Winner Take All (1932)

Young boxer Jim Hunt, resting at a New Mexico "health ranch," meets and falls for Peggy Harmon, former nightclub table singer...who needs $600 more for her sickly son to stay in the place. ... See full summary »

Director:

Roy Del Ruth

Writers:

Gerald Beaumont (based on a story by), Robert Lord (adaptation),

Stars:

James Cagney, Marian Nixon, Guy Kibbee

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Cagney	...	Jim 'Jimmy' Kane
Marian Nixon	...	Peggy Harmon
Guy Kibbee	...	Pop Slavin
Dickie Moore	...	Dickie Harmon
Virginia Bruce	...	Joan Gibson
Alan Mowbray	...	Forbes - the Etiquette Teacher
Esther Howard	...	Ann - Joan's Friend
Clarence Muse	...	Rosebud -, the Trainer
Clarence Wilson	...	Ben Isaacs
Ralf Harolde	...	Legs Davis - Diamond Ring Seller
John Roche	...	Roger Elliott

Storyline

Young boxer Jim Hunt, resting at a New Mexico "health ranch," meets and falls for Peggy Harmon, former nightclub table singer...who needs $600 more for her sickly son to stay in the place. To help her, Jim endangers his health with a tough boxing match in Tijuana. Before long, he's back fighting while Peggy stays in the desert. But in the city, after new triumphs, Jim meets Joan, a teasing Society blonde. Will he see through her before it's too late?

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Plot Keywords:

boxing | new mexico | boxing manager | health resort | snobbery | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 July 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

Campeão do Amor

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros, Vitaphone Corporation, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

66 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Jimmy sends to his manager a photo of himself, Peggy and her son who is dressed as a small Indian. In the next scene, returning to the desert health farm, shows the Cagney, Nixon and Moore characters all wearing the same clothes of the previous photo.

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Quotes

[Joan and Jim kiss.]
Joan Gibson: You could stand a cold drink after that one, couldn't you?

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Connections

Features Queen of the Night Clubs (1929)

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Soundtracks

"St. Louis Blues"
(1914) (uncredited)
Written by W.C. Handy
Played on piano as background music in Tijuana

User Reviews

Cagney's Got Two Girls

Winner Take All is a typical example of the roles James Cagney was so trying to get away from in those early years at Warner Brothers. In this programmer he's a lightweight prizefighter whose fans have to take up a collection in Madison Square Garden to send him away for a rest cure. Seems that Cagney liked the night life just a little too much and its put his health at risk.

While in New Mexico he meets and falls for good girl Marian Nixon and her son Dickie Moore. She's there with Moore for his health problems. An out of condition Cagney takes a local fight there to help pay for their expenses on a winner take all basis and barely survives the bout.

Then when he gets back to New York he starts hanging around with bad society girl Virginia Bruce and her crowd. She makes a chump out of street smart Jimmy.

I don't think I have to say too much more. Guy Kibbee as Cagney's manager and Clarence Muse as his corner man fill their roles very well.

The only two things that Winner Take All became noted for was that this was the first time Cagney did a boxing film. He got into the ring later on in The Irish in Us and City for Conquest. But also footage from this film was used in that last Cagney made for TV film Terrible Joe Moran.

That film was a mistake whereas this one is strictly routine.