''Sporting Blood'' is a 1931 American
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
pre-Code
Pre-Code Hollywood was the brief era in the Cinema of the United States, American film industry between the widespread adoption of sound in film in 1929LaSalle (2002), p. 1. and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorshi ...
sports
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
Charles Brabin
Charles Brabin (April 17, 1882 – November 3, 1957) was a British-American film director.
Biography
Born in Liverpool, England, he was educated at St. Francis Xavier College. Brabin sailed to New York City in the early 1900s and, while hold ...
. The film stars
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
(in his first starring role),
Ernest Torrence
Ernest Torrence (born Ernest Torrance-Thomson, 26 June 1878 – 15 May 1933) was a Scottish film character actor who appeared in many Hollywood films, including '' Broken Chains'' (1922) with Colleen Moore, '' Mantrap'' (1926) with Clara Bow a ...
, and
Madge Evans
Madge Evans (born Margherita Evans; July 1, 1909 – April 26, 1981) was an American stage and film actress.Obituary ''Variety'', April 29, 1981. She began her career as a child performer and model.
Biography
Child model and stage actress
B ...
. Two other pictures bore this same title, one released in 1916 by Fox and another by MGM in ''
Sporting Blood'' (1940). Although they, too, centered on horse racing, none of the plots had any direct connection with the others.
Plot
Gambler Rid Riddell (
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
) works for Tip Scanlon (
Lew Cody
Lew Cody (born Louis Joseph Côté; February 22, 1884 – May 31, 1934) was an American stage and film actor whose career spanned the silent film and early sound film age. He gained notoriety in the late 1910s for playing "male vamps" in films ...
), a crooked gambler, who buys Tommy-Boy, a racehorse from a wealthy man (
Hallam Cooley
Hallam Cooley (February 8, 1895 – March 20, 1971) was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1913 and 1936. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and died in Tiburon, California.
Cooley attended Nor ...
) whose spoiled wife (
Marie Prevost
Marie Prevost (born Marie Bickford Dunn; November 8, 1896 – January 21, 1937) was a Canadian-born film actress. During her 20-year career, she made 121 silent and sound films.
Prevost began her career during the silent film era. She was d ...
) loses interest. Tip and Rid consistently win with the horse in both honestly and dishonestly run races. But before long, Tommy Boy loses a race he wasn't supposed to, and the mob is after Tip.
Tip is murdered but not before giving Tommy Boy to his girlfriend (
Madge Evans
Madge Evans (born Margherita Evans; July 1, 1909 – April 26, 1981) was an American stage and film actress.Obituary ''Variety'', April 29, 1981. She began her career as a child performer and model.
Biography
Child model and stage actress
B ...
) who sets out to rehabilitate herself and the horse. The horse rebounds. After an attempt at sabotage, the horse wins the Kentucky Derby, and Rid wins the girl.
Cast
*
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
as Warren 'Rid' Riddell
*
Ernest Torrence
Ernest Torrence (born Ernest Torrance-Thomson, 26 June 1878 – 15 May 1933) was a Scottish film character actor who appeared in many Hollywood films, including '' Broken Chains'' (1922) with Colleen Moore, '' Mantrap'' (1926) with Clara Bow a ...
as Mr. Jim Rellence
*
Madge Evans
Madge Evans (born Margherita Evans; July 1, 1909 – April 26, 1981) was an American stage and film actress.Obituary ''Variety'', April 29, 1981. She began her career as a child performer and model.
Biography
Child model and stage actress
B ...
as Miss 'Missy' Ruby
*
Lew Cody
Lew Cody (born Louis Joseph Côté; February 22, 1884 – May 31, 1934) was an American stage and film actor whose career spanned the silent film and early sound film age. He gained notoriety in the late 1910s for playing "male vamps" in films ...
as Tip Scanlon
*
Marie Prevost
Marie Prevost (born Marie Bickford Dunn; November 8, 1896 – January 21, 1937) was a Canadian-born film actress. During her 20-year career, she made 121 silent and sound films.
Prevost began her career during the silent film era. She was d ...
as Angela 'Angie' Ludeking
*
Hallam Cooley
Hallam Cooley (February 8, 1895 – March 20, 1971) was an American actor of the silent era. He appeared in more than 100 films between 1913 and 1936. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, and died in Tiburon, California.
Cooley attended Nor ...
as Bill Ludeking
*
J. Farrell MacDonald
John Farrell MacDonald (June 6, 1875 – August 2, 1952) was an American character actor and director. He played supporting roles and occasional leads. He appeared in over 325 films over a four-decade career from 1911 to 1951, and directed fort ...
as MacGuire
*
John Larkin as Uncle Ben
*
Eugene Jackson
Eugene W. Jackson II (December 25, 1916 – October 26, 2001) was an American child actor who was a regular of the '' Our Gang'' short series during the silent Pathé era.
Career
When he joined the gang, Jackson replaced the series' firs ...
as Sam 'Sammy'
* Tommy Boy as Himself, a Horse
Box office
According to MGM records, the film earned $547,000 in the US and Canada and $346,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $148,000.
See also
*
List of films about horse racing
The following is a list of films featuring horse racing.
List
See also
* List of films about horses
* List of highest grossing sports films
*List of sports films
References
{{Equestrian sports
*
Films about animals playing sports
Horse ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
1931 films
1930s sports drama films
American horse racing films
American black-and-white films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Films directed by Charles Brabin
American sports drama films
1931 drama films
1930s English-language films
1930s American films
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