The fantastic Barb Williams from Memphis, Tennessee, a regular contributor to the movie blog, emailed me yesterday about a Scranton reference in a James Cagney boxing movie from the 1930s:
"While I was home with the flu last month, Turner Classic Movies showed The Irish in Us with James Cagney. Scranton was mentioned two times while Cagney's boxing protege was being prepped for a bout. The opposition's handlers, as I recall in my flu-dazed state, were telling Cagney's fighter (named Carbarn Hammerschlog) that the guy he is slated to fight killed his opponent during a boxing match in Scranton."
The Irish In Us features an impressive cast including James Cagney, Olivia de Havilland, Frank McHugh and Pat O'Brien; it was directed by Lloyd Bacon (42nd Street, The Fuller Brush Girl starring Lucille Ball).
The Irish In Us tells the story of three Irish brothers--policeman Pat (Pat O'Brien), fireman Mike (Frank McHugh) and boxing promoter Danny (James Cagney)--who live with their Ma. Though his brothers try to convince Danny to settle down with a secure job, Danny believes his boxing ingenue Carbarn (Allen Jenkins) will soon bring him fame and fortune. To complicate matters, Pat's fiance Lucille (Olivia de Havilland) starts falling for Danny. Also of note is The Irish In Us is said to feature an abundance of New York Irish stereotypes.
Though the film has never been officially released on VHS or DVD, an independent company (www.freemoviesondvd.com/) that sells copies of out-of-print and hard-to-find classic films does offer copies of The Irish In Us for sale on DVD. To purchase a copy, click here.
Much thanks again to Barb Williams for this Scranton reference. Barb, I hope you've fully recovered from your recent bout with the flu! Keep em' comin'!
No comments:
Post a Comment