World in My Corner

The mid-1950s proved to be the last stand for Hollywood's traditional boxing movie. (In 1955, for example, Tony Curtis appeared in "The Square Jungle" while John Derek donned gloves for "The Leather Saint.") Audie Murphy's "World in My Corner" may be the best of this lot even though it follows a well-worn formula: poor but honest boxer from the wrong side of the tracks gets a taste of the high-life, falls for a rich society girl, and is tempted to "take a dive" for money.

The sole variation here is that rich-girl Barbara Rush is also the good-girl. (In some movies, the rich-girl is portrayed as a flashy blonde temptress who tries to lure the boxer into corruption. Opposing her, of course, is a poor but devoted good-girl who dresses modestly and who has dark hair. Guess which girl the boxer winds up with in the final scene.)

At least "World in My Corner" seems aware of its routine nature. Rather than trying to hide it, the movie makes it an asset by playing things straight, avoiding unnecessary detours and keeping both plot and characters within a narrow focus. The result may not be stylish or innovative but it does offer a modest degree of satisfaction.

Audie Murphy may never have been Oscar-material but he's well-cast here and does passably well in the many boxing sequences. Needless to say, he often appears bare-chested and this opportunity to exploit a young actor's "beefcake" potential partially explains the appeal of the boxing movie. Had Ben Affleck come along a generation or two ago, for example, he'd probably have had at least one boxing movie under his belt, though his chest would probably have been shaved for the sake of "decency."

Jesse Hibbs began his career as an assistant director from 1937 to 1953. Then he became cinema director during 1953 and 1958 and directed 11 movies , 6 with Audie Murphy : 3 westerns, 1 comedy, 1 war autobiography and this box drama that has already been done in other movies in a far better way. Because "World In My Corner" is really flat with no punchy rhythm, the worse for a box movie. Absolutely no inventive direction and cinematography, even during the fights. Forgettable.

Routine. Standard. Flat. Marginal. Yeah, I'd say the majority of my fourteen, esteemed IMDB colleagues below have this 1956 boxing flic pegged just about right. Nearly everything about it...the fight scenes, the cinematography, the acting of Audie Murphy and Barbara Rush, the dialogue by someone named Sher...screams "mediocrity!" Occasionally, there are flashes of interest, like a smarmy study in toxic wealth by an actor with whom I'm not familiar but soon hope to be, Jeff Morrow. Or real life pugilist Chico Vejar who turns in the film's best, most natural acting job. But just as often the film slips below the ho hum line into the land of serious boredom as in those interminable love scenes between the two leads. Solid C.

PS... Murphy's character says he's Jersey, but every time he opens his mouth I hear Longhorn.

Audie Murphy is an honest young boxer with an honest manager in John MacIntire. But he wants beautiful Barbara Rush, and her father, Jeff Morrow, is a manipulative man. Can Audie remain an honest man and have Miss Rush?

It's pretty much a standard boxing movie, although Murphy, who is mostly quiet, out with long speeches that mark plot switches three or four times. The corruption of the fight game is hinted at throughout, but doesn't turn into actual action until the last act. The fight scenes with Chico Vejar are well shot, and pretty brutal. With Tommy Rail, Howard St. John, and Sheila Bromley.

What strikes me is that despite every opportunity, the director never managed to give this movie that extra something that would have made it better. As for why that happened one can only speculate. A lack of interest and engagement comes to mind. It even looks like the director was going through the motions without the aim of telling this story in a grand manner. The result is a watchable but pretty predictable movie that never really catches on. Was he directing this film as a tedious task he did not really want to do? The acting is not very convincing, and a feeling of boredom creeps in. The actors sure had more potential, and some boxing scenes are pretty good, but that does not help the movie get the perspective and level it needs. Just compare it to the Rocky movies and you see what I mean.