''Glory Alley'' is a 1952

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

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- ...

directed by

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He wa ...

. It stars Ralph Meeker and

Leslie Caron Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...

Plot

New Orleans newspaper columnist Gabe Jordan, about to retire, tells the story of a most unforgettable character, boxer Socks Barbarossa. One night, about to have a bout for the championship, Socks abruptly flees the ring and arena. It mystifies everyone, from his manager Peppi Donato to his sweetheart Angie Evans, not to mention her blind father, the Judge. Socks' opponent taunts him afterward in the empty arena, so Socks flattens him. Peppi offers him a job at a nightclub he intends to buy where Angie has been working as a dancer. Socks also owns the contract of another fighter, Newsboy Addams, but raffles it off. "Pig" Nichols, a gangster, wins the contract, but both Socks and the boxer are drafted and go off to war. The Judge continues to think poorly of Socks, even after he returns to town as a decorated hero. A surgeon, Dr. Ardley, believes there's a 50-50 chance of correcting the Judge's blindness, and it comes to light that he and Socks are acquainted from their Milwaukee younger days. Socks has scars, visible and not, from a long-ago experience in the ring, that caused him to panic on the night of the most recent fight. Angie, too, vouches for Socks' character to the Judge, who didn't even realize she'd been working in a club to make ends meet. He concedes to the operation, Socks returns to the ring and great success, and everyone goes to meet newspaperman Gabe at the club to celebrate.

Cast

* Ralph Meeker as Socks Barbarossa *

as Angela Evans * Kurt Kasznar as Gus 'The Judge' Evans *

Gilbert Roland Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso (December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994), known professionally as Gilbert Roland, was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice no ...

as Peppi Donnato *

John McIntire John Herrick McIntire (June 27, 1907 – January 30, 1991) was an American character actor who appeared in 65 theatrical films and many television series. McIntire is well known for having replaced Ward Bond, upon Bond's sudden death in Novem ...

as Gabe Jordan / Narrator *

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and Singing, vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and se ...

as Shadow Johnson *

Jack Teagarden Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an American jazz trombonist and singer. According to critic Scott Yannow of Allmusic, Teagarden was the preeminent American jazz trombone player before the bebop era of the 1 ...

as Musician *

Dan Seymour Dan Seymour (February 22, 1915 – May 25, 1993) was an American character actor who frequently played villains in Warner Bros. films. He appeared in several Humphrey Bogart films, including ''Casablanca'' (1942), ''To Have and Have Not'' ...

as Sal Nichols (The Pig) *

Larry Gates Lawrence Wheaton Gates (September 24, 1915December 12, 1996) was an American actor. His notable roles include H.B. Lewis on daytime's '' Guiding Light'' and Doc Baugh in the film version of ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' (1958). He played the role ...

as Dr. Robert Ardley * Pat Goldin as Jabber *

John Indrisano Johnny Indrisano (November 1, 1905 — July 6, 1968) was an American welterweight boxer whose career spanned the period from 1923 to 1934. He later became a film stunt performer and bit-part film and TV actor. Career Indrisano was born in Bo ...

as Spider, the Bartender * Mickey Little as Domingo *

Dick Simmons Richard Simmons (August 19, 1913 – January 11, 2003) was an American actor. Early life Simmons was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and his family later moved across the Mississippi River to Minneapolis. There, he attended West Side High Sc ...

as Dan * Pat Valentino as Terry Waulker * David McMahon as Frank, the Policeman

Reception

According to MGM records, the film earned $426,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $181,000 overseas, resulting in a loss of $621,000.

Comic book adaptation

* Eastern Color Movie Love #17 (October 1952)

References

External links

* * * * {{Raoul Walsh 1952 films 1950s musical drama films American black-and-white films American musical drama films American boxing films 1950s English-language films Films directed by Raoul Walsh Films scored by Georgie Stoll Films set in New Orleans Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films adapted into comics 1952 drama films 1950s American films