Max Everitt Rosenbloom (November 6, 1906 – March 6, 1976) was an American professional boxer, actor, and television personality. Nicknamed "Slapsie Maxie", he was inducted into '' The Ring's'' Boxing Hall of Fame in 1972, the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1984, the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1985, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993. He was sometimes billed as Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom for film appearances.

Early life and boxing career

Born in Leonard Bridge, Connecticut, Rosenbloom was nicknamed "Slapsie Maxie" by a journalist due to his open-gloved style of boxing. As a professional boxer, Rosenbloom relied on hitting and moving to score points. He was very difficult to hit cleanly with a power punch and his fights often went the full number of required rounds. In his boxing career, he received thousands of punches to the head, which eventually led to the deterioration of his motor functions. Legendary trainer Cus D'Amato later recalled that watching Rosenbloom's ring performances inspired him for a quest to create a perfect fighter, and to develop a unique boxing technique, later known as the peek-a-boo style:

Rosenbloom was probably the cleverest fighter I've ever seen, defensively. You just couldn't hit the man. He developed a sort of a radar, a sense of anticipation of blows, and ability to react to that, and act on it.

Light Heavyweight Champion

On June 25, 1930, Rosenbloom won the NYSAC and vacant ''Ring Magazine'' light heavyweight titles when he faced off against Jimmy Slattery at Bison Stadium for the undisputed title. Slattery, being the reigning NYSAC champion and Rosenbloom being listed by some sources as the incumbent

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United ...

light heavyweight champion. Since the fight was between the number one and number two fighters in the division, the vacant ''The Ring'' light heavyweight title was also on the line. He reigned as the NYSAC and ''Ring magazine'' champion until he was defeated by

Bob Olin Robert Lous Olin (July 4, 1908 – December 16, 1956) was an American boxer who became the World Light Heavyweight champion on November 16, 1934, against Maxie Rosenbloom at Madison Square Garden. He was trained by Ray Arcel and managed by Har ...

on November 16, 1934. Throughout his reign, he made 7 defenses of his titles and held the undisputed crown two separate times as he had been stripped by the

National Boxing Association The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is the oldest and one of four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxi ...

, a title which he was awarded outside of the ring on in September 1930 during the NBA's yearly meeting. On June 6, 1931, Rosenbloom was stripped, for failing to defend the title in a timely manner. After being stripped in 1931, he went on to continue defending his NYSAC and ''Ring'' titles, eventually defeating

Bob Godwin Bob Godwin (May 5, 1911 in Moultrie, GA – August 1, 1980) was an American boxer who became the 1933 World Light Heavyweight Champion. He was managed by his father, Arthur. Pro career Mike McTigue fell to Godwin in Miami on April 7, 1930 ...

via fourth-round technical knockout in

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsyl ...

on March 24, 1933. His second reign as the undisputed champion was just as short lived. He was subsequently stripped by the National Boxing Association on September 17, 1934, during their annual meeting. "The delegates ruled that Maxie Rosenbloom, generally recognized as champion of the class, had violated every law of boxing by his slapping and flicking tactics in the ring."

Films, radio and television

In 1937, two years before he announced his permanent retirement from boxing, Rosenbloom accepted a role in a

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

film. He became a character actor, usually portraying comical or sympathetic "big guys" in movies such as ''

Each Dawn I Die ''Each Dawn I Die'' is a 1939 gangster film directed by William Keighley and starring James Cagney and George Raft. The plot of ''Each Dawn I Die'' involves a crusading reporter who is unjustly thrown in jail and befriends a famous gangster. The ...

'' starring

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

and

George Raft George Raft (born George Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is ...

. He continued acting in films as well as on radio and television, where he again portrayed big, clumsy, often punch-drunk-but-lovable characters. He appeared as himself in a number of radio episodes of ''

The Fred Allen Show ''The Fred Allen Show'' is a long-running American radio comedy program starring comedian Fred Allen and his wife Portland Hoffa. Over the course of the program's 17-year run, it was sponsored by Linit Bath Soaps, Hellmann's, Ipana, Sal Hepati ...

'', including in a skit with

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

. He was also cast in an important part in television's first 90-minute drama, ''

Requiem for a Heavyweight "Requiem for a Heavyweight" is a teleplay written by Rod Serling and produced for the live television show ''Playhouse 90'' on 11 October 1956. Six years later, it was adapted as a 1962 feature film starring Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey R ...

