The Life of Jimmy Dolan

THE LIFE OF JIMMY DOLAN (Warner Brothers, 1933), directed by Archie L. Mayo, is not so much a life story in a biographical sense as Warners' later production of THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937), but one about a boxer, unable to clear himself of a murder charge, hiding from the law. Taken from the play by Bertram Milhauser and Beulah Marie Dix, and starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in a role tailor made for contract players as James Cagney or Richard Barthelmess, the movie assigns him opposite Loretta Young for the seventh and final time. Of their frequent pairing during their Warner years (1929-1933), this not only was their most televised on commercial television (notably on WPHL, Channel 17, in Philadelphia, where I first saw this film in 1973-74) but possibly their finest screen collaboration thus far.

With more Fairbanks than Young, the film, lifting the opening underscore from the classic prison drama, I AM A FUGITIVE FROM A CHAIN GANG (1932) for its first half of the opening credits, begins with Jimmy Dolan (Fairbanks Jr.) in the boxing ring winning his fight in the seventh round, earning his title as new world champion. Dolan, with a reputation of living the clean life ("no booze, no women") is next seen in his Riverside Drive New York City apartment drunk with his equally drunken baby-talking girlfriend, Goldie West (Shirley Grey) by his manager, "Doc" Wood (Lyle Talbot), and guests, Budgie (Fifi Dorsay) and Charlie Magee (George Meeker). When Magee turns out to be a reporter with enough information to write against Dolan, Dolan socks Magee as he passes out himself on the couch. With the reporter dead from head injury in the process, "Doc" and Goldie leave Budgie to assume the blame and drive the unconscious Jimmy to his upstate training camp where they leave him at his cottage. Taking both Jimmy's watch and Goldie with him, Doc drives away, leading the couple into a fatal car accident. The next morning, Jimmy awakens to find his name in a newspaper linked to his own death and a murder charge of a reporter. After Herman Malvin (Arthur Hohl), his lawyer friend, takes his savings for attorney's fee and leaving him with $250 to his name, Jimmy, now under the guise of Jack Dougherty, avoids recognition by traveling alone and "afraid." After being chased off a freight train in Salt Lake City's Pleasant Valley, "Jack" walks long distances until stumbling upon a home for crippled children where he's taken in by its founders, Peggy (Loretta Young) and her aunt, Mrs. Moore (Aline MacMahon). As Jimmy finds a newfound life, Detective John Phlazer (Guy Kibbee), known to all as "Screwy" for a long ago incident for unwittingly sending an innocent man to his execution, believes Jimmy Dolan is very much alive. To prove his theory, he takes a month off from the force to locate Jimmy's whereabouts and bring him to justice. Things prove complicated as Jack finds Phlazer closing in on him and not wanting to arouse suspicion on Peggy.

Well done in both boxing and "man on the run" departments, THE LIFE OF JIMMY DOLAN is as entertaining as it is underrated. In fact, it's remake, THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL (Warners, 1939) starring John Garfield, Gloria Dickson and Claude Rains in the Fairbanks, Young and Kibbee roles, through its frequent TV revivals and availability to home video and DVD, is better known. While Garfield was ideally suited in the role originated by slightly miscast Fairbanks, THE LIFE OF JIMMY DOLAN succeeds through its interesting list of players, especially future film stars in smaller roles as Mickey Rooney, Anne Shirley, Edward Arnold and the legendary John Wayne. Wayne's two brief scenes as Smith, a married man wanting to earn extra money of $500 per round in the ring to "box the ears off" King Cobra (Sammy Stein), comes as a bigger surprise considering how Wayne has appeared in numerous leading roles, particularly westerns, since his initial starring role in THE BIG TRAIL (Fox, 1930). Not actually a special guest appearance, but does come off that way. Fairbanks' performance, on the other hand, ranks a forerunner to the future screen rebels as John Garfield, James Dean or Marlon Brando, one with little or no friends and trusting no one. Considering his association with a crooked manager (Talbot) and lawyer (Hohl) indicates his reasoning. He does, however, find friendship and loyalty amongst the women (Young and MacMahon) and the orphaned children (Rooney, Shirley, David Durand and Allan "Farina" Hoskins) who grow fond of him and goes against his philosophy ("Anyone who does anything for anybody else is a "sucker") by trying to raise $2,000 to keep the ranch from closing.

Aside from the fine chemistry between Fairbanks and the beautiful Loretta Young, Guy Kibbee as the cigar smoking detective wearing thick glasses, comes off second best. Aline MacMahon assumes another wide range of characteristic roles, this time a middle-aged woman speaking with a Scottish accent. Basically a straight dramatic story, there's one amusing moment involving Fairbanks' attempt in milking a cow, a routine right out of vaudeville later handled famously by comedians as The Three Stooges and/or Abbott and Costello. Quite typical for its time using "Beyond the Blue Horizon" underscoring for a the train station sequence.

