I liked this a lot better than the host who introduced the film on Turner Classics. I didn't catch his name but that doesn't make much difference. He stated that the plot had so much packed into it, it could give you whiplash, but I didn't find that to be the case. It was a fairly straightforward story, though I agree with his observation that the boxing scenes left much to be desired, with some wild swinging punches on the part of Dane Clark, portraying boxer turned painter and then boxer once more, Mike Gordon. The boxing scenes actually take some time in coming, so you'll need to be patient if that's the reason you tuned in. It's more of a jilted romance story when Laurie Rogers (Alexis Smith), entranced by Gordon, abruptly disappears with no word of warning. Almost forgetting all about her, Gordon catches sight of Laurie singing at a New York night club, only to learn that she's married, and has been, to a gangster type confined to a wheelchair. Zachary Scott is suitably menacing as Laurie's husband Rex Durant, a former boxer whose legs couldn't be healed following an auto accident by Laurie's brother, Dr. Arnold Vincent. Realizing that his wife had a one time affair with Gordon, his revenge comes in the form of offering to train Mike for an eventual championship match, knowing that Mike would not fare well, and would likely get hurt against a seasoned professional.
The outcome most viewers wait for eventually happens, as Mike rises to the occasion to knock out the middleweight champ to free Laurie from her disastrous marriage, insured by the fact that Durant got hit by a car when his wheelchair went out of control. Come to think of it now as I write that, the Turner Classics guy might have had something with that almost comical scenario. However, here are a couple things that I found confusing. Why did Laurie Rogers, married to Rex Durant, not share the same last name as her brother, Arnold Vincent before marriage? And why, since his first name was Arnold, did Laurie call him Vincent or Vince at least a half dozen times throughout the story? I almost hate to say it, but maybe the TCM host had a point!
The outcome most viewers wait for eventually happens, as Mike rises to the occasion to knock out the middleweight champ to free Laurie from her disastrous marriage, insured by the fact that Durant got hit by a car when his wheelchair went out of control. Come to think of it now as I write that, the Turner Classics guy might have had something with that almost comical scenario. However, here are a couple things that I found confusing. Why did Laurie Rogers, married to Rex Durant, not share the same last name as her brother, Arnold Vincent before marriage? And why, since his first name was Arnold, did Laurie call him Vincent or Vince at least a half dozen times throughout the story? I almost hate to say it, but maybe the TCM host had a point!