The Set-Up

"I want a man … not a human punching bag!"

1949 1h 13m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 184

DramaCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.

“I want a man … not a human punching bag!”

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Cast

Robert Ryan
Stoker
Audrey Totter
Julie
George Tobias
Tiny
Alan Baxter
Little Boy
Wallace Ford
Gus
Percy Helton
Red
Hal Baylor
Tiger Nelson
Darryl Hickman
Shanley

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Wise
Writers: Art Cohn, Joseph Moncure March, Robert Wise
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 73-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

77 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Wise, shot by Milton Krasner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Roland Gross shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter and George Tobias carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "I want a man … not a human punching bag!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0041859 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Wise directs. Milton Krasner behind the camera. Roland Gross cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 73-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
277 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Robert Wise, shot by Milton Krasner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Roland Gross shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter and George Tobias carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "I want a man … not a human punching bag!".
7IMDB entry: tt0041859 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Milton Krasner
Editing: Roland Gross
Makeup / hair: Gordon Bau
Runtime: 73 min · 1h 13m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Set-Up (1949)

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Robert Wise

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-05-31
★ 9/10
Don't you see Bill? You are always just one punch away. The Set-Up is directed by Robert Wise and stars Robert Ryan & Audrey Totter. The screenplay was adapted by Art Cohn from a 1928 poem written by Joseph Moncure March. The story (played out in real time) sees Ryan as Stoker Thompson, a 35 year old nearly washed up boxer still trundling around the circuit believing he's still got what it takes to become a champ. In spite of pleas from his fretful wife, Julie (Totter), Stoker gets in the ring with Tiger Nelson (Hal Baylor), a man 12 years younger. Unbeknownst to Stoker, though, his manager Tiny (George Tobias) has struck a deal with underworld gangster Little Boy (Alan Baxter on prime sweaty and icy form) for him to take a dive and let Nelson win. What first struck me the most watching this was just how vile everyone apart from the boxers are. The fighters are actually the only ones with honesty and integrity running through their veins. These guys are the ones with the self respect being a chief issue for them, they are fighting not just for glory, but for a basic human trait. The first half of the film puts us in the boxers changing room as the fighters wait to go out into the ring. Here we see the number of noble pugilists stripped back to reveal either their fears or their blind beliefs - while they in turn wait to see who comes back victorious or defeated. As they chat amongst themselves the atmosphere is palpable and Wise excellently uses cutaways to the excitable and blood thirsty crowd. The impact is to that of a gladiatorial arena and shows the sport to be seedy yet utterly beguiling at the same time. Then it's on to Stoker's fight where Ryan is terrific (he actually boxed for College for 4 years). Thompson is a character so stand up, yet driven by foolish pride, it puts Stallone's Rocky Balboa firmly in the shade, his whole "just one punch away" mantra is truly wonderful and heartfelt and leads to one of those endings that are frustratingly brilliant in its bittersweet closure. The whole fight with Nelson has a beautiful fluidity about it (former pro boxer John Indrisano choreographed it), with Milton R. Krasner's photography keeping it grim and humanistic - both in the ring and out on the darkly lit L.A. streets as Totter's conflicted wife ponders a potential battering for her stoic husband. Boosted up by a towering performance from Ryan, and dripping with a film noir sense of desolation, The Set-Up is a simple but powerful boxing gem. A film that gets down to the nitty-gritty of the fighters and the seedy people that surround them. 9/10
griggs792025-03-26
★ 7/10
Solid little noir with a great sense of place—sweaty gyms, grimy streets, and a ticking clock that adds real tension. The boxing scenes pack a punch and the mood’s properly bleak. It’s not top-tier stuff, but at just over an hour, it doesn’t waste your time. Worth a watch.