Tonight's Movie: Gentleman Jim (1942) - A Warner Archive Blu-ray Review

Errol Flynn stars as boxer Jim Corbett in GENTLEMAN JIM (1942), just released on Blu-ray by the Warner Archive Collection.

The film begins in 1880s San Francisco, where boxing is not considered a sport but instead is something which results in participants and audiences being thrown in jail if they're caught.

The Olympic Club decides they will try to make it a "gentleman's sport" and sponsor Corbett, a bank clerk, as a boxer. Corbett, from a loving but poor family, is eager to climb the social ranks via his boxing skill.

Corbett does well in the ring, but his boastful behavior sometimes works against him. Nonetheless, he continues to rise in the boxing world, ultimately battling the great champion John L. Sullivan (Ward Bond).

Over time Jim periodically encounters Victoria Ware (Alexis Smith), a silver miner's daughter, but again his brash behavior doesn't always put him in good stead with her. However, she can't stop thinking about him...

This film, directed by Raoul Walsh from a screenplay by Horace McCoy and Vincent Lawrence, has a good reputation and I was looking forward to it. Given the star and director I expected something fun and exciting, but unfortunately I instead found the movie surprisingly dull.

I periodically enjoy boxing films if there's a good story underneath; examples of boxing films I enjoy include FLESH AND FURY (1952) and ROCKY (1976).

I also periodically enjoy meandering, slow-moving character studies, but the combination of boxing with 104 minutes of very little of note happening just didn't work for me. This is a very slow-paced film with repetitive scenes: Corbett fights, he annoys people, he fights with Victoria. Repeat. And repeat again.

Perhaps this caught me on the wrong day and I'd like it more knowing what to expect, but a bunch of roughhousing shenanigans punctuated with boxing and romantic bickering left me feeling quite "meh" about it. I also didn't enjoy the pathos surrounding the character of Sullivan, though he was well-portrayed by Bond.

It's interesting to note that I reacted very similarly to another Walsh film which is generally highly regarded, THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE (1941).  Neither of these 1941-1942 films really works for me, although I didn't find GENTLEMAN JIM as depressing.

The movie has a typically deep Warner Bros. cast including Alan Hale (Sr.), Jack Carson, Minor Watson, Rhys Williams, Arthur Shields, William Frawley, and John Loder.

The Blu-ray is a new 1080p HD master from a 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative. It beautifully shows off the black and white photography of Sid Hickox. Flynn and Smith look wonderful. Sound quality is also fine. From a technical perspective this is an excellent release.

Disc extras consist of three cartoons, THE DOVER BOYS AT PIMENTO UNIVERSITY (1942), FONEY FABLES (1942), and HOBBY HORSE-LAFFS (1942); a 30-minute 1944 Lady Esther Screen Guild Playhouse radio production of GENTLEMAN JIM starring Flynn and Smith; and the trailer.

For an alternate take on this film, I happened across a lovely piece by Raquel Stecher at Out of the Past a few years ago regarding how the movie helped inspire her to make the most of her opportunities. I will definitely have her perspective in mind next time I happen to see GENTLEMAN JIM.

Thanks to the Warner Archive for providing a review copy of this Blu-ray. Warner Archive Blu-rays may be ordered from Movie Zyng, the Amazon Warner Archive Collection Store, or from any online retailers were Blu-rays are sold.

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