Fighting Fools

1949 1h 9m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 3

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The boys are working at the local boxing arena where their friend, Jimmy Higgins, is boxing. During a crooked match Jimmy is killed. The boys seek out his older brother, Johnny, a former boxer who gave up the sport rather than go crooked, and help train him to get back in the ring. They try to get him a shot at the title, and when they do the same crooked gangsters that were behind Jimmy's death try to get Johnny to take a dive.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Leo Gorcey
Slip Mahoney
Huntz Hall
Sach
Gabriel Dell
Gabe Moreno
Frankie Darro
Johnny Higgins
Lyle Talbot
Blinky Harris
William Benedict
Whitey
David Gorcey
Chuck
Benny Bartlett
Butch

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Reginald Le Borg
Writers: Bert Lawrence, Gerald Schnitzer, Edmond Seward
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 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 69-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

77 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "The Bowery Boys Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Reginald Le Borg, shot by William A. Sickner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall and Gabriel Dell carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0041360 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Reginald Le Borg directs. William A. Sickner behind the camera. William Austin cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 69-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
277 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "The Bowery Boys Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Reginald Le Borg, shot by William A. Sickner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor William Austin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall and Gabriel Dell carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0041360 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: William A. Sickner
Editing: William Austin
Makeup / hair: Charles Huber
Runtime: 69 min · 1h 9m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Fighting Fools (1949)

Part of

The Bowery Boys Collection

From Dead Ends to the East Side and finally landing in Louie's Sweet Shop in the heart of the Bowery (3rd and Canal, natch!), there was no stopping these Boys! When understudy Leo Gorcey joined the ensemble of teen thespians on stage for the Broadway hit "Dead End", Hollywood soon followed with William Wyler taking the troupe in toto for 1937's film version. Personifying the grit and heart of the kid gangs sprouting up in city slums, these little wise guys quickly stole the nation's heart. Ably anchored by the central pair of Huntz Hall and Leo Gorcey, the kids moved from "preachment" and crime pictures to straight up comedy as The Bowery Boys - and the rest is history as the boys capered through scores of pictures for over two decades!