Gentleman Jim (1942)

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.

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Vincent Lawrence (screen play), Horace McCoy (screen play)

Stars:

Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, Jack Carson

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Errol Flynn	...	James J. Corbett
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 (as Madeleine LeBeau)
Rhys Williams	...	Harry Watson
Arthur Shields	...	Father Burke
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Ma Corbett

Storyline

Because boxing is a considered an illegal and disreputable enterprise in 1880's San Francisco, wealthy and influential members of the prestigious Olympic Club vow to make the sport a "gentlemanly" one. They sponsor a brash, extroverted young bank clerk named Jim Corbett, who quickly becomes an accomplished fighter under the new Marquis of Queensbury Rules. Despite his success, the young Irish-American's social pretensions and boastful manner soon estrange him from his benefactors, who plot to give their conceited former protégé a well-deserved comeuppance. Despite this, his dazzlingly innovative footwork helps him to beat a succession of bigger and stronger men, and he finally finds himself fighting for the world's championship against his childhood idol, John L. Sullivan.

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Plot Keywords:

heavyweight boxer | heavyweight championship fight | john l. sullivan character | character name as title | james l. corbett character | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 November 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der freche Kavalier

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on February 14, 1944 with Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith and Ward Bond reprising their film roles.

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Goofs

As the referee counts one of Sullivan's knockdowns, the soundtracks says, "One, two, three, four..." while his lips obviously count, "...four, five, six, seven."

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Quotes

James J. Corbett aka Gentleman Jim: Well, Miss Ware, if I get knocked out, I hope you'll throw a little water on me.
Victoria Ware: When you get knocked out, Mr. Corbett, I'll throw some champagne on you.
James J. Corbett aka Gentleman Jim: Yeah, uh, well, make sure it's good champagne.

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Connections

Featured in The Men Who Made the Movies: Raoul Walsh (1973)

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Soundtracks

The Fountain in the Park
(1884) (uncredited)
aka "While Strolling Through the Park One Day"
Music by Ed Haley
In the score during the opening scene

User Reviews

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.