Sporting Blood

I recently caught this film on TCM during their celebration of Clark Gable as "Star of the Month" and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Good behind the scenes racing story, with the added attraction of a very young Clark Gable in his first top-billed role. Yes, the story is sentimental, but exceedingly well done, with excellent performances by all. But the best surprise of all is the treatment of the African American characters in the film. Considering the time period, all of the African Americans are treated as intelligent, thinking HUMAN beings, not as shuffling minstrel show caricatures. Why isn't this film better known? Catch it when you have the chance. Highly recommended!

This is the first movie I have seen about horses that understands horses. It also understands, better than most, the ties that grow between the people that work with horses and their charges. The stable hands and breeder roles are developed. Indeed, the stable hands are all black and (for the time) are shown with a range of emotions, humanity, and (shockingly) as having families.

Furthermore the horses are represented as having community among themselves, communicating among themselves, and even caring about the fates of other horses. Add to this the remarkable and touching scenes between the stable hands (notably John Larkin and Eugene Jackson)and the horses throughout the film. The breeder is also notably tender hearted.

The starring roles and plot are well handled. Gable appears late in the film, but commands attention. The female lead is played with backbone and heart. The plot moves swiftly, but not at the expense of creating empathy with the situations at hand. I look forward to exploring further films directed by Charles Brabin.

SPORTING BLOOD which stars Madge Evans and Clark Gable is a film with its central thesis being the struggle for redemption of both an abused race horse named "Tommy Boy" and its owner Madge Evans. This film fairly bursts with love for horses and horse racing. In fact, the first thirty minutes are devoted to horses without any appearance on the part of the two stars. When they do enter the story, we immediately are thrust into a world of gangsters and their associates, including both Evans and Gable. Each has made compromises in order to get where they are. She sees a chance to straighten her life out when she inherits "Tommy Boy." The question is... can she? And what of her relationship with Gable? Is there enough decency left in him to chart a new course?

This film is a classic example of the old studio system at work. Both Madge Evans, and Clark Gable, were brand new at MGM. The studio bosses weren't at all sure how well either star would fare with the public. Hence, though each was working on another picture, the studio assigned them to work on weekends and holidays when they filmed SPORTING BLOOD. Only in Hollywood!

In fact, there is a sense of freshness about this film. It hasn't the ordinary Hollywood veneer to it. It makes no pretensions and avoids clichés typical of so many similar films of the 1930s. Evans and Gable are absolutely marvelous in their respective roles. Evans is especially fresh and beautiful. But... it is the way blacks are treated in this film that set it apart from most films of its time. "Tommy Boy's" trainer, Uncle Ben is black. He is as far removed from Stepin Fetchit as a teacher is from an illiterate. Indeed, Uncle Ben is central to the plot... and in as loving a manner as could be imagined. This alone sets out SPORTING BLOOD as a better film by far than many others of its day.

Finally, the camera technology was fairly crude in 1931. Film speeds were slow and the cameras sometimes weighed five hundred pounds. Remember this when you watch the racing scenes. The photography is impressive.

A very realistic film about Kentucky thoroughbred raising and racing that includes a large number of black characters including featured players. John Larkin is great as is the direction in general. Madge Evans is truly beautiful. The plot ending is ingenious. It's a keeper if you've taped it off of TCM. A piece of cinema history, I think.

SPORTING BLOOD (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1931) directed by Charles Brabin, is a horseracing story, one of many produced at that time since and beyond. Taken from the story "Horseflesh" by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan, rather than concentrating on a story about a jockey and his horse, for example, the opening credits claims this to be a biography about a horse. Of the twelve film releases featuring Clark Gable, SPORTING BLOOD is relatively known for being his first starring role. Even though he comes 42 minutes into the story, it's the second billed Ernest Torrence who's very much the leading human character and thoroughbred Tommy Boy both its subject matter and main focus.

The story begins with Jim Rellence (Ernest Torrence), a horse breeder in Lexington, Kentucky, showing off his many horses to his friend, Maguire (J. Farrell MacDonald). During a heavy rainstorm, Southern Queen is reported missing only to be found injured with a broken leg resting in a puddle of mud where she has given birth. Unable to save the horse, with the help of Uncle Ben (John Larkin) and Sammy (Eugene Jackson), Jim and Maguire return the colt they name Tommy Boy to the farm where he's milk fed and later placed under the care of a new mother horse. From pony to full-grown horse, Rellence, very much attached to Tommy Boy, finds himself having to sell the thoroughbred to Jerry Hartwick (Harry Holman) in order to keep his horse-trading business. Hartwick enters Tommy Boy to the races at Latonia where the horse wins the race, attracting the attention of Angela (Marie Prevost), who insists her husband, Bill Lideking (Hallam Cooley) buy him for her. He offers Hartwick $40,000 for Tommy Boy, only to have the thoroughbred purchased by gambler "Tip" Scanlon (Lew Cody) only after Mrs. Lideking loses interest in him. Hoping to earn some big wages from his gambling friends, Scanlon drugs Tommy Boy to win. Losing the race and unable to pay off his debts, Scanlon attempts to leave town and fails in the process. With Tommy Boy now under the ownership of Ruby (Madge Evans), Scanlon's mistress of three years, she and her new love interest, "Rid" Riddell (Clark Gable), former gambling table dealer under Scanlon, must decide what's to happen to this poor animal used only as a "reward for past favors.

Although the story is well-paced through much of its 82 minutes, its presentation with "My Old Kentucky Home" theme song has more to its Fox Films/20th Century-Fox (where many horse racing themed stories were produced) feel to it. There are some cute elements involving animals. One that stands in memory is of a little dog imitating the horse's gallop. While Madge Evans has more to do than Gable, Gable one scene of merit is grabbing on to Evans and saying, "Come here, woman!" Evans' introduction to the story as a tough-looking cigarette smoking mistress may be placed against type but is well-played. Ernest Torrence, a fine actor with a rough exterior, is quite believable as a man showing his love and affection for his many horses, especially Tommy Boy.

With this being Clark Gable (sans mustache) on his way up to super star status, the supporting players benefit well in their assigned roles that keep this from being just another horseracing story. Though MGM produced another SPORTING BLOOD (1940) with Robert Young and Maureen O'Sullivan, that latter edition is not a remake.

Other than some limited broadcasts on Turner Classic Movies cable channel, SPORTING BLOOD is available for viewing on DVD. (***)