''Knockout'' is a 1941 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by William Clemens and written by M. Coates Webster. The film stars

Arthur Kennedy John Arthur Kennedy (February 17, 1914January 5, 1990) was an American stage and film actor known for his versatility in supporting film roles and his ability to create "an exceptional honesty and naturalness on stage", especially in the origi ...

Olympe Bradna Antoinette Olympe Bradna (12 August 1920 – 5 November 2012) was a French dancer and actress, who emigrated to the United States where she lived for the rest of her life. Early years Bradna was born in a dressing room in the Olympic Theatre in ...

Virginia Field Virginia Field (born Margaret Cynthia Field; 4 November 1917 – 2 January 1992) was a British-born film actress. Early years An only child, born in London, her father was Sir John Field. He was the judge of Leicester County Court Circuit. H ...

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...

Cliff Edwards Clifton Avon "Cliff" Edwards (June 14, 1895 – July 17, 1971), nicknamed "Ukulele Ike", was an American singer, musician and actor. He enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s, specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standar ...

and

Cornel Wilde Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Lajos Weisz; October 13, 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a Hungarian-American actor and filmmaker. Wilde's acting career began in 1935, when he made his debut on Broadway. In 1936 he began making small, uncredited app ...

. The film was released by

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

on March 29, 1941.

Plot

Johnny Rocket is an up-and-comer in the boxing game, but promoter Trego is unhappy at learning Johnny's planning to quit because that's what his fiancee Angela wants. Trego uses his connections to make sure Johnny can't find a job. Now that wife Angela is expecting a baby, Johnny has no choice but to return to the ring. A newspaperwoman, Gloria Van Ness, tries to seduce Johnny, who resists at first. But as his record improves and his ego grows, Johnny begins to return Gloria's interest and loses Angela in the process. He also fires Trego, feeling he doesn't need anybody's help anymore. A drugged mouthpiece, planted by Trego, causes Johnny to lose his next fight and give the appearance of taking a dive. He is suspended from boxing. When he tries to fight under an assumed name, he is knocked cold. Johnny comes to his senses in more ways than one when he learns that Angela has been paying his hospital bills. They are reunited, and Johnny quits boxing to go work at a children's summer camp.

Cast

as Johnny Rocket *

as Angela Grinnelli *

as Gloria Van Ness *

as Trego *

as Pinky *

as Tom Rossi *

Richard Ainley Richard Ainley (22 December 1910 – 18 May 1967) was a stage and film actor. He was born in Middlesex, England, the son of Henry Ainley and a half-brother of Anthony Ainley. Ainley made his stage debut in 1928, initially using the stage nam ...

as Allison * William Edmunds as Louis Grinnelli *

Frank Wilcox Frank Reppy Wilcox (March 13, 1907 – March 3, 1974) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and television series, as well as Broadway plays. Background Wilcox was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger V. Wilcox. He was born in De Soto ...

as Denning *

John Ridgely John Ridgely (born John Huntington Rea, September 6, 1909 – January 18, 1968) was an American film character actor with over 175 film credits. Early years Ridgely was born in Chicago, Illinois,Katz, Ephraim (1979). ''The Film Encyclopedia: T ...

as Pat Martin *

Ben Welden Ben Welden (born Benjamin Weinblatt; June 12, 1901 – October 17, 1997) was an American character actor who played a wide variety of Damon Runyon-type gangsters in various movies and television shows. Early years Welden was born in Toledo, O ...

as Pelky * Charles C. Wilson as Monigan *

Edwin Stanley Edwin Stanley (November 22, 1880 – December 25, 1944), was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 230 films between 1916 and 1946. He was born in Chicago, Illinois and died in Hollywood, California. On Broadway, Stanley appear ...

as Doctor

References

External links

* * * * 1941 films Warner Bros. films American drama films 1941 drama films Films directed by William Clemens American boxing films American black-and-white films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{1940s-drama-film-stub