Narrated by William Demarest. Director: JOHN WATERS. Screenplay: William R. Lipman, Grant Garrett, Harry Clork. Art directors: Cedric Gibbons, Hubert Hobson. Set decorators: Edwin B. Willis, Alfred E. Spencer. Photography: Charles Schoenbaum. Film editor: Ben Lewis. Music score: David Snell. Assistant director: Tom Andre. Costumes: Howard Shoup. Costume supervisor: Irene. Sound recording: Douglas Shearer. Western Electric Sound System. Producer: Nat Perrin.
Copyright 10 October 1946 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture. New York opening at Loew's State: 3 April 1947. U.S. release: January 1947. U.K. release: 10 March 1947. Australian release: 15 May 1947. 9 reels. 7,875 feet. 87½ minutes.
SYNOPSIS: English orphan befriends a Bowery bouncer.
NOTES: An unofficial re-make in the U.S.A., but in the U.K. the studio loudly trumpeted the fact that the picture was a new version of Beery's 1931 success, "The Champ".
COMMENT: Well, it does provide the spectacle of watching Wallace Beery in a Salvation Army uniform, and there is a real donnybrook at the conclusion, but one has to sit through some pretty intolerable sludge, with Beery hamming away with all stops out.
The sticky script which one imagined to be the work of a team of retired nuns, was actually penned with "The Champ" firmly in mind. In the U.K. in fact this movie was even advertised as a re-make, but M- G-M made no such admissions in America or Australia.
Although Beery's star was fading, M-G-M pushed the movie strongly in its American and Australian release, using Beery's name in letters as big as the title. It was a last hurrah for the once super-popular star. Although receipts were good, particularly in Beery's loyal stamping grounds in working-class neighborhoods, M-G-M felt that all the publicity effort was not quite worth the return. Beery's next solo vehicle, "Alias a Gentleman" (1948) was released without fanfare.
True, the publicity trumpets came blaring out for "A Date With Judy", but it was mostly Jane Powell they were serenading. Wally's last movie, "Big Jack" (1949) in which he was partnered by Marjorie Main, was given a bit of a push, but nothing like the campaign that went into promoting "The Mighty McGurk".
For all its blatant Beeriness, McGurk does have one solid point of interest. It's the only sound credited feature directed by the well- known silent film-maker, John Waters, who worked with Gary Cooper on his first starring film, Arizona Bound (1927) and subsequently directed Coop in Nevada (1927), and Beau Sabreur (1928).
M-G-M did make use of Waters' abilities as a 2nd unit director (largely uncredited). He won an Academy Award in 1934 for his work on Viva Villa and staged the action spots in Boom Town (1940). I also believe he did some work on A Tale of Two Cities (1935), The Good Earth (1937) and Dragon Seed (1944). And he did direct one other movie in the sound period: a 1935 Pete Smith short called Donkey Baseball.
Copyright 10 October 1946 by Loew's Inc. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer picture. New York opening at Loew's State: 3 April 1947. U.S. release: January 1947. U.K. release: 10 March 1947. Australian release: 15 May 1947. 9 reels. 7,875 feet. 87½ minutes.
SYNOPSIS: English orphan befriends a Bowery bouncer.
NOTES: An unofficial re-make in the U.S.A., but in the U.K. the studio loudly trumpeted the fact that the picture was a new version of Beery's 1931 success, "The Champ".
COMMENT: Well, it does provide the spectacle of watching Wallace Beery in a Salvation Army uniform, and there is a real donnybrook at the conclusion, but one has to sit through some pretty intolerable sludge, with Beery hamming away with all stops out.
The sticky script which one imagined to be the work of a team of retired nuns, was actually penned with "The Champ" firmly in mind. In the U.K. in fact this movie was even advertised as a re-make, but M- G-M made no such admissions in America or Australia.
Although Beery's star was fading, M-G-M pushed the movie strongly in its American and Australian release, using Beery's name in letters as big as the title. It was a last hurrah for the once super-popular star. Although receipts were good, particularly in Beery's loyal stamping grounds in working-class neighborhoods, M-G-M felt that all the publicity effort was not quite worth the return. Beery's next solo vehicle, "Alias a Gentleman" (1948) was released without fanfare.
True, the publicity trumpets came blaring out for "A Date With Judy", but it was mostly Jane Powell they were serenading. Wally's last movie, "Big Jack" (1949) in which he was partnered by Marjorie Main, was given a bit of a push, but nothing like the campaign that went into promoting "The Mighty McGurk".
For all its blatant Beeriness, McGurk does have one solid point of interest. It's the only sound credited feature directed by the well- known silent film-maker, John Waters, who worked with Gary Cooper on his first starring film, Arizona Bound (1927) and subsequently directed Coop in Nevada (1927), and Beau Sabreur (1928).
M-G-M did make use of Waters' abilities as a 2nd unit director (largely uncredited). He won an Academy Award in 1934 for his work on Viva Villa and staged the action spots in Boom Town (1940). I also believe he did some work on A Tale of Two Cities (1935), The Good Earth (1937) and Dragon Seed (1944). And he did direct one other movie in the sound period: a 1935 Pete Smith short called Donkey Baseball.