Mac Coy aux poings d'or

Tommy McCoy (Mickey Rooney) is a hustler in general and hustles pool specifically. He challenges a boxer in a charity event and catches the eye of boxing champ Johnny Martin. It's steady climb and then he gets into the ring with Martin.

Rooney is trying something a little different. I love him but I don't really buy him as a boxer. He has enough muscles but he's not a good fighter. The staging is not helping. He's flailing around like a dancer. I don't buy him even outside the ring. He's no Rocky. Maybe they could play it off as his advantage. He's smarter than the usual dumb brutes who fight and he fights like a dancer. As for the drama, I would have thought that his fight with Johnny Martin should be set up as the climax. Quite frankly, he should quit fighting after the incident. It's nice to have the wife come talk to him afterwards but it's not elevating the emotional drama. It's an emotional excuse for him to continue. I love Rooney no matter what. This is one of the no matter whats.

While Killer McCoy might not sound like a winner at first glance, it's surprisingly smart, exciting, and fun. It might look like Mickey Rooney isn't the best choice for a prizefighter, and it might look like James Dunn is just reprising his Oscar- and Rag-winning role in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and it might look like Brian Donlevy has a throwaway role as a typical bad guy, but this movie is one of the top of its kind.

Mickey Rooney shows off his acting chops in this meaty role, and not only does he show a different mastery of choreographed footwork, but he has a range of emotions that show great experience and street smarts. James Dunn once again plays a drunk who can't get ahead, but it is slightly different than two years ago's film. If you did enjoy A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, though, you'll want to watch this one. Brian Donlevy isn't a straight villain, and has a very interesting character. He's fleshed out and given layers to his performance, showing once again, that he's a very good and underused actor. Ann Blyth is Mickey's love interest and Brian's daughter, and while she is the contrast to Mickey's coarse boxing world, she's not a one-dimensional snob. She's sweet and loving, and it's clear why both Mickey and Brian want to shield her from their world.

The script of Killer McCoy is very strong. Frederick Hazlitt Brennan has written smart, snappy dialogue as well as dramatic scenes, and the plot unfolds at an even yet exciting pace. This is a surprising hidden gem that isn't remembered anymore, but when you watch it you'll realize it should be.

This 1947 boxing flick, seems to have been an attempt by MGM to save the career of their former top box-office attraction, Mickey Rooney, by toughening up his image. Had the script been better, and the direction more interesting, they could well have succeeded.

The 27 year old Rooney couldn't play kids any more, and so MGM cast him as a young man literally fighting his way out of the slums by becoming a boxer. And he's very convincing in the role. He was always a sensitive performer, but this time he displays a maturity and a restraint that is remarkable. He is really listening and giving his all to his fellow actors, and so to the audience.

And he has some great actors to work with. The entire cast is very strong, but special mention should be made of the excellent Brian Donlevy, and, most especially the brilliant James Dunn. Playing Rooney's washed-out Vaudevillian father, Dunn is truly unforgettable - making the character both immensely likeable and totally loathsome.

Apart from the performances we also get some very nicely filmed, and exciting, boxing sequences. On the downside, the script is rather ordinary, the ending a bit sappy, and the direction unimaginative. But the film is well worth seeing for Rooney and Dunn at their best!

In the first few minutes of Killer McCoy, Mickey Rooney sings, dances, shoots some sharp pool, shows a range of emotions, and takes his shirt off to work a speed bag. Now I finally understand why he was able to get busy with Ava Gardner. He's a total stud.

This cynical boxing movie features fine work from Sam Levene, Brian Donlevy and Tom Tully, plus some showy acting from James Dunn.

Problem starts when Ann Blyth shows up. As with most gritty movies that shoehorn in a love interest, it falls apart quickly. We have to sit through a romance montage. And the movie loses its focus, turning into a chick flick where Rooney and Donleavy are focused on protecting the sweet, innocent Blyth. Snooze-O-rama.

What started out as a cynical look at poverty and the choices we make to escape it, ends up so soft and rounded and middle America it could have been made by Disney.

No he's no Di Niro but his street pug slugging came off very real. Mickey Rooney looked like he was really taking some shots up there and I wouldn't doubt it if he actually insisted on doing it for the realism. Either that or the editing deserved an Oscar! Interesting cameo of , Johnny Andrisiano,( Rocky ) the real-life fighter who trained Mic for the film. (And who died mysteriously-suicide?) Also keep your eyes peeled for a quick but fleeting glimpse of Shelly Winters as one of two autograph hounds in the car. James Dunn playing his poor song-and-dance soul was superb! This movie is a rare gem and it really deserves more credit than it's given.