starred Joe Kirkwood, Jr. as "Joe Palooka." The last film in the Monogram series, Joe Palooka in Triple Cross, was released in 1951. An earlier film based on the comic strip characters was the 1934 United Artists release Palooka, starring Jimmy Durante, Stuart Erwin and Lupe Velez (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40). Joe Palooka, Champ marked the motion picture debut of Kirkwood, who, in 1954 produced and starred in a syndicated television series called The Joe Palooka Story. For additional information on the series, please consult the Series Index.
