Palooka (1934) [Comedy]



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

Joe Palooka (Stuart Erwin) is a naive young man whose father Pete (Robert Armstrong) was a champion boxer, but his lifestyle caused Joe’s mother Mayme (Marjorie Rambeau) to leave him and to take young Joe to the country to raise him. But when a shady boxing manager (Jimmy Durante) 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 Nina Madero (Lupe Vélez). The film also stars William Cagney, the younger brother of actor James Cagney.

Directed by Benjamin Stoloff, produced by Edward Small, written by Ham Fisher (comic strip), Jack Jevne (screenplay), Arthur Kober (screenplay), Gertrude Purcell (screenplay), Murray Roth (additional dialogue) and Ben Ryan (additional dialogue), starring Jimmy Durante as Knobby Walsh (Junior), Lupe Vélez as Nina Madero, Stuart Erwin as Joe Palooka, Marjorie Rambeau as Mayme Palooka and Robert Armstrong as Pete ‘Goodtime’ Palooka.

Source: “Palooka (film)” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. 7 July 2012. Web. 22 July 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palooka_(film).

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13 Replies to “Palooka (1934) [Comedy]”

  1. including the glamorous cabaret singer Nina Madero (Lupe Vélez). The film also stars William Cagney, the younger brother of actor James Cagney.

  2. As of the date of this post, December 26, 2013, Mary Carlisle, who played the real love interest of Stuart Erwin in this film, is still alive.  She will be 102 in February of next year.

  3. I love the scene when the mother of robert armstrong (marjorie rambeau) knocks thelma todd to the floor. WOW! what a hit! and thelma todd was no weak sister.

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