And so goes the life of Jimmy Dolan. Never distributed to home video, this and other Warner Brothers productons can be seen whenever shown on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. (*** boxing gloves)

1933's The Life of Jimmy Dolan, a fine movie, is a good example of how the Motion Picture Production code of July 1934 changed movies, since, for comparison, you have the 1939 remake, They Made Me a Criminal. The big difference is that the remake turns a tough story into sentimental claptrap, making sure that crime does not pay. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. doesn't get the credit he deserves as a star in the Warner Bros. repertory company, but he looks too skinny and upper class for a champion boxer. John Garfield is better cast for the part, especially with his nervous energy. But the 1933 picture is way more realistic and cynical. In the 1933 version of a boxer's life, everyone has hard times, including John Wayne, who gets carried out after trying to go the distance in a boxing contest between amateurs and a pro fighter. Production Code Administrator Breen wouldn't allow crime to pay at all, liked a white bread world and would have stopped Warner Bros. from re-releasing The Life of Jimmy Dolan. That was not a problem, because of the remake. The better movie about the boxer on the lam is the one made in 1933. Gritty movies like The Life of Jimmy Dolan vanished until after the demise of the Production Code in the early 1960s. What movies Hollywood would have made if not for rigid censorship for over 25 years is an unanswerable question. Warner Bros. pre-code sound movies indicate that older movies made before censorship have dated a lot better than much of the drivel released during the Breen censorship period.

I love Turner Classic Movies for programming old, less-than-classic movies like this nearly forgotten 1933 Warner Bros. chestnut. While channel surfing, I came across this one and was drawn in by the charming, natural performances of Loretta Young, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and the children. I won't rehash the plot because it's been done in other reviews. It's astonishing to see the familiar faces, sometimes unbilled, playing supporting roles in this one. I instantly recognized Aline MacMahon, Lyle Talbot, Edward Arnold, Guy Kibbee (excellent) and child stars Mickey Rooney, Anne Shirley and Allen "Farina" Hoskins. And then there's John Wayne in an early non-Western role as a boxer. Rooney and Hoskins were veterans by this time, effortless scene stealers who could wring tears as easily as laughs. I wasn't familiar with child actor David Durand and he's quietly charming as a crippled boy. It's amazing how satisfying a simple, beautifully-crafted movie made for pennies compared to today's CGI-laden millon-dollar blockbusters can be. I'm just grateful that the programmers at TCM refuse to allow little treasures like "The Life of Jimmy Dolan" to gather dust in a can on a vault shelf. And this was just one movie in a day filled with other early Thirties treasures from the Hollywood assembly line. Long live TCM!

Isn't it funny when you figure out a movie's a remake? When I was watching The Life of Jimmy Dolan, I sensed it was familiar. Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. plays a successful southpaw boxer who claims to have a squeaky-clean after-hours image for his fans. When asked if he's going to party after the fight by a reporter, he grins and says he doesn't drink but instead will be hanging out with his mother. When he's shown drinking with his arm around a blonde floozy in the next scene, I realized I'd seen it before. They Made Me a Criminal, starring John Garfield, is the 1939 remake!

I didn't like the John Garfield version and actually turned it off after half an hour, because the prominently featured Dead End kids were too irritating. So the rest of The Life of Jimmy Dolan was a nice surprise for me. After an accidental fatal beating at the after-party, Doug Jr. passes out, and his best friend runs off with his girl, his car, and his watch. They get in a car crash and explode, and the news reports Doug Jr.'s death instead. If he comes forward and says he's alive, he'll be arrested for murder, so his only option is to stay out of the limelight and start a new life. He hides out in an out-of-the-way farmhouse and falls in love with Loretta Young.

If you watch this movie, which is infinitely better than its remake, you'll see a very young, very handsome John Wayne for about ten minutes as a boxer preparing for a fight. You'd never believe he'd become one of the most popular movie stars of all time after seeing him in this, but he certainly is cute.

This was a surprisingly good movie. I expected to turn it off, but I ended up with tears in my eyes in the final scene. Doug Jr. gives a very strong, emotional performance, making you wonder why his career fizzled out. He does everything the character needs him to do, and since the movie was made in 1933, it's understandable that a little of his silent movie acting style still lingers. Guy Kibbee costars as an ambitious journalist who doesn't believe the famous boxer was killed in the car crash, and he's given a couple of great scenes to sink his teeth into. Check this one out if you've never seen Doug Jr. in a talkie. The ending will stick with you for a long time.

THE LIFE OF JIMMY DOLAN is a thoroughly entertaining and absorbing little film about a fighter who accidentally kills a man and is advised to go on the run to avoid prison.

It features DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, JR. in what is possibly one of his best early roles as the fighter who finds refuge in a country home for crippled children. He also finds romance in the form of LORETTA YOUNG, then in her early 20s and very lovely. The romantic moments between Fairbanks and Young are tender and charming, well-played by both who have good chemistry with each other.

In bit roles are MICKEY ROONEY (as one of the kids who worships the fighter), and JOHN WAYNE as an amateur boxer who needs the fight money for his wife. But the best support comes from ALINE MacMAHON as the feisty Scottish woman who bosses Fairbanks around while appreciating his manly charm as much as Loretta.

An interesting tale later remade in the '40s with John Garfield as THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL, told here with warmth and humor. If you're a fan of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. or Loretta Young, you can't afford to miss this little gem.