What a wonderful opportunity to see the young Rachel Ames, then known as Judith, seven years before she joined "General Hospital" for a 40-year run as the beloved nurse Audrey March Hardy. She's the girlfriend of prizefighter John Erickson, a promising boxer who discovers that all of his previous fights were all set up for him to win. Ronald Reagan is his trainer, complete with facial scar, hired by manager Rusty Lane to send Erickson further onto notoriety and fame. It's up to Reagan to break the news to Ames of the truth about her boyfriend, as if watching how he changes as the victories increase isn't proof enough. Excellent performances and a terrific poetic script makes this episode of "General Electric Theater" one of the great Anthology TV episodes ever written. Reagan as wonderful as the weather beaten trainer, reminiscing about his own failures, and Ames is absolutely lovely. Fans of the great film noir movies that dealt with the crooked world of prize fighting will find this episode an an absolute delight, as details and wonderful in 30 minutes as "The Setup" (1949) was in 70 minutes.
2 Reviews
The fight game
bkoganbing18 September 2020
Future president Ronald Reagan not only hosts but co-stars in this telefilm about
an up and coming boxer, loosely based on Chuck Davey who like the character
John Ericson portrays was a matinee idol like middleweight contender ever so
briefly in the early 50s. Ronald Reagan plays a former boxer now turned trainer
hired by manager Rusty Lane. Rachel Ames portrays Ericson's girlfriend.
What Ericson doesn't know, but what Reagan has figured out is that Ericson's fights were all setups. Lane is building him up for a title shot and as Reagan says even the loser gets a good pay day on the way back to Palookaville.
Even Ames has figured it out, but no one can or dares tell Ericson anything.
A lot of the plot of the Humphrey Bogart/Rod Steiger film The Harder They Fall is used for this drama. Reagan's part is a combination of the roles that Bogart and Jersey Joe Walcott had in that big screen classic.
Reagan could have used a bit of makeup because he sure doesn't look like a former boxer. Still its a worthwhile dram about the fight game.
What Ericson doesn't know, but what Reagan has figured out is that Ericson's fights were all setups. Lane is building him up for a title shot and as Reagan says even the loser gets a good pay day on the way back to Palookaville.
Even Ames has figured it out, but no one can or dares tell Ericson anything.
A lot of the plot of the Humphrey Bogart/Rod Steiger film The Harder They Fall is used for this drama. Reagan's part is a combination of the roles that Bogart and Jersey Joe Walcott had in that big screen classic.
Reagan could have used a bit of makeup because he sure doesn't look like a former boxer. Still its a worthwhile dram about the fight game.
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