The Big Chance

This is a production of the Morris Shiller Company—a minor entity indeed. However, in the opening credits I saw two reasons to stick with the film—Mickey Rooney (in one of his earliest roles) and J. Carroll Naish—two actors that can almost make anything worth watching---well, maybe not this one! The film begins with a fixed boxing match. I was surprised that although they did film footage of a fight, they also used stock footage in a clumsy attempt to cut costs. From here, the story becomes a pretty standard film about the boxer falling in love with a sweet girl and wanting to give up his crooked life. Naturally his 'friends' don't like this and eventually resort to a kidnapping to keep the boxer in their clutches. But, naturally, by the end all is swell.

The problem with this film is that it just isn't particularly exciting to watch—a definite problem with a boxing film. Poor acting and a sluggish plot don't help any and it's a pretty much forgettable film aside from Rooney. As for Naish, well, he did go on to better things.

Boring, workmanlike programmer boxing film fails to deliver on its punches. Not that it doesn't try to dump buckets of melodrama on the masses, but the boxing footage sucks, there's no star in sight (except Rooney, who's very touchy-feely with all the boxers for a spunky little boy!) and the prevailing mood is drek. Standard mobsters inspire the boxer to make the usual decision to win the "big fight" despite the fix, although in this case there's no consequence to the boxer. A loser.

This film contains a lot of delights. Seeing Mickey Rooney, four or five years before hitting the big time in the Andy Hardy series, is fun. I also enjoyed Hank Mann as the sidekick. He was terrific in Charlie Chaplin's "City Lights" two years before. His boxing scene with Chaplin may be the funniest fight scene in any movie. He doesn't have much to do in this movie, but he does add nice comic touches. There are a lot of rural shots that are a bit unusual for the time period. Many early talkies were bogged down in the studio due to the heavy cameras and poor microphones of the time, but this seems to enjoy a silent movie freedom of camera movement. The lead, John Darrow is quite handsome and charming. He really could have been another James Cagney if the breaks had gone his way.

There is only one real fight scene in the movie. It is obviously edited with some documentary footage, but it is reasonably well done. The movie is pretty gentle, even with its gangster/fixed fight sub theme. The romance is really the key element here and Darrow and Merna Kennedy make a really nice couple. There seems to be some genuine affection or seduction going on between them.

At only an hour's running time, this is certainly no epic, but it moves well and is an entertaining quickie. I recommend it for those who enjoy golden age movie making.

The trouble with this old film, is that the basic premise has been done so many times since. The underdog with the final chance of glory or redemption gets to do so in the end. Most noticeably of all in the first 'Rocky' film and all the following (far too) many sequels.

I saw this on a '3 Classic Films on 1 DVD' cheapie and none of them were classics of any description! But they did pass the time amiably and this one was the shortest running of the three. For the time it was made and the minuscule money spent, it works well enough.

Taken from an old (out of copyright) print, the DVD copy here skipped in parts and some dialogue was lost but not enough to make any difference, films were made fast and cheap in the old days! This would have been very much a B-movie filler when it was made, like the straight-to-video/DVD of today and it would be unfair to expect too much of quality there.

There is more interest here in the sexual mores of the day, a police officer coming over to the hero's car while he is with his girlfriend, telling him not to 'carry on.' He was kissing her...

Or the 'bad girl' in the film, name of 'Babe,' who really is a floozy as she is still sleeping in bed in late morning. What a complete slut! lol. Of course, this was movie shorthand for the time, that this was a wicked woman who was no good. How times have changed when they want to show how bad a woman can be nowadays.

A self-described "fall guy for a lot of crooked promoters," handsome welterweight boxer John Darrow (as Frankie "Knockout" Morgan) specializes in winning fixed bouts, for crooked manager Matthew Betz (as "Flash" McQuaid). While training, Mr. Darrow meets attractive Merna Kennedy (as Mary Wilson) through her hero-worshiping little brother Mickey Rooney (as Arthur). A romance with sweet, church-going Ms. Kennedy inspires Darrow to change his outlook on throwing the championship fight, which understandably irks Mr. Betz and his gang. Will it all work out by the closing clinch?

"The Big Chance" may lack punch as a picture, but it provided a few of the participants with some good experience. A likable champ, Darrow later became an agent. A fetching woman, Kennedy married big-time musical director Busby Berkeley. Described herein as 4'6" tall, Rooney grew into much bigger star. Helping Darrow train, and dry off after his shower, is veteran "Keystone Kop" comic Hank Mann (as "Tugboat"). J. Carrol Naish appears in the opening credits, but he not in the film; probably, Mr. Naish was replaced by Frank LaRue (uncredited as John Wilson, Mary's father).

**** The Big Chance (8/29/33) Albert Herman ~ John Darrow, Merna Kennedy, Hank Mann, Mickey Rooney