''Right Cross'' is a 1950 American

sports drama film A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport or a sports-related topic is prominently featured or is a focus of the plot. De ...

released by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

, directed by

John Sturges John Eliot Sturges (; January 3, 1910 – August 18, 1992) was an American film director. His films include '' Bad Day at Black Rock'' (1955), '' Gunfight at the O.K. Corral'' (1957), ''The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), '' The Great Escape'' (19 ...

, written by

Charles Schnee Charles Schnee (6 August 1916 Bridgeport, Connecticut29 November 1962 Beverly Hills, California) was an American screenwriter and film producer. He wrote the scripts for the Westerns '' Red River'' (1948) and '' The Furies'' (1950), the social me ...

and starring

June Allyson June Allyson (born Eleanor Geisman; October 7, 1917 – July 8, 2006) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Allyson began her career in 1937 as a dancer in short subject films and on Broadway in 1938. She signed with MGM in 1943 ...

Ricardo Montalbán Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG ( ; ; November 25, 1920 – January 14, 2009) was a Mexican and American film and television actor. Montalbán's career spanned seven decades, during which he became widely known for performances ...

Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility and successfully transform ...

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blyth; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' A Free Soul'' (1931) ...

and (in a small uncredited role)

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe ( ; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; June 1, 1926 August 4, 1962) was an American actress and model. Known for playing comic "Blonde stereotype#Blonde bombshell, blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex ...

Plot

Sean O'Malley, a wheelchair-using fight promoter once known as the best in his business, has lost his professional stature and is now in poor health. His daughter Pat has taken over many of his responsibilities and is romantically involved with his best fighter, Johnny Monterez. Sean is unhappy that Johnny is ashamed of his Mexican heritage. When Sean tells Pat that promoter Allan Goff is trying to steal Johnny from him, Pat visits Johnny at his training camp in time to watch him fight a practice match, but Johnny hurts his hand. While Johnny's hand is being examined at the hospital, Pat looks for her friend Rick Gavery, a hard-drinking sports reporter who has been following Johnny's career. Pat finds Rick in jail, where she has found him on many previous occasions. When Johnny's doctor tells him that his hand is now vulnerable to permanent injury, Johnny asks him to keep his condition a secret. After telling Pat and some reporters that his hand is merely bruised, Johnny returns to his training camp. A short time later, Johnny receives word that his trouble-prone cousin Luis is in jail again and needs bail money. Believing that his injury may end his boxing career at any moment, Johnny agrees to sign a lucrative contract with Goff, who has promised Johnny guaranteed income from promotional sales after his retirement. Johnny takes Rick to visit his mother, but soon after they arrive, Johnny tells his sister Marina that she must stop dating her boyfriend Bob because he is a "gringo" who is only interested in her because she is the sister of a famous fighter. When Rick accuses Johnny of harboring prejudice against whites, Johnny sends him away with an insult. Later, Pat, expecting a marriage proposal from Johnny, is disappointed when Johnny tells her that he has decided to sign with Goff. Sean dies a short time later, and Pat accuses Johnny of killing her father with his act of betrayal. Realizing that he has nearly lost Pat's love and Rick's friendship, Johnny decides to leave boxing forever by purposely losing a title match. Pat and Johnny reconcile and look forward to a happy future together.

Cast

as Pat O'Malley *

as Rick Garvey *

as Johnny Monterez (credited as Ricardo Montalban) *

as Sean O'Malley *

Teresa Celli Teresa Mara Levis (June 6, 1923 – October 30, 1999), better known as Teresa Celli, was an American lyric soprano who apprenticed at La Scala before achieving recognition in films such as ''The Asphalt Jungle'' (1950) and '' Black Hand (1950)''. ...

as Marina Monterez *

Barry Kelley Edward Barry Kelley (August 19, 1908 – June 5, 1991) was an American actor on Broadway in the 1930s and 1940s and in films during the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The heavy-set actor created the role of Ike in ''Oklahoma!'' on Broadway. His la ...

as Allan Goff *

Tom Powers Thomas McCreery Powers (July 7, 1890 – November 9, 1955) was an American actor in theatre, films, radio and television. A veteran of the Broadway stage, notably in plays by George Bernard Shaw, he created the role of Charles Marsden in Eugene ...

as Tom Balford *

Mimi Aguglia Mimi Aguglia (21 December 1884 – 31 July 1970), born Girolama Aguglia, was an Italian actress who found success in Hollywood as a character actress, often playing immigrant matriarchs. She also worked in Italian-language radio in the United ...

as Mom Monterez *

Marianne Stewart Marianne Stewart (born Annemarie Schünzel; 16 January 1922 – 1 November 1992) was a German-born American stage, film and television actress. Early life Stewart was born Annemarie Schünzel in Berlin, Germany on January 16, 1922 to Hanne ...

as Audrey *

John Gallaudet John Beury Gallaudet (August 23, 1903 – November 5, 1983) was an American film and television actor. Career Gallaudet was born in Philadelphia and attended Williams College. He began his theatrical career on stage, appearing on Broadway in ...

as Phil Tripp *

Wally Maher Wally Maher (August 4, 1908 – December 27, 1951) was an American actor, primarily on old-time radio; he was also known as the original voice of Tex Avery's cartoon character Screwy Squirrel. Early years Maher was born in Cincinnati on August 4 ...

as First Reporter *

Larry Keating Lawrence Keating (June 13, 1899 – August 26, 1963) was an American actor best known for his roles as Harry Morton on ''The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'', which he played from 1953 to 1958, and next-door neighbor Roger Addison on ''Mis ...

as Second Reporter *

Kenneth Tobey Jesse Kenneth Tobey (March 23, 1917 – December 22, 2002) was an American actor active from the early 1940s into the 1990s, with over 200 credits in film, theatre, and television. He is best known for his role as a captain who takes charg ...

as Ken, the Third Reporter * Bert Davidson as Fourth Reporter *

as Dusky Ledoux (uncredited) *

Robert Osterloh Robert Osterloh (May 31, 1918 – April 16, 2001) was an American actor. In a career spanning 20 years, he appeared in films such as '' The Dark Past'' (1948), '' The Wild One'' (1953), ''I Bury the Living'' (1958) and '' Young Dillinger'' (1965 ...

as Totem, Heldon's Manager (uncredited) * John Maxwell as Walker (uncredited)

Music

The film's dramatic score was composed by

David Raksin David Raksin (August 4, 1912 – August 9, 2004) was an American composer who was noted for his work in film and television. Raksin had more than 100 film scores and 300 television scores to his credit. Some sources called him the "Grandfather of ...

and conducted by Raksin and

Johnny Green John Waldo Green (October 10, 1908 – May 15, 1989) was an American songwriter, composer, musical arranger, conductor and pianist. He was given the nickname "Beulah" by colleague Conrad Salinger. His most famous song was one of his ear ...

. Raksin's score consists only of music for the main and end titles, and one short piece in the first reel. Raksin's music was issued on CD in 2009 by ''

Film Score Monthly ''Film Score Monthly'' is an online magazine (and former print magazine) founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 as ''The Soundtrack Correspondence List''. It is dedicated to the art of film and television sc ...

''.

Reception

According to MGM records, the film cost $873,000 and earned $955,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $347,000 elsewhere, leading to a $64,000 loss for the studio. In his review in Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews, Dennis Schwartz rated it a "B-" calling it "a dull boxing melodrama".

References

External links