World in My Corner (1956) is a struggle for glory and battle against the corrupted self and the odds emotional, the odds social, and the odds feminine-style of boxing film noir and one of Audie Murphy's rare as hen's teeth contributions to the film noir style.
Ten solid minutes of this film is one boxing fight alone? Well for effect this is almost experimental.
World in My Corner, a 1956 American film noir drama, directed by Jesse Hibbs and featuring Audie Murphy, Barbara Rush, and Jeff Morrow, does in its onw manner of standing function as a notable entry in the annals of mid-20th-century cinema insofar as yes, it's an Audie Murphy noir, or attempt at the noir style, and well, the Large Language Models will say anything, and are happy to spraff about films they have not seen.
Produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, this film diverges from Murphy’s typical Western genre, marking a significant departure in his illustrious career. Following the monumental success of To Hell and Back (1955), which shared the same producer and director, “World in My Corner represents Murphy’s foray into the realm of sports drama.
The film is distinguished by Murphy’s on-screen bouts with real-life pugilists such as Chico Vejar, Art Aragon, and Cisco Andrade. Andrade, in particular, lauded Murphy’s authenticity, noting him as “the first actor I ever saw who wasn’t afraid of getting hit hard in a prize fight scene.”
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John McIntire in World in My Corner (1956) |
He wryly suggested that Universal-International might consider a hiatus from boxing dramas, as the genre was beginning to feel overextended.
Despite the film’s artistic endeavors, it failed to make a significant impact at the box office, as noted by Murphy’s biographer. This commercial underperformance, however, does not detract from the film’s cultural and historical significance within the broader context of 1950s American cinema.
The mid-1950s heralded the twilight of Hollywood’s archetypal pugilistic cinema. In 1955, luminaries such as Tony Curtis graced The Square Jungle (1955) while John Derek assumed the mantle of the pugilist in The Leather Saint (1956).
Amongst this cadre, Audie Murphy’s World in My Corner emerges as a paragon, despite adhering to a timeworn narrative: an indigent yet virtuous boxer from the proverbial wrong side of the tracks ascends to the echelons of opulence, becomes enamoured with a patrician damsel, and faces the moral quandary of succumbing to monetary temptation by orchestrating a deliberate defeat.
The singular deviation in this cinematic endeavor is the portrayal of the affluent damsel, Barbara Rush, as the paragon of virtue. Contrarily, in numerous films, the affluent damsel is depicted as a flamboyant blonde seductress, endeavoring to ensnare the boxer into a web of corruption.
World in My Corner exhibits a self-awareness of its formulaic essence. Rather than obfuscating this reality, the film leverages it, maintaining a straightforward narrative, eschewing superfluous digressions, and confining both plot and character development within a circumscribed ambit. The resultant oeuvre, while devoid of stylistic innovation, proffers a modicum of gratification.
Audie Murphy, though never a contender for the Academy’s highest accolades, is aptly cast and performs commendably in the numerous pugilistic sequences. His frequent bare-chested appearances underscore the exploitation of a young actor’s aesthetic appeal, a facet that partially elucidates the allure of the boxing genre.
One might conjecture that had our mid-range career male actors of a certain blandness, such as Ben Affleck, emerged in a bygone era, he too would have ventured into the realm of boxing cinema, albeit with a meticulously groomed chest to conform to the era’s standards of propriety.
The story partly revolves around the rise of a poor young boxer, Tommy Shea (played by Audie Murphy), who comes from the wrong side of the tracks. He faces a dilemma: should he stay honest or follow the orders of crime boss Harry Cram, who wants him to throw occasional fights?
Additionally, the story explores an unlikely romance between the unsophisticated Tommy and a bookish society girl named Dorothy (played by Barbara Rush). Dorothy’s wealthy father, Robert Mallinson (played by Jeff Morrow), was a good amateur boxer in his day and continues to work out in his home gym. He allows Dave Bernstein, an honest trainer, to train his clients, including Tommy, in this gym.
Harry Cram is the kingpin crime boss and promoter. Initially, Tommy wants nothing to do with him. However, after he starts dating Dorothy, he becomes greedy and succumbs to her father’s suggestion that working with Cram would help him advance quickly.
Dorothy finds out and blames her father for corrupting Tommy, walking out on both of them.
As a result, Tommy changes his mind and, the night before the fight, tells Cram he won’t throw the fight. Cram sends his goons to beat up Tommy, focusing on his chest and apparently breaking most of his ribs. Surprisingly, Tommy decides to go on with the fight despite the danger and pain. He loses the early rounds but eventually knocks out his opponent with a flurry of punches.
Tommy Shea was down on his luck, a factory rat with no family and no future. Laid off from the same plant where his old man had worked himself into an early grave, Tommy was desperate for a break. He remembered a card given to him by Dave Bernstein, a grizzled boxing trainer who saw potential in Tommy’s fists.
Tommy tracked down Bernstein, who took him under his wing. He started training hard, while also working at the sprawling estate of Bernstein’s boss, Robert Mallinson. In exchange for room and board, Tommy did the dirty work around the place. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was a start.
Things got complicated when Tommy met Mallinson’s daughter, Dorothy. She was a knockout, but troubled, and their initial sparks turned into a full-blown romance. Tommy dreamed of making it big in the ring so they could get hitched, but the path to glory was littered with obstacles. Chief among them was Harry Cram, a crooked promoter who wanted Tommy to throw fights.
Bernstein, a man of principle, wouldn’t hear of it, and Tommy, torn between his hunger for success and his mentor’s integrity, had to make a choice.
The film, a brisk 82 minutes, doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a solid ride with some unexpected turns. Jeff York’s portrayal of Mallinson, a ball bearings tycoon, and Tommy Rall’s on-again, off-again manager add layers to the story. Rall, a dancer by trade, had previously shared the screen with Murphy in “Walk the Proud Land.”
Murphy, with his intense demeanor, convincingly steps into the role of a boxer, thanks in part to serious training with Chico Vejar, an army boxing instructor who also plays Murphy’s opponent in the film.
The familiar tropes of crooked promoters and star-crossed lovers are handled well. Barbara Rush shines as Dorothy, and her chemistry with Murphy is palpable. But it’s John McIntire as Bernstein who steals the show. A master of transformation, McIntire brings depth to the role of the seasoned trainer, despite being only 48 or 49 at the time.
Al Carelli: Your timing's off, boy. You're going to need a lot of experience.Dorothy Mallinson: I wish I could write the way you talk.Tommy Shea: It's easy. All you have to do is be born in a dump, educated in an alley.
For fans of “B” Westerns, there’s a treat in Sheila Bromley’s performance as Dorothy’s mother. Bromley, once known as Sheila Mannors, was a staple in '30s Westerns, sharing the screen with legends like Dick Foran and John Wayne.
Directed by Jesse Hibbs and shot by Maury Gertsman, “World in My Corner” is a gritty, engaging tale of ambition, love, and the fight for integrity.
Since this was a championship fight, Tommy is happy to receive a good purse. Dorothy sees the fight and is pleased that Tommy changed his mind about throwing it. However, the doctor says Tommy’s boxing days are over due to a punctured lung. It looks like Tommy and Dorothy might end up together after all.
Ray, Tommy’s manager, had a connection with Cram. Dani Crayne plays a sexy blonde at Ray’s party who tries to seduce Tommy, contrasting with Dorothy’s good-girl character.
World in My Corner (1956)
Release Date: March 1956
Universal Pictures Co., inc.10 February 1956LP5929
Widescreen/ratio1.85:1
Duration(in mins):81-83