Gentleman Jim (1942)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Vincent Lawrence (screenplay) and
Horace McCoy (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 November 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

The grandest story of the Naughty "Nineties" becomes the gayest picture of the Fighting "Forties!"

Plot:

As bareknuckled boxing enters the modern era, brash extrovert Jim Corbett uses new rules and dazzlingly innovative footwork to rise to the top of the top of the boxing world.

Plot Keywords:

Boxing | Irish American | Extrovert | Bank | Benefactor

Cast

Errol Flynn	...	James J. Corbett / Gentleman Jim
Alexis Smith	...	Victoria Ware
Jack Carson	...	Walter Lowrie
Alan Hale	...	Pat Corbett
John Loder	...	Carlton De Witt
William Frawley	...	Billy Delaney
Minor Watson	...	Buck Ware
Ward Bond	...	John L. Sullivan
Madeleine Lebeau	...	Anna Held
Rhys Williams	...	Harry Watson
Arthur Shields	...	Father Burke
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Ma Corbett
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clara Blandick	...	Woman on Train (uncredited)
Monte Blue	...	Gambler in "Lucky Guy" (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Walter Byron	...	Ringside Telegrapher (uncredited)
Georgia Caine	...	Mrs. Geary (uncredited)
Johnny Calkins	...	Boy (uncredited)
Wallis Clark	...	Judge Geary (uncredited)
Hal Craig	...	Telegrapher (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan	...	Duffy - referee (uncredited)
Harry Crocker	...	Charles Crocker (uncredited)
Wade Crosby	...	Manager (uncredited)
William B. Davidson	...	Donovan (uncredited)
William 'Wee Willie' Davis	...	Flannagan (uncredited)
Jean Del Val	...	Renaud (uncredited)
Joe Devlin	...	Hogan (uncredited)
Peggy Diggins	...	Beautiful Actress (uncredited)
Lester Dorr	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Robert Fiske	...	Telegrapher (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Harry Corbett (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	George Corbett (uncredited)
Art Foster	...	Jack Burke (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Usher (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Casey (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Mug (uncredited)
Creighton Hale	...	Championship Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Bert Hanlon	...	Clerk (uncredited)
Carl Harbaugh	...	Smith (uncredited)
Winifred Harris	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Lew Harvey	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Herbert Heywood	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
William Hopper	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Si Jenks	...	Old man (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey	...	Sutro (uncredited)
Joe King	...	Col. McLane (uncredited)
Ed Lewis	...	Hoghead (uncredited)
George Lloyd	...	Harrigan (uncredited)
John Maxwell	...	Stockbroker (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Olympic Club Member (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Gov. Stanford (uncredited)
Mike Mazurki	...	Jake Kilrain (uncredited)
Lon McCallister	...	Page Boy (uncredited)
Larry McGrath	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Pat McKee	...	Ticketholder (uncredited)
John Merkyl	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Frank Moran	...	Spectator - Sullivan fight (uncredited)
Pat Moriarity	...	Spectator - Sullivan fight (uncredited)
Jack Mower	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Wedgwood Nowell	...	Broker (uncredited)
Henry O'Hara	...	Colis Huntington (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Detective (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Dennis Simmons - doorman at the Olympic Club (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Detective (uncredited)
Marilyn Phillips	...	Mary Corbett (uncredited)
Jack Roper	...	Donaldson (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Hansom Cab Driver (uncredited)
George Sherwood	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Edwin Stanley	...	President McInnes (uncredited)
Freddie Steele	...	Referee (uncredited)
Sammy Stein	...	Joe Choynski (uncredited)
Dan Tobey	...	Announcer (uncredited)
Charlotte Treadway	...	Matron (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan	...	Stage Manager (uncredited)
Dick Wessel	...	Referee (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Charles C. Wilson	...	Gurney (uncredited)
Jack Wise	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Victor Zimmerman	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Raoul Walsh

Writing credits
Vincent Lawrence		(screenplay) and
Horace McCoy		(screenplay)
James J. Corbett		(autobiography The Roar of the Crowd)

Produced by
Robert Buckner	....	producer

Original Music by
Heinz Roemheld		(as H. Roemheld)

Cinematography by
Sidney Hickox		(director of photography) (as Sid Hickox)

Film Editing by
Jack Killifer

Art Direction by
Ted Smith

Set Decoration by
Clarence Steensen

Costume Design by
Milo Anderson		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Perc Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Frank Mattison	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Russell Saunders	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
C.A. Riggs	....	sound

Stunts
Mushy Callahan	....	fight choreographer (uncredited)
Yakima Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Buster Wiles	....	stunts (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Don Siegel	....	montage
James Leicester	....	montage (uncredited)

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Ray Heindorf	....	music arranger: orchestral arrangements
Sam Perry	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Other crew
Ed Cochrane	....	technical advisor
Hugh Cummings	....	dialogue director
Ed Lewis	....	boxing double: Ward Bond (uncredited)
Freddie Steele	....	boxing double: Errol Flynn (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• Key Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. (1948) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (No. 8440) | Norway:A (1950) | Germany:12 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Baldwin Estate, Santa Ana, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

According to "Variety," the real Corbett was "self-effacing" and had a "quiet personality.," which is at odds with the brash extrovert that is pictured in the film.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: The night the Corbetts are moving out of their old home to go to the one that Jim had bought for them, the shadow of the boom mic is clearly seen moving along the left wall as they come down the outside steps.

Quotes:

James J. Corbett aka Gentleman Jim: The first time I saw you fight I was just a bit of a kid. There wasn't a man alive who could have stood up to you then. And tonight, well, I was just mighty glad that you weren't the John L. Sullivan of ten years ago.
John L. Sullivan: Is that what you're thinkin' now?
James J. Corbett aka Gentleman Jim: That's what I was thinking before I got into the ring with you.
John L. Sullivan: That's a fine decent thing for you to say, Jim. I don't knopw how we might have come out, oh, say, eight or ten tears ago. I... maybe I was faster then, but if I was, tonight you're the fastest thing on two feet

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Summer of '42 (1971)

Soundtrack:

Overture

Thoroughly enjoyable

This film enhanced my opinion of Errol Flynn. While Flynn is of course best known for his savoir-faire and sprezzatura (to throw in a couple of high-falutin' European terms!), this film gives him an opportunity to stretch (albeit only slightly) as an actor, as he plays an unabashed social climber with a big ego and a sense of nerve to match. The supporting cast is excellent; everyone seems well-chosen for their roles.

The story moves briskly and, while not particularly profound (it misses, perhaps intentionally, the opportunity to render social commentary on the massively uneven distribution of income during that time), it certainly entertains and satisfies. From what I know of Jim Corbett, the story is also reasonably faithful to history. I also really liked the great depictions of 1880s San Francisco. All in all, there's little not to like about this film...very well worth the time to watch it.