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''The Big Fix'' is a 1947 film drama starring
Sheila Ryan Sheila Ryan (born Katherine Elizabeth McLaughlin, June 8, 1921 – November 4, 1975) was an American actress who appeared in more than 60 movies. Career Born in Topeka, Kansas, Ryan went to Hollywood in 1939 at the age of 18. Her acting career b ...
, Noreen Nash, James Brown and
Regis Toomey John Francis Regis Toomey (August 13, 1898October 12, 1991) was an American film and television actor. Early life Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey, and attended Peabody High ...
. Directed by
James Flood James Joseph Flood (1895-1953) was an American film director. Born in New York City, Flood became an assistant director with Biograph in 1912 and was active through 1952. Career When working on ''The Swellhead'', Flood decided he wanted to ...
, the story concerns the efforts of a crooked gambling ring to fix college basketball games. This film was the final production of
Producers Releasing Corporation Producers Releasing Corporation was the smallest and least prestigious of the Hollywood film studios of the 1940s. It was considered a prime example of what was called "Poverty Row": a low-rent stretch of Gower Street in Hollywood where shoest ...
.


Plot

After retiring from the service, Ken Williams goes back to his old school, Norton University, where he used to be an appreciated student with an expected future as a basketball player. Together with fellow veteran Andy Rawlins, Ken registers to continue and complete his studies. They are welcomed back by the student liaison for veterans, Ann Taylor, and Andy is a bit surprised by the warm welcome, since he is in the dark about Ken's previous accolades. Ken also refuses to join the basketball team, which confuses Andy even more. Soon Ken is romantically involved with Ann, but he can't be persuaded even by her to reveal his reasons for not participating in the university basketball. He claims he has to focus on his engineering studies, and this disappoints coach Ambrose, who is eager to have him back on the team. One night a woman turns up at the house where Ken resides, and demand to see him. Ken interrupts his date with Ann to talk to the woman, who turn out to be his kid sister Lillian. She is involved with gangster Del Cassini, who is responsible for making Ken fix basketball games before the war. That is the reason why he quite the basketball team in the first place and also interrupted his education. Lillian convinces Ken that she is no longer involved with Del Cassini, and that Ken can safely return to the team. It turns out she is lying, and after her meeting with Ken she goes directly to Del Cassini to inform him that their plan worked out fine. Unaware of this, Ken rejoins the basketball team and is very happy with his decision. Soon one of Del cassini's goons approach him and tells him to lose their opening game of the season. Ken is furious and hits the man, but is threatened that Lillian will go to jail if he doesn't comply. Apparently she was involved in a hit-and-run car accident a while ago, and got saved by Del Cassini from the law. Ken still refuses to cooperate. Ken doesn't know that the real leader of Del Cassini's operation is police lieutenant Brenner. When Brenner hears that Ken refuses to cooperate, heinstead tricks Ken into participating in an undercover operation to uncover the organized crime in the area, focusing on illegal gambling in college sports. Brenner asks Ken to pretend to cooperate with Del Cassini to get inside the gangster ring and find evidence. Ken agrees to this and becomes Del Cassini's marionette. He tells Ann about the operation, and seeing how unhappy Ken is with the current situation, she decides to help him out as best she can. Ann finds out that there was no accident where Lillian was involved. She meets with Lillian in a club, and Lillian confesses everything was made up to get Ken to fix the games. Ann in turn tells Ken what she has found out, and Ken quits his undercover duty with immediate effect. Brenner has put a lot of money on Norton losing their next game and is quite worried with Ken's decision. He also punishes Lillian for squealing, and shoots her. Then he goes on to capture Ken. Lillian dies from her wounds, but before she does she manages to reveal to Andy that Brenner is the real crook and runs the crime syndicate. Andy gathers the basketball team and brings them to Ken's rescue. Ken is held hostage at a hotel. When Del Cassini arrives at the hotel and finds out Brenner has killed Lillian, he is furious and shoots Brenner as revenge. The basketball team then runs into the hotel and rescues Ken. The others explain to Ken that it was Lillian who saved him in the end. Ken plays with the Norton team and they win the championship tournament. After the win, he and Ann are married.


Cast

* James Brown as Ken Williams *
Sheila Ryan Sheila Ryan (born Katherine Elizabeth McLaughlin, June 8, 1921 – November 4, 1975) was an American actress who appeared in more than 60 movies. Career Born in Topeka, Kansas, Ryan went to Hollywood in 1939 at the age of 18. Her acting career b ...
as Lillian * Noreen Nash as Ann Taylor *
Regis Toomey John Francis Regis Toomey (August 13, 1898October 12, 1991) was an American film and television actor. Early life Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey, and attended Peabody High ...
as Lieutenant Brenner *
Tommy Noonan Tommy Noonan (born Thomas Noone; April 29, 1921 – April 24, 1968) was a comedy genre film performer, screenwriter and producer. He acted in a number of high-profile films as well as B movies from the 1940s through the 1960s, and he is best ...
as Andy Rawlins * John Shelton as Del Cassini *
Charles McGraw Charles McGraw (born Charles Crisp Butters; May 10, 1914 – July 29, 1980) was an American stage, film and television actor whose career spanned more than three decades. Early life McGraw was born to Beatrice (née Crisp) and Francis P. B ...
as Armiston *
Grantland Rice Henry Grantland "Granny" Rice (November 1, 1880July 13, 1954) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio. Early years Rice wa ...
as himself


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Big Fix 1947 films 1947 crime films Film noir Producers Releasing Corporation films American crime films Films directed by James Flood American black-and-white films Films with screenplays by Aubrey Wisberg American gambling films American basketball films Films set in universities and colleges 1940s American films