Prästen som slog knockout

Made in the depths of WWII, Prasten som slog knockout is Sweden's answer to Angels with Dirty Faces or Going My Way with the tried and true story of a kindly priest (Allan Bohlin) who tames rebellious youth. In this case he's got to use his boxing skills to get a building for the young people of the village so they can pursue more wholesome pastimes instead of causing trouble for the locals, but he's one up on Bing as he gets to kiss his sweetheart, the radiant Gaby Stenberg before the final credits.

A couple of things make this an interesting watch, first is that the war is definitely a part of the story, if only tangentially. The story kicks off as Bohlin meets Swedish-American boxing promoter (go University of Wisconsin!) on a freighter bound for Sweden that is running the U-Boat gauntlet back to Sweden, a scene that did not require that particular detail. Next is the fighter that Bohlin must take on to get the money for the youth center is an Italian named Graziano, not Rocky of course, but eerily prescient. The cream on top is Sigge Furst as the ultra-oily art dealer who is selling fakes of Gaby's dad's paintings. Furst could easily be the Swedish equivalent of Fritz Rasp and his mere presence makes you want to boo and hiss at the screen.

This not essential cinema but for those with an interest in war time perspectives it's a sturdy little programmer that is an easy watch.