The Set-Up (1949)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Art Cohn (screenplay)
Joseph Moncure March (poem)

Release Date:

14 October 1949 (France)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Sport

Tagline:

I Want a Man... Not a Human Punching Bag!

Plot:

Against all odds, a worn down fading boxer, painstakingly clashes against his driven opponent, firmly refusing to accept the hearsay of a washed up career.

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Underdog | Boxing | Gambling | Based On Poem

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins

Cast

Robert Ryan	...	Stoker
Audrey Totter	...	Julie
George Tobias	...	Tiny
Alan Baxter	...	Little Boy
Wallace Ford	...	Gus
Percy Helton	...	Red
Hal Baylor	...	Tiger Nelson (as Hal Fieberling)
Darryl Hickman	...	Shanley
Kenny O'Morrison	...	Moore
James Edwards	...	Luther Hawkins
David Clarke	...	Gunboat Johnson
Phillip Pine	...	Souza
Edwin Max	...	Danny
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herbert Anderson	...	Husband (uncredited)
Burman Bodel	...	Man (uncredited)
Herman Bodel	...	Man (uncredited)
Ruth Brennan	...	Woman (uncredited)
Helen Brown	...	Wife (uncredited)
John Butler	...	Blind Man's Buddy (uncredited)
Andy Carillo	...	Man (uncredited)
Lillian Castle	...	Woman (uncredited)
Jack Chase	...	Hawkins' Second (uncredited)
Noble 'Kid' Chissel	...	Handler (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Gene Delmont	...	Handler (uncredited)
Abe Dinovitch	...	Ring Caller (uncredited)
Paul Dubov	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Arthur 'Weegee' Fellig	...	Timekeeper (uncredited)
Dan Foster	...	Man (uncredited)
David Fresco	...	Mickey (uncredited)
Bernard Gorcey	...	Tobacco Man (uncredited)
William E. Green	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Bobby Henshaw	...	Announcer (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Corner man (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Hot Dog Vendor (uncredited)
Jess Kirkpatrick	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Hawkins' Handler (uncredited)
Archie Leonard	...	Blind Man (uncredited)
Frances Mack	...	Woman (uncredited)
Dwight Martin	...	Glutton (uncredited)
William McCarther	...	Handler (uncredited)
Walter Merrill	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Lynn Millan	...	Bunny (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Ben Moselle	...	Referee (uncredited)
Tommy Noonan	...	Masher on Street (uncredited)
William J. O'Brien	...	Pitchman (uncredited)
Brian O'Hara	...	Man (uncredited)
Jack Perry	...	Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Jack Raymond	...	Husband (uncredited)
Al Rhein	...	Man (uncredited)
Frank Richards	...	Bat, Program Vendor (uncredited)
Walter Ridge	...	Manager (uncredited)
Sammy Shack	...	Man (uncredited)
Carl Sklover	...	Man (uncredited)
Emmett Smith	...	Ring Second (uncredited)
Everett Smith	...	Man (uncredited)
Billy Snyder	...	Fun Palace Barker (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Nelson's Second (uncredited)
Arthur Sullivan	...	Handler (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan	...	Man (uncredited)
Harry Tenbrook	...	Fight Spectator behind the Glutton (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie	...	Man (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim	...	Hamburger Man (uncredited)
Constance Worth	...	Wife (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Art Cohn		(screenplay)
Joseph Moncure March		(poem)

Produced by
Richard Goldstone	....	producer
Dore Schary	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Milton R. Krasner		(director of photography) (as Milton Krasner)

Film Editing by
Roland Gross

Art Direction by
Albert S. D'Agostino
Jack Okey

Set Decoration by
James Altwies
Darrell Silvera

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Gale McGarry	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Josef Norin	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Bill Phillips	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Hazel Rogers	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edward Killy	....	assistant director
Joel Freeman	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Phil Brigandi	....	sound
Clem Portman	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
James Almond	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Jim Curley	....	grip (uncredited)
Gaston Longet	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Eddie Pyle	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director

Other crew
John Indrisano	....	fight sequences
Daniel B. Ullman	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1949) (USA) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Fox Hills Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Heron Communications (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Nostalgia Merchant, The (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:18A | USA:Approved (certificate #13478) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987)

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

The shoot took twenty days.

Quotes:

Red: I tell you, Tiny, you gotta let him in on it.
Tiny: How many times I gotta say it? There's no percentage in smartenin' up a chump.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fighters (1991) (TV)

Great depressing stuff in the dressing room, a gripping fight and a solid narrative

Bill "Stoker" Thompson is 34, not old perhaps but in the world of boxing that makes him an old man. Despite the protestations of his wife Julie, Stoker still believes that one more punch, one more fight will see him making it into the marquee fights and the big time rather than being on the support bill. As he waits in the dressing room full of similar hopefuls (some his age and tired, others just starting and full of big dreams) his trainer is busy making the fix with the opposition – for Stoker to go down like a $10 ho and not last the distance. However, Stoker isn't told as his manager assumes that Stoker losing is a given and that the "fix" is unnecessary and easy money for them all; however with Stoker feeling this is "the one", it may not be that simple.

Although Rocky is the one that most people will throw at you when you ask them to name a great boxing movie, The Set-Up is much, much more interesting as its aspirations are empty, its sights never getting much beyond the gutter and the men merely small players in a game that never plans for them to win. The narrative is essentially about Stoker entering a fight not aware that he has already been bought to lose but the actual film is much better than this limited plot suggests. For much of the first third we are treated to an intimate look at the small time boxers – whether it be the punch-drunk old timers or the youngster who believe that they will only be doing this level for one or two fights before hitting it big. This is the reality – as much as we love to see the Rocky tale of the underdog getting his day in reality the underdogs of life generally remain just that – underdogs. In this section of the film this is very well painted and, although the characters are not deep enough to be people they are definitely well enough written to be interesting and engaging.

The other two thirds of the film are concerned with the fight and the aftermath, with the fight taking up the majority of the second half of the film. The fight is realistic and tense throughout, I was genuinely unsure how it would go. The aftermath is short and punchy (sorry!) and is effectively dark and gritty for it. The end result is a film that is dark, low key and gripping throughout; it exists in the gutter, in the small time where all our characters seem destined to remain regardless of heart or talent. The cast deliver well, particularly the lead role from former college boxer Ryan. He is really in touch with his character and delivers convincingly in his dialogue, his boxing and his mannerisms; while in the dressing room his facial responses to other boxers show thoughts within his head and conflicting emotions that his experience and age allow him. He is the dominant figure of the film and his is a great performance. Totter is a little less refined but her emotional delivery works well in both of her main scenes with Ryan – although her wandering the streets could perhaps have been trimmed a little bit. The support cast are less well written but do still play their parts well enough but it is Ryan's film and worth seeing for him alone.

Luckily he is not the only reason to see it as the film is engaging, well written, dark, gritty, tense and very enjoyable. The lower number of votes (and potentially therefore, younger viewers) is a tragic state of affairs considering the class on display in this short punchy product and I for one will be answering "The Set-Up" when asked to name a great boxing movie.