Kid Galahad

This 1937 boxing film from "Warner Bros," is a well-crafted classic with some good boxing scenes and typically great performances from Edward G. Robinson and Bette Davis. Humphrey Bogart is given the thankless role of that of another gangster but he still adds something to "Kid Galahad." Robinson is a boxing promoter who needs a winner in his stable of prizefighters after he fires his latest protégé. A young bellhop shows some potential and Robinson trains him as the next heavyweight champion, potentially. The path to success is not easy as Robinson tries to avoid the wrath of Bogart and his mob of fellow hoodlums. What also doesn't help, is Robinson having a jealous streak regarding Davis and his being overly protective of his younger sister. Bette Davis is largely written out of the film after 53 minutes but she still makes a valuable contribution. The plot is quite straightforward and the pace is very snappy. The dialogue is pretty good for a film of this kind. It helps if you are a fan of the boxing sport because you will enjoy this film even more. Michael Curtiz displays his brilliance with the direction and keeps any unnecessary subplots out of the narrative. "Kid Galahad" was remade with Humphrey Bogart in "The Wagons Roll at Night," which is vastly inferior. This 1937 film is a classic.

Kid Galahad (1937)

*** (out of 4)

Edward G. Robinson plays fight promoter Nick Donati who thinks he has found a fighter (Wayne Morris) he can take to the Championship. The only trouble is Nick's hot tempered anger, which gets him in trouble with his girlfriend (Bette Davis) and a gangster (Humphrey Bogart) who he double crosses. Not to mention his anger when the fighter begins to date his sister (Jane Bryan). This drama from Warner plays a little too long but there's no denying the extreme fun it contains due to the three legends appearing together as well as the strong supporting cast. The story is pretty predictable if you've seen any of the 30's boxing pictures but then again the genre had pretty much wore itself out in terms of plot details by the end of the silent era. With that said, the story here of a hot tempered manager makes for some nice drama but the story isn't what's going to bring people to this movie. Seeing Robinson, Davis and Bogart together is where the fun is at and the reason why people will be drawn to this film. It's rather strange that the Elvis remake was more popular than this one for sometime but I'm going to guess that was due to this one not being available for so many decades. Robinson turns in a good performance but it's certainly not among his best. Bogart is a lot of fun in his supporting role as the tough gangster. Davis nearly steals the film and delivers a very good performance as the woman always having to keep Robinson's temperature down. The real surprise comes from Bryan and Morris who are perfect together and steal the show in the end. Film buffs might not find too many original ideas here but that doesn't really matter due to the wonderful cast being held together by the strong direction of Curtiz.

I'm kind of disappointed that I didn't send in my comments after I saw this film. This was an extremely enjoyable film. As a fan of Edward G. Robinson, I can say with great enthusiasm that he doesn't disappoint. Bette Davis is up to her smart-as-a-whip self which makes it even more entertaining. Humphrey Bogart puts on a role of a scheming man that makes him look better than he already is.

Near the end, the film started to derail a bit and got a bit pointless, but it was all in good taste. It was also well-directed with Michael Curtiz at the helm. I couldn't imagine anyone else directing this. Boxing fans and movie buffs, see this film immediately. This is one film you will not want to miss.

Edward G Robinson in any movie is a must see for the man loved what he did and he did it for us. Here is another fine flick for him to ply his wares and woo us over into the land of entertainment. Who doesn't like a rag to riches story which is really about the common man and his dreams. Some no-body guy wants to save enough money to buy a farm and in America there are many ways to do this. This movie shares one of them. Heart-strings will be pulled upon as there is not one but two love stories going on here, a real good bad guy, good guy and a hero. Special mention to Humphrey Bogart who doesn't disappoint. Watch the close-ups on his face during the fight matches. When things go well, Bogie gives his best facial and if they go less than well he gives his worse facial expressions. Of course what could be more rousing than a good fight to end the story with? Also notice the stands in the fight scenes. Long has every fight movie had to shoot the upper seats in darkness while some used cardboard cut-outs to fill in those seats. After all, how many extras do you want on payroll? In this movie they even turn on the lights so we can see everything real or not. Imagine going to see this decades ago, 25 cents, popcorn, cold drink and either with your girlfriend or some buddies. Great night out and it still holds! This is entertainment with...

This was certainly not the most original movie made by Warner Brothers, but it was an excellent showcase for the talents of Edward G. Robinson and cast. It's a perfect example of the type of film this company made so well in the 1930s--a simple and predictable story combined with excellent dialog and acting and breezy direction. While this story will not change the world, it is well worth the watching. By the way, this story has been remade several times---such as THE WAGONS ROLL AT MIDNIGHT (with Humphrey Bogart taking on the Edward G. Robineson part and Eddie Albert playing a lion tamer instead of a boxer) and KID GALAHAD (with Elvis). None of these films are quite as satisfying as this film. So my advice is, if you only want to see one, watch this one.