''The Pittsburgh Kid'' is a 1941 American

sports film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the s ...

directed by

Jack Townley Jack Townley (March 3, 1897 – October 15, 1960) was an American screenwriter. He wrote for nearly 100 films between 1926 and 1957. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and died in Los Angeles, California. Selected filmography * ''The T ...

and starring

Billy Conn William David Conn (October 8, 1917 – May 29, 1993) was an Irish American professional boxer and Light Heavyweight Champion famed for his fights with Joe Louis. He had a professional boxing record of 63 wins, 11 losses and 1 draw, with 14 wins ...

Jean Parker Jean Parker (born Lois May Green; August 11, 1915 – November 30, 2005) was an American film and stage actress. A native of Montana, indigent during the Great Depression, she was adopted by a family in Pasadena, California at age ten. She in ...

and

Dick Purcell Richard Gerold Purcell Jr. (August 6, 1905 – April 10, 1944) was an American actor best known for playing Marvel Comics' Captain America in the 1943 film serial, co-starring with Lorna Gray and Lionel Atwill. Purcell also appeared in fil ...

.Ritchie p.231 The film's sets were designed by the art director John Victor Mackay.

Plot

About to fight his biggest bout, Billy Conn is upset by the death of Pop Mallory, his manager. A boxing promoter, Max Allison, who wants Billy to fight for him, uses daughter Barbara to try to sway him away from Pop's daughter Pat Mallory, who keeps Billy under contract. An impatient Billy dislikes the way Pat handles his career. Meanwhile, nightclub owner Joe Barton resents the interest his girl Barbara Ellison has been showing Billy, neither knowing nor carry that it's all a ruse on her part on her father's behalf. Billy finally gets a title shot, thanks to Pat's management and reporter Cliff Halliday's enthusiastic buildup. But when an angry Barton comes to threaten Billy, a gun goes off, Barton is killed and Billy is arrested for his murder. By the time he can get released, Pat isn't there on fight night and Billy's first round goes badly. Barbara rushes to find Pat, convincing her that she belongs in Billy's corner for good.

Cast

References

Bibliography

* Ritchie, Andrew. ''Ethnicity, Sport, Identity: Struggles for Status''. Routledge, 2004.

External links

* 1941 films 1940s sports films Films directed by Jack Townley American boxing films Films set in Pittsburgh American black-and-white films Republic Pictures films Films scored by Paul Sawtell 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{sport-film-stub