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Spirit of Youth (1938)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writer:
Arthur Hoerl (writer)
Release Date:
1 April 1938 (USA)
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Plot:
The story of the rise of boxer Joe Thomas, which paralleled the life of Joe Louis. | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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User Comments:
Make It a Double Bill With "The Joe Louis Story"
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Cast
(Complete credited cast)| Joe Louis | ... | Joe Thomas | |
| Clarence Muse | ... | Frankie Walburn | |
| Edna Mae Harris | ... | Mary Bowdin | |
| Mae Turner | ... | Flora Bailey (singer) | |
| Cleo Desmond | ... | Nora Thomas (Joe's mother) | |
| Mantan Moreland | ... | Creighton 'Crickie' Fitzgibbons | |
| Jewel Smith | ... | Duke Emerald | |
| Tom Southern | ... | Dr. Bowdin | |
| Jess Lee Brooks | ... | Jeff Thomas (Joe's father) (as Jesse Lee Brooks) | |
| Marguerite Whitten | ... | Eleanor Thomas (as Margaret Whitten) | |
| Clarence Brooks | ... | Speedy (trainer) | |
| The Plantation Chior | ... | Themselves | |
| The Creole Chorus | ... | Themselves | |
| The Big Apple Dancers | ... | Themselves |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
66 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)
Certification:
USA:Approved (PCA #3980)
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The Production Code Administration director, Joseph Breen, told the production company that the movie was "questionable" because it showed a black boxer beating white boxers, and that distribution in the South may be difficult.
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Soundtrack:
No More Sleepy Time
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (4 total)
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I liked this movie -- which is saying a lot, as i do not generally enjoy boxing or movies about boxing. I bought it because it starred Joe Louis, and i bought "The Joe Louis Story," about his life, at the same time because i wanted to learn who Louis really was. Of the two, "Spirit of Youth" was the one that captured my fancy -- and the one that revealed the most about Joe Louis, the human being. Louis is a very shy and unassuming man, hardly an actor at all, but his grace and charm shine through as he plays the role of a young boxer on the way up. Mantan Moreland, as his sidekick-trainer, is a true professional, carrying Louis the amateur actor over the rough spots in his performance and deftly giving way for Louis the boxer to do his stuff AS a boxer when the plot calls for action. Make it an evening and watch "Spirit of Youth" as a double bill with the much slicker but less charming "Joe Louis Story." Then come back here and tell us which one *you* liked best. I'm betting it will be "Spirit of Youth," by a knockout, in the fifth round.