Palooka (film)


Palooka is a 1934 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by Benjamin Stoloff starring Jimmy Durante and based on the comic strip by Ham Fisher. The film was adapted by Jack Jevne, Arthur Kober, Gertrude Purcell, Murray Roth and Ben Ryan from the comic strip. The film is also known as The Great Schnozzle in the United Kingdom.

Plot summary

Joe Palooka is a naive young man whose father Pete was a champion boxer, but his lifestyle caused Joe's mother Mayme to leave him and to take young Joe to the country to raise him. But when a shady boxing manager discovers Joe's natural boxing talent, Joe decides to follow him to the big city, where he becomes a champion and begins to follow his father's path of debauchery, much of it including the glamorous cabaret singer and fortune hunter Nina Madero. The film also stars William Cagney, the younger brother of actor James Cagney in the role of the adversary prize fighter to Knobby. Finally his mother comes to the city to look after things...

Differences from comic strip

Cast

The film was the second movie Edward Small made under an agreement with United Artists. Small bought the rights to the song "Inka Dinka Doo" specifically for the movie.

Soundtrack