Gentleman Jim (1942)

Directed by Raoul Walsh. Starring Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith, Jack Carson, John Loder, Alan Hale, Ward Bond, William Frawley, Minor Watson, Madeleine Lebeau.

Old-fashioned biography of boxing champ James J. Corbett (Flynn) who rose to prominence as the sport was rehabilitating its image in more respectable terms at the end of the 19th century. The film’s boisterous attitude and the subject’s polished charm and irrepressible confidence carries it past the script flaws and cornball humor and heroics; the filmmakers don’t approach Corbett timidly, and he’s often not very gentlemanly, but for the sake of an entertaining show, so be it. Bears little resemblance to reality despite being based on Corbett’s autobiography (“The Roar of the Crowd”), or perhaps in part, because it was. Flynn was rarely better or better-suited (and it was one of his favorite roles to play), and he’s matched by Bond’s colorful portrayal of ring rival John L. Sullivan. A couple of running gags—“Paging, Mr. Corbett!” “The Corbett’s are at it again!”—shouldn’t be funny again and again…but they are.

75/100