Iron Man (1951 film)

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Iron Man
Small iron man poster 1951.jpg
Film poster by Reynold Brown
Directed by Joseph Pevney
Screenplay by Borden Chase
George Zuckerman
Based onNovel
by W. R. Burnett
Produced by Aaron Rosenberg
Starring Jeff Chandler
Evelyn Keyes
Stephen McNally
Cinematography Carl E. Guthrie
Edited byRussell F. Schoengarth
Color process Black and white
Production
company
Universal Pictures
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • August 18, 1951 (1951-08-18)(New York) [1]
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1 million (U.S. rentals) [2]

Iron Man is a 1951 American sports drama film noir directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Jeff Chandler, Evelyn Keyes and Stephen McNally, with an early appearance by Rock Hudson as a boxer. The film is a remake of a 1931 film of the same title directed by Tod Browning. [3]

Contents

Plot

Coal miner Coke Mason is encouraged by his gambler brother to become a boxer. However, Coke is consumed by a murderous rage whenever he enters the ring.

Cast

Background

Jeff Chandler trained as a boxer to play the role. He said: "It's my chance to step right up there in a class with Kirk Douglas and Bob Ryan. And that's pretty fast company." [4]

Filming began on January 3, 1951. [5]

Release

To promote the film, Jeff Chandler fought two rounds with Jersey Joe Walcott at the Polo Grounds in New York before 25,000 spectators. [6]

Reception

In a contemporary review for The New York Times , critic A. H. Weiler wrote:

Action in what our sports-writing colleagues like to refer to anomalously as the "squared circle" has been a staple stock in trade for Hollywood. And "Iron Man" ... is not lacking in the blood, sweat and a suspicion of drama inherent in prize ring pictures. But this story of a fighter, scared and defeated by his own killer instinct, is merely standard for the course. The cast, director and scenarist are professional and take their assignments seriously, but they are not creating a champion in their class. ... Jeff Chandler, who has the physique of a heavyweight contender and the ability to square away against the cameras, is hampered a bit, it would appear, by some of his lines. He is designed as a tough customer, but he is made to expound like an intellectual fairly often. It's confusing. [1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Weiler, A. H. (1951-08-20). "The Screen: Three Movies Arrive". The New York Times . p. 14.
  2. ↑ "The Top Box Office Hits of 1951'". Variety . 185 (4). 1952-01-02.
  3. ↑ Iron Man at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films .
  4. ↑ Scheuer, Philip K. (1950-10-29). "Jeff Chandler Finally Gets to 'Act His Age'". Los Angeles Times . p. 3, Part IV.
  5. ↑ Brady, Thomas F. (1950-12-25). "Rooney to Appear in Columbia Film". The New York Times . p. 23.
  6. ↑ Thompson, Howard (1951-08-19). "Random Notes on the Screen Scene". The New York Times . p. X5.
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