IMDb > The Set-Up (1949)

The Set-Up (1949) More at IMDbPro »


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Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   2,850 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 10% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Art Cohn (screenplay)
Joseph Moncure March (poem)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Set-Up on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 January 1950 (Portugal) more
Genre:
Tagline:
I Want a Man... Not a Human Punching Bag! more
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. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Jean-Jacques Beineix: The Hollywood Interview
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 14 July 2009, 4:20 PM, PDT)

Director Robert Wise Dies at 91
 (From IMDb News. 15 September 2005)

User Comments:
Forgotten gem more (48 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited 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
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Additional Details

Runtime:
72 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Canada:18A | USA:Approved (certificate #13478) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The shoot took twenty days. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Julie Thompson takes her walk from the gymnasium, she watches Pacific Electric interurban cars as they enter a subway tunnel. Car No. 707 is shown passing twice in a row. more
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.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Fighters (1991) (TV) more

FAQ

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18 out of 26 people found the following comment useful.
Forgotten gem, 25 June 2004
10/10
Author: arngest from Toronto, Ontario

Robert Wise was one of Hollywood's most versatile and talented directors, but amidst all the classic films he made, this one was purportedly his personal favourite. It's easy to see why. Seedy, gritty, and stark, it's about as subtle as a hard right to the jaw. Ryan - one of the most underrated actors in American cinema - delivers a superb performance as Stoker, an aging boxer looking to salvage his dignity if not his career. It's a moral choice that could cost him his friends, his marriage and his future. Among the many interesting facets of the film is the use of other boxers on the night's ticket to reflect and reveal aspects of Stoker's own character - the loss of his youthful dreams, the fear of pain and permanent damage. Wise reserves such subtle devices for Stoker alone - every other character is rather one-dimensional, though this came across to me as a conscious choice to better fit the story into the 'real time' format, and to keep us focused solely on Stoker's story. The camera work and visuals are as stark and as potent as the story, carefully chosen to reflect the emotional beats of the story. Overall, an archetypal example of film noir not to be missed. Don't consider yourself a true film buff until you've seen this movie!

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Stoker's Manager ntampapalms
Remake of The Set-Up in the works carehart
The Set-Up or Body and Soul lokko53
Tarantino/Avery...P ulp Fictino dengelke
The mook in the audience who keeps throwing the fake punches. Ham_and_Egger
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