MovieChat Forums > The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933) Discussion > A Trip Into the Way-Back Machine

A Trip Into the Way-Back Machine

posted 9 years ago by FilioScotia
3 replies | jump to latest

This is an amazing film for boxing fans, especially those who know anything about the champions and contenders of the 1920s and 30s. We see the real boxing champions playing themselves, which makes it a look back in time.

Max Baer was a real heavyweight fighter who could also act and be a song and dance man. There's an amazing production number that shows Baer doing his own singing and dancing, and he looks like he knows what he's doing.

The most rewarding part of this film is the title fight between Baer's character and the real Heavyweight champeen of the world Primo Carnero playing himself. Neither side can agree on who should referee so the boxing commission installs the real former heavyweight champeen Jack Dempsey as referee.

I laughed at Dempsey's pre-fight instructions to the fighters. He puts special emphasis on the rule that says the fighter standing after a knockdown must go to a neutral corner. I'm betting people in the 1933 movie houses also laughed long and loud at that line.

It came only six years after Dempsey lost the heavyweight title to Gene Tunney because he didn't go to a neutral corner immediately after knocking Tunney to the canvas in the 7th round. The referee didn't start the knockdown count till Dempsey went to the corner, which gave Tunney time to get up and go on to win the fight.

Here's film of this famous long count on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5rDUbO4NSc

The most interesting factoid about this movie is that a year later, Max Baer defeated Primo Carnero in a real fight to win the heavyweight title.

Jesus is coming. Look busy.

[–] PussyCrusher_Principal 9 years ago

I used to know all this stuff by heart, but I had to look it up, when these two fought, because I knew Baer pummeled Canera for the title, and wondered if this film occurred after they fought. I'm still not sure if the two had their fight in the works at the time of filming....I don't think Carnera had any successful defenses off top of my head (?), and I know Baer was touted as a deadly puncher, so if it wasn't aranged, it seems at least they were on a collision course. For me, that makes this such an interesting film, with all that surrounds it!

....and Whitey's on the moon

[–] jellyree 9 years ago

You don't have to be knowledgable about boxing to appreciate that there are 3 genuine boxing legends in this film.

Perhaps the OP just wants to reach out for some sense of community.

[–] FilioScotia 9 years ago

After defeating Carnero for the real title in 1934, Baer said he learned everything he needed to know about Carnero's style in the filming of this movie the year before.

Even though the filmed fight was choreographed, he learned Carnero's moves well enough to defeat him for real a year later. Unfortunately for Carnero, he didn't pay enough attention to Baer's moves well enough to beat him and keep the title.

Jesus is coming. Look busy.