This novelty film provides more entertainment that one might expect. Myrna Loy is Belle, headline singer at a club owned by tough guy Willie Ryan (Otto Kruger). When Belle meets ambitious heavyweight boxer Steve Morgan (Max Baer), she is swept off her feet by his confidence and charm. Willie wants to retaliate against the iron-jawed palooka, but his love of Belle forces him to step aside and hope for her happiness.
Max Baer is the center of this film. The story follows his life in and out of the ring. This is stunt casting. Baer was a prime contender for the (real) world heavyweight title. Who knew he could actually act...and sing and dance! In one scene he performs with a bevy of chorines in a number that is the best part of the film. Most dance numbers in 1933 are no match for the precision, artistry and technical skills of the choreography in the forties and later, but the "training day" motif of this dance displays real fitness and gymnastic ability. And Baer performs with them, tap for tap.
The end of the film includes a boxing match between the contender and the champ, featuring three boxing champions in the ring at the same time: Jack Dempsey (as the referee), Max Baer and Primo Carnera. It also features the introduction of other ring celebrities, including James J. Jeffries. With boxing in its heyday, these cameos must have thrilled many filmgoers.
As a "time capsule", this film reveals much about the culture, language and attitudes of the depression era. It is also a surprisingly effective romance.
In real life, Baer would defeat champion Carnera in 1934. Baer's life was so colorful, it would make a great subject for film.
Max Baer is the center of this film. The story follows his life in and out of the ring. This is stunt casting. Baer was a prime contender for the (real) world heavyweight title. Who knew he could actually act...and sing and dance! In one scene he performs with a bevy of chorines in a number that is the best part of the film. Most dance numbers in 1933 are no match for the precision, artistry and technical skills of the choreography in the forties and later, but the "training day" motif of this dance displays real fitness and gymnastic ability. And Baer performs with them, tap for tap.
The end of the film includes a boxing match between the contender and the champ, featuring three boxing champions in the ring at the same time: Jack Dempsey (as the referee), Max Baer and Primo Carnera. It also features the introduction of other ring celebrities, including James J. Jeffries. With boxing in its heyday, these cameos must have thrilled many filmgoers.
As a "time capsule", this film reveals much about the culture, language and attitudes of the depression era. It is also a surprisingly effective romance.
In real life, Baer would defeat champion Carnera in 1934. Baer's life was so colorful, it would make a great subject for film.