THE CROWD ROARS
US, 1938, 90 minutes. Black and white.
Robert Taylor, Edward Arnold, Frank Morgan, Maureen O’ Sullivan, William Gargan, Lionel Stander, Jane Wyman, Nat Pendleton, Gene Reynolds.
Directed by Richard Thorpe.
The Crowd Roars is a boxing film of the 1930s. It starts well, but moves into more melodramatic confrontations than an emphasis on the boxing. In fact, there are criticisms of the boxing industry as well as praise of the sports skills.
Robert Taylor is an unlikely boxing champion but was emerging as a top star of the 1930s with such films as Magnificent Obsession and Camille. Edward Arnold portrays the usual type of heavy villain. Frank Morgan is the irresponsible father – just before making The Wizard of Oz. Maureen O’ Sullivan had appeared in Tarzan films with Johnny Weismuller and had a strong career at MGM. Jane Wyman, unexpectedly, appears as a ditzy drawling southern belle – not anything like the roles for which she became famous in the 1940s and 50s. Gene Reynolds is sympathetic as the young Tommy Mc Coy, an actor who became a prolific director for television from the 1960s.
The film was directed by Richard Thorpe, veteran director of a wide range of films at MGM, who was to direct Robert Taylor in half a dozen other films during the 1950s.
While the film seems very contrived, it is enjoyable, the cast engaging the audience despite some of the improbabilities of the plot.
1. This film’s place in boxing films? Its being remade in the 1940s with Mickey Rooney?
2. Robert Taylor and his star status at the time? The strong MGM cast?
3. The 1920s and 30s, New York City, Madison Square Garden? Homes, schools, mansions, farms? The musical score?
4. The title and its implications?
5. The film and its pro-boxing perspective, as a sport, skills, the audiences? Anti-boxing with stories of fixing, gangsters and gambling, the crowd, the pugs, brutality?
6. The introduction with Tommy, singing, the black eye, the priest, offering to get a job for his father, with his mother and father, giving his mother the money, his father as lazy, refusing to follow up on jobs, always open for a deal, drinking? Tommy and his singing, in the pool halls, at the fights? His father taking the money? His boxing, winning, Johnny Martin and taking him under his wing, taking him on the tour, the singing, the gift of the muscle ball?
7. The tour, Brian Mc Coy and his drinking, boasting? The payments, not contacting the mother, the letter from the priest, the mother’s death, the priest blaming Brian?
8. The years passing, the collage, the fights, Brian and his management of his son, Happy as the coach? The friendship with Happy? The difficulties with his father? Tommy and the fight with Johnny Martin, his dilemma, Johnny’s visit, their talk, the family? The fight, injuring his right hand, with the left and the knockout? The reaction of the media? Going to the hospital, concern about Johnny, meeting his wife, giving the money?
9. The media and its cynicism, the father and his boasting and getting caught out with the reporter, the fight and the commentators, the nickname of Killer Mc Coy? Tommy’s career and his name?
10. Cain, Brian’s six hundred-dollar debt? Tommy and his confronting Cain? The clash? The encounter with Pug Walsh?
11. Tommy and his wanting to opt out, telling Cain? Trying for jobs, not succeeding, the people watching him at the restaurants etc?
12. His return to Cain, the deal, the role of his father, the money? Money as the motivation? His clashes? Success? His father and his return?
13. Happy, standing by Tommy, working with him?
14. Going to the farm, training, the guards, settling in, Sheila and Vivian arriving, the clash with Sheila? Discovering the truth? Vivian inviting him to the party, his thinking it was Sheila? The dancing, the young man, the fight, falling in the water? The bond with Sheila?
15. Cain, forbidding Tommy to have anything to do with his daughter? Tommy and his seeing Sheila, regularly, Cain not knowing?
16. The clash with his father, sending him away? Brian, his irresponsibility, lies, with Cain, the contract? Tommy allowing him to return?
17. Cain, Brian drinking, telling Pug the truth about the bouts?
18. The abduction of Sheila, taking Brian? Tommy and the plan? Cain wanting to opt out, the bets with Pug?
19. Sheila and Brian? The guards? Brian pretending to collapse, getting the gun, Sheila escaping, the deaths? The fight, Sheila and her father, in time? Tommy taking a beating, then winning? Pug and the arrest?
20. The happy ending with the wedding – and the cycle recurring with the chorister with the black eye?