''. Written by Rod Serling and starring

Jack Palance Jack Palance ( ; born Volodymyr Palahniuk ( uk, Володимир Палагню́к); February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an American actor known for playing tough guys and villains. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, all fo ...

Keenan Wynn Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in mos ...

and

Ed Wynn Isaiah Edwin Leopold (November 9, 1886 – June 19, 1966), better known as Ed Wynn, was an American actor and comedian. He was noted for his ''Perfect Fool'' comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a d ...

, that teleplay presents the story of a boxer at the end of his career. Rosenbloom portrays a character whose life revolves around his retelling old boxing stories night after night to other ex-boxers who gather in a down-and-out bar. That life looms as the same fate for "Mountain" McClintock (Palance's character) if he cannot adjust to a new way of life outside the ring. Slapsy Maxie's, Rosenbloom's nightclub, is prominently featured in a 2013 crime film, '' Gangster Squad'', which is set in 1949. The original club operated in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. The club moved to 7165 Beverly Blvd in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

. From 1943 to 1947 it was located at 5665 Wilshire Blvd.

Death

Rosenbloom, at age 69, died of

Paget's disease of bone Paget's disease of bone (commonly known as Paget's disease or, historically, osteitis deformans) is a condition involving cellular remodeling and deformity of one or more bones. The affected bones show signs of dysregulated bone remodeling at the ...

on March 6, 1976, at the Braewood Convalescent Hospital in

South Pasadena, California South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 25,619, up from 24,292 at the 2000 census. It is located in the West San Gabriel Valley. It is 3.42 square miles in area an ...

. His gravesite is at the

Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 10621 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood and Burbank, California. The cemetery has an entrance called the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation that is the final resting place for aviatio ...

North Hollywood, California North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North H ...

Accolades

* '' The Ring'' Boxing Hall of Fame (1972) * International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (1984) * World Boxing Hall of Fame (1985) * International Boxing Hall of Fame (1993)

Selected filmography

* ''

Mr. Broadway Mr. Broadway may refer to: * ''Mr. Broadway'' (TV series), an American adventure and drama television series * ''Mr. Broadway'' (film), a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film * '' Mr. Broadway: Tony's Greatest Broadway Hits'', a 1962 album by T ...

'' (1933) – 'Slapsy' Maxie * '' King for a Night'' (1933) – Maxie * '' Muss 'em Up'' (1936) – Snake * '' Kelly the Second'' (1936) – Butch Flynn * ''

Two Wise Maids ''Two Wise Maids'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Phil Rosen, written by Samuel Ornitz, and starring Alison Skipworth, Polly Moran, Irene Manning, Donald Cook, Jackie Searl, and Lila Lee. It was released on February 15, 1937, by Rep ...

'' (1937) – Max Handler, Champ * '' Marry the Girl'' (1937) – Boxer (uncredited) * '' Big City'' (1937) – Himself * '' Nothing Sacred'' (1937) – Max Levinsky * '' The Kid Comes Back'' (1938) – Stan Wilson * ''

Mr. Moto's Gamble ''Mr. Moto's Gamble'' is the third film in the Mr. Moto series starring Peter Lorre as the title character. It is best remembered for originating as a movie in the Charlie Chan series and being changed to a Mr. Moto entry at the last minute. Plo ...

'' (1938) – Horace Wellington * ''

Gangs of New York ''Gangs of New York'' is a 2002 American epic historical drama film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Jay Cocks, Steven Zaillian and Kenneth Lonergan, based on Herbert Asbury's 1927 book ''The Gangs of New York''. The film stars Leo ...

'' (1938) – Tombstone * ''

The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse ''The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Edward G. Robinson, Claire Trevor and Humphrey Bogart. It was distributed by Warner Bros. and written by John Wexley and John Huston, based on ...

'' (1938) – Butch * '' The Crowd Roars'' (1938) – Himself (uncredited) * '' Submarine Patrol'' (1938) – Marine Sentry Sgt. Joe Duffy * ''

His Exciting Night ''His Exciting Night'' is a 1938 American comedy film directed by Gus Meins and written by Pat C. Flick, Edward Eliscu and Morton Grant. It is based on the 1934 play ''Adam's Evening'' by Katharine Kavanaugh. The film stars Charlie Ruggles, Ri ...

