Kid Galahad (1962)

After completing his military service, Walter Gulick takes a job as a sparring partner at a gym, the owner of which sees potential in Walter as a professional fighter and takes him under his wing.

Director:

Phil Karlson

Writers:

William Fay (screenplay), Francis Wallace (story)

Stars:

Elvis Presley, Gig Young, Lola Albright

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Elvis Presley	...	Walter Gulick
Gig Young	...	Willy Grogan
Lola Albright	...	Dolly Fletcher
Joan Blackman	...	Rose Grogan
Charles Bronson	...	Lew Nyack
David Lewis	...	Otto Danzig
Robert Emhardt	...	Maynard
Liam Redmond	...	Father Higgins
Judson Pratt	...	Howie Zimmerman
Ned Glass	...	Max Lieberman
George Mitchell	...	Harry Sperling
Roy Roberts	...	Jerry Bathgate
Michael Dante	...	Joie Shakes
Richard Devon	...	Marvin
Jeff Morris	...	Ralphie (as Jeffrey Morris)

Storyline

When he completes his military service Walter Gulick returns to his birthplace, Cream Valley, New York. He was orphaned as an infant and grew up elsewhere but always wanted to return to where he was from. He hopes to be a mechanic but soon after his arrival finds himself working as a sparring partner at a boxing camp. Having lost all of his money in a crap game, Walter is happy to take any kind of work but a devastating right hook sends him down a different path. Willy Grogan thinks he has a winner in Walter who, after helping a lady out, is dubbed Kid Galahad. Willy is a likable man but gambles too much and may have been a witness to a mobster's conversation that would best be forgotten. As Walter gains more success, and falls in love with Willy's sister Rose, Willy Grogan finds himself coming under pressure from mobsters to make Walter takes a dive at his next big fight.

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Plot Keywords:

bare chested male | bar fight | boxer | guitarist | training | 

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Taglines:

Presley packs the the screen's biggest wallop...with the gals...with the gloves...with the guitar!

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Genres:

Drama | Musical | Sport

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Max Lieberman (Ned Glass) is sitting with Father Higgins (Liam Redmond) watching a sparring session, Lieberman rattles off the names of nine old-time fighters. Each and every name mentioned was a real boxer from the professional prize ring: "KO" Phil Kaplan, Augie Ratner, Battling Levinsky, Jack Bernstein, Louis "Kid" Kaplan, Ruby Goldstein, "Corporal" Izzy Schwartz, Abe Atell, and Harlem Tommy Murphy.

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Goofs

Kid Galahad trains for the climactic big fight during the middle of summer, Independence Day to Labor Day, yet when you see all the orange and yellow leaves on the trees and on the ground it is obvious that these scenes were filmed in autumn.

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Quotes

Walter Gulick: Don't push me, Willy. I'm a grease monkey that won't slide so easily!

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Connections

Featured in Elvis in the Movies (1990)

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Soundtracks

A Whistling Tune
Written by Sherman Edwards & Hal David
Performed by Elvis Presley (uncredited)

User Reviews

Enjoyable, and a little more than just fluff

At the start, Walter is fresh from the army and hitchhiking on the back of a moving van (not something anyone should attempt in real life, but it looks good here). And he's singing! Walter arrives in the small scenic New York community of Cream Valley, where he was born. After his parents died he was raised by an aunt in Kentucky (which explains the accent). In the army he worked in the motor pool, and he loves restoring cars, so he hopes to get a job as a mechanic.

Unfortunately, the only job available is sparring partner for one of several boxers training in the community. At least Walter boxed in the army. He isn't that good, until ...

Willy runs Grogan's Gaelic Gardens, which is trying to compete with Lieberman's Shangri-La as a tourist attraction. But Willy has a gambling problem, and Otto and his goons constantly remind him he needs to pay up. Dolly, who used to sing at Lieberman's, is Willy's impatient fiancée, and she helps take care of the place. And Rose is Willy's younger sister and business partner. The minute Walter sees Rose, we all know what's going to happen with them. Of course, Willy turns out to be quite overprotective.

Walter's boxing talent just may turn out to be the solution for Willy's problems. The usual formula for movies like this applies, though, and it won't be that easy.

I haven't seen but a few Elvis Presley movies. But I didn't know what I was missing. Even Elvis admitted (as portrayed on TV by Jonathan Rhys Meyers) that his movies were fluff, but this one was just a little more.

Elvis gives us his usual impeccably polite all-American boy, and shows his singing talent in a few scenes (though this is not what I would call a musical). He is also good at looking tough in the boxing ring, and he really seems to be able to take a punch or two or three. But in the scenes where he loses his temper (because women shouldn't be treated that way), it becomes clear Elvis was hired for his popularity, not his acting ability.

What makes this film more than ordinary is the talent surrounding the King. Lola Albright as Dolly, Robert Emhardt as Maynard, and David Lewis as Otto in particular. I wasn't that impressed with Gig Young as Willy, but he was easy to like.

And I have to single out Charles Bronson as boxing trainer Lew. When he was in pain in one scene, it was truly disturbing. And that's what put this movie over the top and made it more than just the usual.

Ed Asner (from the Manhattan district attorney's office) had a bald spot even way back then! I've liked him for years. I didn't see much from him here to be impressed with, though.

I did like the music, and the classic cars, which of course were brand new or only a few years old. Walter himself liked the vintage car he restored better than I did.

I would call this good, clean family fun, but of course Elvis does get beat up a lot and he does bleed. And there is some violence even outside the boxing ring. But in the early 60s, violence wasn't as big a concern as it is today.

If you like Elvis, this is certainly one to watch.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

29 August 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kid Galahad

Filming Locations:

Culver Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,800,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mirisch Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1