BOOTS MALONE
US, 1952, 103 minutes, Black and White.
William Holden, Johnny Stewart, Stanley Clements, Basil Ruysdael, Carl Benton Reid, Ed Begley, Henry Morgan.
Directed by William Dieterle.
Boots Malone is quite an entertaining story of the racetrack ? Damon Runyon territory, but presented more seriously and with more sentiment. William. Holden portrays an Irishman migrated to America, disappointed with the death of his wife and child, trying to survive on the racetrack and falling foul of his jockeys and the bookmakers. He encounters a young boy, becomes attached to him, trains him and has to face moral questions about letting him win or not for his survival. Holden gives a very good performance and was at a peak in his career in the early '50s. He was soon to win his Oscar for Stalag 17 in 1953. Johnny Stewart is very good as Tommy.
There is an authentic atmosphere of the racetrack and the confraternity of the smaller workers at the track. The film is directed by William Dieterle, a very competent director for several decades whose work reached its peak in the '30s with the biographies of Zola, Pasteur, Juarez etc., with Paul Muni. An enjoyable family film.
1. How entertaining a film, popular ingredients, an American flavour, the cinema traditions of family films, relationship between fathers and sons, the racetrack? The '40s?'50s style? Now?
2. The film as a William Holden vehicle? His presence, style, strength? Sentiment?
3. The American flavour of the film, racing in the United States, gambling, work around the track, the training of racehorses, the races themselves? An atmosphere of authenticity? The impact of the racing sequences?
4. How well did the film present the details of this world, audience knowledge of the training of horses, the training and explanation sequences, the love of horses, their skill in racing?
5. The sentiment at the back of the film, the feel for human relationships, the lonely man remembering his wife and child, needing success, involved in shady deals, confronted by honesty? The difficulties in family life? Tommy and his self centred mother? The feeling in Tommy and his presence at the track, within the group, his need to ride, his skill, the possibility of success, calling himself Tommy Malone Junior? The family relationships and clashes?
6. William Holden's portrayal of Boots? The down and out beginning, the story of Earl and his clash with him before his death, the monument and his speech? The thugs and their bashing him? His concern for Earl's wife and her job? His friendship with the jockey, with Preacher, with the various smaller workers around the track? His ambiguous attitudes towards truth and honesty? The Irish background, the story of his wife, toughness for survival? His giving people breaks? The plan about getting White Cargo? His techniques? Smooth talking? The encounter with Tommy, testing him out, using him, wanting to give him the brush off, being got the better of? His harshness with him, including the slapping of his face? Training him, making him succeed? His devices to get him back to the race ? even in sending him back to his mother? The confrontation with Tommy's mother? The decisions that he had to make at the end and his holding out as long as possible? A rounded picture of a man of the racetrack?
7. The film's characterisation of Preacher and his love for horses, the violence with the gun, the training of White Cargo? The jockey friend who would never amount to being a great jockey but who supported Tommy? The various hands around the track? Their code, the buying of the horse, their hopes?
8. The background of the wealthy owners, their lack of scruple, deals, sackings? Whitehead being tricked in the buying of White Cargo and his failure at the end? The bookmakers and their brutality?
9. The portrait of Tommy, his arrival, his integrity, age, manners, the hundred dollars? His being taken in by Boots and the jockey and his later showing that he saw through them? His earnestness, his memories of school? The mystery about his identity? His working, his riding the horse and saving it from destruction? The training, his skill, being a natural? His response to Boots' training? The importance of the discovery about his mother? His being hurt by Boots' behaviour? Running away? His skill during the race, the appeal? His love for Boots? The substitute father? The portrait of his mother and her self centredness, her reaction to Boots? Boots' clear talking to her on the phone? Her learning from the experience and the possibility of Tommy relating to his mother and having a substitute father in Boots? How satisfying was the ending?
10. The dramatics of the final race, the climax, the appeal, Tommy's success in the light of Boots' anxiety about what was to happen, his satisfaction in being honest?
11. How well did the film present the choices that Boots had and his way of trying to have everything with some kind of integrity? The basis for his final honesty?
12. How satisfying was the happy ending, a future for Tommy and for Boots?
