Even during the Second World War the fight goes on in the boxing ring. In London's East End Arena, aging American boxer Yank Dawson is getting ready for his match against English fighter Tiger Jones. It's September 7th, 1944. Dawson's manager Chipper White (Felix Deebank) relates the story of a former boxer named Paddy (last name sounded like Cahoon) who died in the very same ring that night's match will take place in. Local legend states that anyone who sees Paddy's ghost will die before the next sunrise.
Dawson's not the superstitious type, but upon waking up from a short nap, the silent ghost of Paddy is standing next to the rub-down table and puts Dawson into a sweat. He frantically calls for his manager, who pins down rival Sanderson (Ronald Long), the manager of Dawson's opponent for the evening. Sanderson admits he put up a former boxer of his to put a scare into Dawson, but later during the match Dawson's knocked down by his opponent when he's distracted once again by Paddy sitting in the stands. It can't be Sanderson's guy Davis because he's been in the local lockup for being drunk and rowdy for the past hour. This time, Chipper White, Sanderson and boxer Jones also see Paddy in the stands, even though the promoter of the bout who enters the ring with them can't see the 'ghost'.
The episode ends with the legend of Paddy's ghost coming true, as a bombing raid over London destroyed part of the arena and all four men who saw the apparition perished, they being the only ones left in the arena after the spectator crowd had left following the matches. Correction, the promoter was also in the building and he survived - he was the only one who didn't see Paddy's ghost.
Whether this event actually happened or not, what intrigued me about the story was the appearance of Charles Bronson in the role of Yank Dawson. It reminded me of an earlier appearance by Bronson in a 1952 episode of "The Roy Rogers Show" called 'Knockout'. Bronson was a boxer in that show too, though a decade earlier he was lighter in weight and much less muscular than in this story. The credits following the earlier program listed Bronson using his real name - Charles Buchinski!
Dawson's not the superstitious type, but upon waking up from a short nap, the silent ghost of Paddy is standing next to the rub-down table and puts Dawson into a sweat. He frantically calls for his manager, who pins down rival Sanderson (Ronald Long), the manager of Dawson's opponent for the evening. Sanderson admits he put up a former boxer of his to put a scare into Dawson, but later during the match Dawson's knocked down by his opponent when he's distracted once again by Paddy sitting in the stands. It can't be Sanderson's guy Davis because he's been in the local lockup for being drunk and rowdy for the past hour. This time, Chipper White, Sanderson and boxer Jones also see Paddy in the stands, even though the promoter of the bout who enters the ring with them can't see the 'ghost'.
The episode ends with the legend of Paddy's ghost coming true, as a bombing raid over London destroyed part of the arena and all four men who saw the apparition perished, they being the only ones left in the arena after the spectator crowd had left following the matches. Correction, the promoter was also in the building and he survived - he was the only one who didn't see Paddy's ghost.
Whether this event actually happened or not, what intrigued me about the story was the appearance of Charles Bronson in the role of Yank Dawson. It reminded me of an earlier appearance by Bronson in a 1952 episode of "The Roy Rogers Show" called 'Knockout'. Bronson was a boxer in that show too, though a decade earlier he was lighter in weight and much less muscular than in this story. The credits following the earlier program listed Bronson using his real name - Charles Buchinski!