The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933)

Writers:

John Lee Mahin (screenplay) and
John Meehan (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

10 November 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Romance | Comedy

Plot:

An ex-sailor turned boxer finds romance and gets a shot at the heavyweight title.

Plot Keywords:

Training | Marital Separation | Nightclub | Boxing | Romantic Rivalry

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Myrna Loy	...	Belle
Max Baer	...	Steve
Primo Carnera	...	Carnera
Jack Dempsey	...	Promotor
Walter Huston	...	Professor
Otto Kruger	...	Willie Ryan
Vince Barnett	...	Bugsie
Robert McWade	...	Adopted Son
Muriel Evans	...	Linda
Jean Howard	...	Show Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Zita Baca	...	Dancer (uncredited)
Brooks Benedict	...	Reporter at Training Camp (uncredited)
Leila Bennett	...	Stool-Pigeon Maid (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Bar Patron #4 (uncredited)
Don Brodie	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Billy Coe	...	Billy Coe - Timekeeper for Big Fight (uncredited)
Cora Sue Collins	...	Farmer's Daughter (uncredited)
Bill Duffy	...	Himself - Carnera's Manager (uncredited)
Edward Earle	...	Ryan's Associate (uncredited)
Jay Eaton	...	Bar Patron #1 (uncredited)
Jackie Fields	...	Himself - Ex-Welterweight Champion (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Man in Steve's Dressing Room (uncredited)
Al Hill	...	Sid Munsie (uncredited)
Tenen Holtz	...	Maitre d' (uncredited)
Arthur Hoyt	...	Ringside Fan (uncredited)
James J. Jeffries	...	Himself - Ex-Heavyweight Champion (uncredited)
John Kelly	...	Bar Patron #5 (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ed Lewis	...	Himself - Ex-Wrestling Champion 'Strangler Lewis' (uncredited)
Miriam Marlin	...	Chorine (uncredited)
Larry McGrath	...	Referee (uncredited)
Matt McHugh	...	Professor's Drinking Buddy (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Himself - Heavyweight Boxer (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Nightclub Extra (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Jake - Fight Promoter (uncredited)
Billy Papke	...	Himself - Middleweight Champion (uncredited)
Jack Pennick	...	Bar Patron #6 (uncredited)
Joe Rivers	...	Himself - Lightweight Boxer (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Ringsider (uncredited)
Matty Roubert	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Buster Slaven	...	Farmer's Son (uncredited)
Carl Stockdale	...	Bar Patron #3 (uncredited)
Dan Tobey	...	Dan Tobey - Ring Announcer for Big Fight (uncredited)
Morgan Wallace	...	Mr. Black - Fight Promoter (uncredited)
Jess Willard	...	Himself - Ex-Heavyweight Champion (uncredited)
Harry Wilson	...	Training Camp Observer (uncredited)
Harry Woods	...	George Lyons (uncredited)

Directed by
Howard Hawks		(uncredited)
W.S. Van Dyke		(uncredited)

Writing credits
John Lee Mahin		(screenplay) and
John Meehan		(screenplay)
Frances Marion		(story)

Produced by
Hunt Stromberg	....	associate producer
W.S. Van Dyke	....	producer

Cinematography by
Lester White		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Robert Kern		(as Robert J. Kern)

Art Direction by
Fredric Hope
David Townsend

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Earl Haley	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Edwin B. Willis	....	interior decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Stunts
Harvey Parry	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dolly Tree	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Bernice Alstock	....	singing voice: Myrna Loy (uncredited)
Paul Marquardt	....	music arranger (uncredited)
Frank Skinner	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Seymour Felix	....	Vaudeville sketch

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1933) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's

Also Known As:

Every Woman's Man
The Sailor and the Lady (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #1303-R: 26 August 1935 for re-release) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating) | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In an interview, Myrna Loy stated that Max Baer carefully watched Primo Carnera's boxing style during the filming and used this information to beat him in their real-life match for the title in March, 1934.

Goofs:

Continuity: Steve buttons up his sweater, straightens the bottom and puts his hands in his pockets in one shot with the Professor. In the next shot, when he's facing Belle, he buttons the bottom buttons again (before putting his hands in his pockets again).

Movie Connections:

Featured in Sports on the Silver Screen (1997) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Stars and Stripes Forever

forgettable BUT historically significant

Max Baer plays a fat-headed boxer who falls in love and marries sweet Myrna Loy. However, soon after the wedding, Baer begins drinking and womanizing and seemed to be a major jerk--and a very talented boxer. Unfortunately, he promised again and again he'd change, but he didn't. By the end of the film, he'd lost his wife and manager and didn't seem to care. However, the usual cliché of "turnaround scene" when the boxer hit bottom never really occurred with Baer's character! By the big fight at the end of the film, he STILL was a jerk--yet despite this, the wife and manager came running back to him!! This made very little sense and seems to have set back women's rights several decades.

While the plot of this film and production values are at best average, this film has a lot of historical value and so it shouldn't be written off completely. That's because this boxing film is unique in that it stars several real boxers--including several champions. Max Baer and Primo Carnera were, at the time, the most famous active boxers--both having been champions. Max Baer is the star of the film and does a pretty good job of acting considering he is NOT an actor. Plus, it's interesting to see Max Baer, Jr.'s ("Jethro" from THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES) father act. In addition, Jack Dempsey (perhaps the most famous boxer of the 20th Century) makes a significant appearance as well and there are some small cameos by famous boxers and wrestlers of the age. So, as a result, this movie is a MUST for boxing fans or lovers of pop culture and American history. All I suggest, though, is that you realize this is NOT a great film--just interesting for reasons other than artistic merit.