'' (1938) – 'Doc' McCoy * ''Slapsie Maxie's'' (1939,

short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

) – Himself * ''

Women in the Wind ''Women in the Wind'' is a 1939 film directed by John Farrow and starring Kay Francis, William Gargan and Victor Jory. The plot concerns women pilots competing in the so-called "Powder Puff Derby", an annual transcontinental air race solely for ...

'' (1939) – Stuffy McInnes * '' The Kid from Kokomo'' (1939) – Curley Bender * '' Naughty but Nice'' (1939) – Killer * ''

'' (1939) – Fargo Red * '' 20,000 Men a Year'' (1939) – Walt Dorgan * ''

Private Detective A private investigator (often abbreviated to PI and informally called a private eye), a private detective, or inquiry agent is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private investigators of ...

'' (1939) – Brody * '' Grandpa Goes to Town'' (1940) – Al * '' Passport to Alcatraz'' (1940) – Hank Kircher * ''

Public Deb No. 1 ''Public Deb No. 1'' (or ''Elsa Maxwell's Public Deb No. 1'') is a 1940 American comedy film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring George Murphy, Brenda Joyce and Ralph Bellamy. Plot A socialite is introduced to communism by her butler A b ...

'' (1940) – Eric * ''The Lady and the Lug'' (1940,

Short Short may refer to: Places * Short (crater), a lunar impact crater on the near side of the Moon * Short, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Short, Oklahoma, a census-designated place People * Short (surname) * List of people known as ...

) – Himself * ''

Ringside Maisie ''Ringside Maisie'' is a 1941 film directed by Edwin L. Marin. It stars Ann Sothern, Robert Sterling and George Murphy George Lloyd Murphy (July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American dancer, actor, and politician. Murphy was a song-and-da ...

'' (1941) – Chotsie * ''

The Stork Pays Off ''The Stork Pays Off'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Lew Landers and written by Fanya Foss and Aleen Leslie. The film stars Victor Jory, Rochelle Hudson, Maxie Rosenbloom, Horace McMahon, George McKay and Ralf Harolde. The film ...

'' (1941) – 'Brains' Moran * '' Harvard, Here I Come!'' (1941) – Maxie * ''

Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...

'' (1941) – The Shadow aka Wilson * ''Slick Chick'' (1941) * ''

To the Shores of Tripoli ''To the Shores of Tripoli'' is a 1942 American Technicolor film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring John Payne, Maureen O'Hara and Randolph Scott. The film was produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. Its cinematography was nominated for an Ac ...

'' (1942) – Okay Jones * '' Smart Alecks'' (1942) – Butch Brocalli * ''

The Boogie Man Will Get You ''The Boogie Man Will Get You'' is a 1942 American comedy horror film directed by Lew Landers and starring Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre. It was the final film Karloff made under his contract with Columbia Pictures, and it was filmed in the wake o ...

'' (1942) – Maxie – the Powder Puff Salesman * '' The Yanks Are Coming'' (1942) – Butch * ''My Son, the Hero'' (1943) – Kid Slug Rosenthal * '' Here Comes Kelly'' (1943) – Trixie Bell * ''

Swing Fever ''Swing Fever'' is a 1943 American musical comedy film directed by Tim Whelan. Kay Kyser plays an ambitious music composer, also gifted with a hypnotic "evil eye", who gets mixed up with promoting a boxer. The film also features Marilyn Max ...

'' (1943) – 'Rags' * '' Follow the Boys'' (1944) – Himself * ''

Allergic to Love ''Allergic to Love'' is a 1944 American comedy musical romance film directed by Edward C. Lilley and starring Martha O'Driscoll, Noah Beery Jr. and David Bruce. The film's plot centers on a bride (O'Driscoll) who appears to be allergic to her ...

'' (1944) – Max * '' Three of a Kind'' (1944) – Maxie * ''

Irish Eyes Are Smiling ''Irish Eyes Are Smiling'' is a 1944 United States musical film which chronicles the life of popular Irish song composer Ernest R. Ball. The screenplay by Earl Baldwin and John Tucker Battle is based on a story by E. A. Ellington. The film was ...

