THE LIFE OF JIMMY DOLAN
US, 1933, 88 minutes, Black and white.
Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Loretta Young,Aline Mac Mahon, Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, Fifi d'Orsay, John Wayne, Edward Arnold, Clarence Muse, Mickey Rooney.
Directed by Archie Mayo.
This film has the tough Warner Brothers tone about it, Douglas Fairbanks Jr having appeared in Little Caesar. This is an early role for Loretta Young, Aline Mac Mahon plays her aunt. John Wayne has a small part as a would-be fight champion, Edward Arnold as a police chief, Clarence Muse as a masseur, and yet another very young part for Mickey Rooney. Guy Kibbee is a policeman who works in the archives but works out what has happened to the boxing champion and follows it up.
Jimmy Dolan is a star boxer, upright in terms of interviews and the public, but living a somewhat dissolute secret life. When a reporter finds the truth, Jimmy hits him and is responsible for his death as he hit his head on a grate. He is advised to get out of town, most of his money taken as a fee by his crooked adviser. He wanders the country, on trains, avoiding people.
He finishes up collapsing at a house, the house for orphans, run by Aline Mac Mahon and Loretta Young. They take him in, he does work around the property, including learning how to milk a cow rather than a bull, and become something of a mentor to the young children, including Mickey Rooney. And Loretta Young falls in love with him.
The two women are in need of money to keep the orphanage going so Jimmy enters into a boxing competition, $500 for every round lasted with the big champion. He is rejected as being too small but knocks out the promoter and gets the work. He does last a sufficient number of rounds to get the money for the orphanage. the policeman who works in the archives, not being able to persuade the police, including Edward Arnold, of who Jimmy is and that he did not die in an accident where his trainer was wearing Jimmy’s watch and was disfigured, watches the bout, arrests Jimmy, but is moved with pity for the orphans and let’s him go.
1. A pleasing film of 1933, combining boxing, a touch of the police and gangsters, the emotional aspect of life on the farm with orphans? Romance?
2. Black-and-white photography, locations, the boxing world, wealthy apartments, on the road, on the trains, the farm? The musical score?
3. The story of Jimmy Dolan, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, in the ring, his victory, the radio interview, talking to his mother, with the reporters? Not drinking? In the apartment, drinking, the girls, his manager? The girl visiting, her friend, turning out to be a reporter, intending to tell the truth, Jimmy punching him, his hitting his head, death? His manager taking his watch, he and the girl in the car, drinking, erratic, the crash? The false identification of Jimmy? Screwy and his suspicions, Jimmy as a southpaw, the watch on the right wrist? Talking to the police officials, their not believing him, allowing him to take time off to track Jimmy down?
4. Jimmy, wandering, the farm, collapsing, Peggy and Auntie taking him in? His wariness, promising to work, with the bull and the cow, the chores around the house, with the orphans, their friendliness? Peggy looking after him, her falling in love, his falling in love?
5. Life in the orphanage, happiness, Peggy and her work, Auntie and her looking after the orphans, the letter from Chicago, repayments?
6. The boxing match, Jimmy deciding to enter, the interview, being too small, knocking the interviewer down, being accepted? The champion, big, arrogant, his promoters? The various competitors, including John Wayne, wanting to get money for his pregnant wife? Going into the ring, Jimmy sustaining the various rounds, being knocked down, but getting enough money? Auntie and her support, Peggy and the orphans listening on the radio?
7. Screwy, his arrival, making himself known, Jimmy fighting nonetheless? The aftermath, going back to the house, explaining that he would have to be away for a while that Screwy was a promoter? At the train, Screwy changing his mind, letting Jimmy go – to a happy future?
