O Trapaceiro

I had never heard of the film, BOOTS MALONE, but William Holden has always stood as one of my all time favorite actors, so I decided to watch it - and, boy, am I glad I did!, because in the process I hit upon a superlative example of unpretentions filmmaking and peerless direction.

In addition, I had the great pleasure of watching one of Holden's career-best shows. Here, he is a near-bum horseracing jock agent, moneyless and ready to steal candy from the comparative babe that is Johnny Stewart, a boy who lost his father and is on the run from his Paris, France-based business-running dictatorial mother, and just wants to realize a personal dream of running as jockey.

Holden is a gray hero. He takes a beating for causing racetrack bet losses to a heavy, seemingly does not have the moral force to get even, and instead trains the opportunity spotlight on the youngster... but Holden is the one who gets taught a lesson.

In keeping with his two- or three-timing character, at the end Holden is on the run from the mob for failing to throw the race, and he catches the train of opportunity - his American Dream may yet be in Paris, France... even if Stewart's mother looks a bit too shrewish for comfort!

Fitting, realistic cinematography, strong dialogue, solid acting across the board make this a must-see. 8/10.

I only watched "Boots Malone" because it was one of William Holden's early starring roles. However, I was not excited about having to watch a film that seemed like a B-movie about horse racing...a topic I couldn't care less about in the first place. However, I was shocked....despite a relatively low budget and a no-name actor in one of the leads, it was terribly entertaining.

Boots Malone (Holden) is a down and out agent for jockeys. He apparently lost his big money jockey and has hit upon hard times...and is forced to sleep in the stables with his buddy, Stash (Stanley Clements). Their fortunes change when a rich runaway teen (Billy Pearson) joins up with him and wants to learn the business.

The movie is like a behind the scenes look at the folks who are often overlooked in the horse racing industry and it never failed to keep my interest. Very well written and a nice film with heart...an excellent film and one which shocked me in so many positive ways.

By the way, it's odd that newcomer Pearson was billed around 8th in the movie...he was clearly the co-star of the picture.

I was actually amazed how much I enjoyed this movie. William Holden makes most people think about "The Bridge on the River Kwai", for me I think of "Stalag 17" -- but this was a great fit.

If you have ever spent any time at the track, you will love this movie. The work out back, being with the horses and the people, the training and the thrill of the races, every part of the this movie brought back great memories and a smile to my face.

The supporting characters all felt perfect, and even the run-away boy being a natural rider idea is pure fun. Highly recommended for everyone.

I have lived and worked with thoroughbred racehorses for over thirty years and "thoroughly" enjoy re-watching and recommending "Boots Malone." It is an actual "Hollywood Classic" because it tells a story and tells it well. It is distressing to read the many poor synopses of the movie and the "I'm-a-cineaste-and-you'll-never-be" attitude of the reviewers. Boots is charging Tommy for "jockey" lessons after Tommy reveals that he has a lot of money. Boots is also considering "selling" Tommy back to his mother. This is the exact same character which he portrays in the also excellent Stalag 17 (scum of the earth with lots of class).

The film has everything you could possibly want to tell your friends about the racetrack. From organized gambling, win-mad owners, touts, corner-cutting sharpies (that's Boots), claiming races, auctions, the joke with the muck sack (Tommy falls in the pit), the Stewards review of the objection, and especially the scene in the Jock's Room where Tommy calls a rider "rail-shy." The man really is a jockey and beats the snot out of the kid.

Just a few things wrong, though, and it's almost like the mistakes were made deliberately. First, jockey agents are not permitted in the saddling paddock before a race. This is a rule. Second, the racetrack, Dellington, is on the East Coast, north of Baltimore according to the train destination board. Since the movie appears to have been made at Del Mar, there are palm trees in the background. Third, I've never been to an auction where there are drunken men in tuxedos and women in evening gowns. These things are strictly business. If you think you're smarter than the rest of the people there, you'd better be prepared to prove it.

Oh, and one more thing. Had I been a Steward, "White Cargo" would have been disqualified for interference. The objection was that Tommy hit the other horse with his whip, which he did not do because he is whipping with his left hand. But the horse is "getting out" badly precisely because the rider is whipping left-handed and pulling the horse to the right with the hand holding the reins. Watch for it when you go to the races, it is a frequent occurrence.

William Holden (he's Boots) is an agent for jockeys (horse, not disc); he's in debt, and out-of-luck. Along comes young Johnny Stewart (he's Tommy) - skipping school during Easter vacation, he wants to ride the horses. Mr. Holden senses the Kid has money, and decides to take him for a ride. He allows the runaway to stay with himself and pal Stanley Clements (he's Stash). Unbeknownst to Holden, the Kid takes him for the ride of his life.

An indispensable film, for several reasons, chief among them:

#1 -- The amazing performance of Johnny Stewart, mainly; though, everyone is fine. I did wonder, though, what Holden was thinking in some of the emotional scenes with Stewart - Holden looked, perhaps, a little dumbfounded at the younger actor's flawless performance. Production cast and crew should be credited; and, obviously, director William Dieterle.

#2 -- The apparently realistic backdrop of horse-racing, jockeys, and Dellington Park. If this isn't accurate, it sure seems close enough. To top that off, the movie uses the setting to effectively tell a bigger story. It's not that difficult to figure out, but you'll get the full picture in a brief scene between Tommy the Kid and the crusty old trainer Preacher (Basil Ruysdael).

The film takes some relieving trips off the beaten track. For example, the "Big Race" at the end is tremendous because you aren't sure what Stewart is going to do; and, the whole "mother falls in love with the boy's hero…" solution is dispensed with.

Highly recommended.

********* Boots Malone (1/11/52) William Dieterle ~ William Holden, Johnny Stewart, Stanley Clements, Basil Ruysdael