'' (1944) – Stanley Ketchel * '' Crazy Knights'' (1944) – Maxie * ''

Night Club Girl ''Night Club Girl'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Henry Blankfort and Dick Irving Hyland. The film stars Vivian Austin, Edward Norris, Maxie Rosenbloom, Minna Gombell, Judy Clark and Bill Dunn. The fi ...

'' (1945) – Percival J. Percival * '' Trouble Chasers'' (1945) – Maxie * ''

Penthouse Rhythm ''Penthouse Rhythm'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Stanley Roberts and Howard Dimsdale. The film stars Kirby Grant, Lois Collier, Edward Norris, Maxie Rosenbloom, Eric Blore, Minna Gombell and Edward ...

'' (1945) – Health Spa Proprietor * '' Men in Her Diary'' (1945) – Moxie Kildorff * '' The Perils of Pauline'' (1947) – Maxie (uncredited) * ''

Hazard A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would allow them, even just theoretically, to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. The probab ...

'' (1948) – Truck Driver * '' Mr. Universe'' (1951) – Big Ears, the Trainer * '' Skipalong Rosenbloom'' (1951) – Skipalong Rosenbloom * '' Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops'' (1955) – Hinds * ''

'' (1956, TV Series) – Steve * ''

Hollywood or Bust ''Hollywood or Bust'' is a 1956 American semi-musical comedy film starring the team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The picture was filmed from April 16 to June 19, 1956, and released on December 6, 1956, by Paramount Pictures, almost five mont ...

'' (1956) – Bookie Benny * ''

I Married a Monster from Outer Space ''I Married a Monster from Outer Space'' is a 1958 American horror science fiction film from Paramount Pictures, produced and directed by Gene Fowler Jr., that stars Tom Tryon and Gloria Talbott. Paramount released the film as a double feature wi ...

'' (1958) – Max Grady – Bartender * ''

The Beat Generation ''The Beat Generation'' is a 1959 American crime film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Steve Cochran and Mamie Van Doren, with Ray Danton, Fay Spain, Maggie Hayes, Jackie Coogan, Louis Armstrong, James Mitchum, Vampira, and Ray Anthony. It i ...

'' (1959) – The Wrestling Beatnik * '' The Bellboy'' (1960) – Maxie – Gangster * '' Two Guys Abroad'' (1962) – Nightclub co-owner * ''

Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title ''Don't Worry, We'll Think of a Title'' is a 1966 American comedy film directed by Harmon Jones and written by Morey Amsterdam, John Davis Hart, William Marks and George Schenck. The film stars Morey Amsterdam, Rose Marie, Richard Deacon, Joey A ...

'' (1966) – Foreign Agent (scenes deleted) * ''

The Spy in the Green Hat ''The Spy in the Green Hat'' is a 1967 feature-length film version of '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''s third season two-part episode " The Concrete Overcoat Affair". The episodes were originally broadcast in the United States on November 25, 1966 and ...

'' (1967) – 'Crunch' Battaglia * '' Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers'' (1967) – Maxie the Mailman * '' My Side of the Mountain'' (1969) – Flint Seller (final film role)

Professional boxing record

All information in this section is derived from

BoxRec BoxRec or boxrec.com is a website dedicated to holding updated records of professional and amateur boxers, both male and female. It also maintains a MediaWiki-based encyclopaedia of boxing. The objective of the site is to document every profe ...

, unless otherwise stated.

Official record

All

newspaper decision A newspaper decision was a type of decision in professional boxing. It was rendered by a consensus of sportswriters attending a bout after it had ended inconclusively with a " no decision", as many regions had not adopted the National Sporting Cl ...

s are officially regarded as "no decision" bouts and are not counted in the win/loss/draw column.

Unofficial record

Record with the inclusion of

s in the win/loss/draw column.

References

External links

* *
Slapsy Maxie on Vinyl
* , - , - *https://www.hugmansworldchampionshipboxing.com/light-heavy *https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_Ring_Magazine%27s_Annual_Ratings:_Light_Heavyweight--1930s *https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1930 *https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1931 *https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1932 *https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1933 *https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association%27s_Quarterly_Ratings:_1934 {{DEFAULTSORT:Rosenbloom, Maxie 1907 births 1976 deaths Boxers from Connecticut American male film actors American male television actors Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery Jewish American boxers Jewish boxers Boxers from New York City World boxing champions World light-heavyweight boxing champions 20th-century American male actors American male boxers 20th-century American Jews