Reviews

While there are some minor differences, the script of this film is virtually identical to the original and none of the character names of central plot lines are altered. In general, the original is a much stronger film. Somehow I just cannot believe Mickey Rooney as a light heavy weight. Had they dropped the weight class to middle weight of super middle weight it would have been easier to believe. Worse, for all of Mickey's abilities as a dancer, singer, and actor, he just does not look like boxer -- his posture and his swings are all wrong.

For all that Mickey carries off the balance of the film exceptionally well. He was a superb actor. Is failings in ring could simply be that work methods of the time did not allow for the type of pre-shooting training that goes on these days.

In one respect, this film is superior to the original. In the 8th round of the final round director Roy Rowland constructs a wonderful montage showing off the audience's blood lust and involvement in the fight. It is electrifying and far superior to any similar scene by the more workman-like Richard Thorpe.

The 30's and 40's produced some stunning boxing films. This film is not one of them.

One of the very best boxing films of the 1930's and early 1940's and very definitely much better than the 1947 remake with Mickey Roony as "Killer" McCoy. Robert Ryan looks like a light heavyweight and it looks like he can actually throw a punch. As a boxing fan I look for a sense of reality in the fights, and this film has it.

However, the best part of the film are the performances, especially Frank Morgan (the wizard in the 1939, Judy Garland version of "The Wizard of Oz"). Other notable performances are turned in by a young Lionel Stander as the killer's trainer (TV fans will remember him from Hart to Hart). Young and handsome Eddy Arnold is excellent as the gambler/manager. Maureen O'Sullivan carries off the role of the young, college girl love interest with the same innocence she displayed when she broke into films 9 years and 39 films earlier. It's quite a contrast to the more adult roles she was playing at the time.

Director Richard Thorpe captures the atmosphere of the boxing ring and the gambling world quite convincingly. His attention to detail and experience (this is his 120th film) are quite evident, though necessarily the most imaginative. While the film IS superior to the 1947 remake, the director of that film, Roy Rowland, does a much better job of showing the crowd's blood lust in the 8th round of the final fight.

I have a very deep and abiding respect for David Lynch and his creative visions. However, his vision is often very outre, which is fine in and of itself, unfortunately it often is a barrier between the viewer and the movie. Between 1969 and 1984 I read the whole of Dune at least five times, parts of it more than that. Though I never had any fixed ideas as to what any of the characters looked and sounded like, I continually find that Lynch's vision offends and obscures mine. Additionally, Lynch has made some radical alterations to plot and appearance which bother me. Those who have not read the novel will not have this problem: these conflicts will not exist for you, though you may find aspects of the film visually offensive. Lynch's vision seems to amplify the outre and disgusting and make the commonplace bland.

All this said, aside from being difficult for the uninitiated to follow (not uncommon in a Lynch film), this is a WONDERFUL film and I rate it 8 out of 10. It is a wonderful adventure/action film touching many important social and philosophical issues. I return to this film over and over despite my misgivings, mostly because I am so emotionally attached to Paul, Chani, Arakeen, and other actors in this epic, also because it is just plain fun. Lynch does give a good look at grandness of Arakeen and its inhabitants, even if he violates our vision and muddies the plot.

TV viewers should note that Lynch made three different cuts of this film of various lengths. The two hour version (90 min running time) is too cut up to follow. The universe of Dune is huge and complex. Lynch went to great lengths provide this context and set the stage. However this material is easily 30 to 40 minutes of the full film. I find the 135 minute versions (three hours on commercial TV) to be adequate and reasonably easy to follow.

I first encountered Dune in the early 1969 while reading back issues. Readers of the book, may know that it was originally published serialized in "Analog Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy" with "Book One" appearing in 1954 (the year of my birth) and "Book Two" and "Book Three" as a whole in 1956. For almost 20 years this was the "Dune Trilogy." Now it is book one of the "Dune Tetrology." While I immediately realized this book to be amazing in its writing, scope, awareness, and propositions,it was not until later, until I became aware of all the factions operating in the Middle East. In 1954 Herbert called the group that surrounded Paul, fedayeen. The world at large learned this name and what it meant only 20+ years later when the PLO faction known as Fedayeen came to world notice.