Ed-Shullivan You really cannot go wrong in watching a sport/crime genre film in which you have not one, but two boxing promoters who are both a bit slimy towards their boxing club pugilists, especially when these two promoters are the great actors Humphrey Bogart and Edward G. Robinson. They have a genuine hate on for each other in and out of the ring. Where the stakes are high by fixing fights so that their significant bets come through with their boxers win or loss.Nick Donati (Edward G. Robinson) has just discovered a young and strong hotel bell hop named Ward Guisenberry / Kid Galahad (Wayne Morris) who he manages to a heavyweight championship title fight that Nick actually has mixed feelings about winning and losing since his novice boxer Kid Galahad has fallen in love with Nick's virgin sister Marie (Jane Bryan). The farm boy turned fighter Ward Guisenberry / Kid Galahad has two women that have fallen in love with his boyish charms and ring innocence. Both Nick's little sister Marie and Nick's arm candy night club singer Louise 'Fluff' Phillips (Bette Davis) both have deep feelings for Kid Galahad. Footnote: I for one just was never able to picture actress Bette Davis as "eye candy" with her strange facial appearance that appeared to have been placed in a vise grip and with her rather thin and balding hair?So the two boxing promoters go after the big purse but which promoter is betting on which fighter to win or lose? The film has some aggressive ring fight scenes, a visible hate-on by the two promoters played by Bogart and Robinson, love lost and gained, and crimes that must not go unpunished. What's not to like?I give the film a decent 6 out of 10 rating.Footnote: the 1941 film remake was titled "The Wagons Roll at Night" starring Humphrey Bogart and Eddie Albert. Instead of the naive young man being a boxer as in this film, Eddie Albert joins Humphrey Bogart's circus as their lion tamer when Eddie falls head over heels for Humphrey's little sister played by then 16 year old Joan Leslie. I believe the remake was slightly better than the original Kid Galahad.

Edgar Allan Pooh This review will contain information that some may perceive as "spoilers" for both the original KID GALAHAD, from 1937, and the Elvis Presley remake, from 1962. Probably few world reviewers have watched every minute of both of these flicks in the past month, so these comparisons are fresher in my mind than many. Mr. Morris makes a more convincing contender for the world heavyweight boxing championship than Mr. Presley. (Score one for Wayne.) Mr. Morris does not try to sing; what boxer WOULD?! (Score another for Wayne.) Before the Chippendales, the women of America went Ga-Ga over Mr. Morris' version of the Kid. (Score a third for Wayne on originality, as the initial American Sex King.) Mr. Morris' corner men and antagonists were played by Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart; playing these roles in the remake were Gig Young and David Lewis. (Score 97 for Wayne.) As you can see, there's no danger of a split decision here. Wayne Morris captures the title as the preeminent KID GALAHAD, 100-0!

utgard14 When bellhop Wayne Morris knocks out a heavyweight contender, boxing promoter Edward G. Robinson dubs him Kid Galahad and decides to make a champion out of him. But when Robinson's girlfriend Bette Davis falls for Morris and Morris falls for Robinson's kid sister Jane Bryan, it causes the promoter to turn against his protégé.Good sports drama from Warner Bros. with three big name stars, two of which were still on their way up. Edward G. Robinson's terrific in a role he plays with ease. Bette Davis is likable and sexy in the kind of role she hated playing. Humphrey Bogart plays one of his patented gangster characters. He's always fun. Harry Carey, Sr. is wonderful in a supporting role. First big role for Wayne Morris, who never reached the heights WB groomed him for. He's very likable in an "aww shucks" way. Remade in 1941 as a circus movie, The Wagons Roll At Night, with Bogart tackling the Robinson role. Remade again as an Elvis musical in 1962, probably the most famous of the three. This one's my favorite, though, with all the wonderful flavor WB urban dramas had in the 1930s. Nice boxing scenes and enjoyable characters make it a good one.

bkoganbing The presence of a trio of some of the best Warner Brothers players from the studio era makes Kid Galahad worth watching. You cannot possibly go wrong in a film that has Edward G. Robinson, Bette Davis, and Humphrey Bogart.After a fight where Robinson's fighter is knocked out by Bogart's pugilist, Robinson throws a party any way. Robinson's palooka lost because he didn't listen to instructions. Bogey and his fighter William Haade come in anyway. During the festivities, William Haade gets fresh with Robinson's girl, Bette Davis, and young bellhop Wayne Morris flattens him with one punch. Robinson thinks he's found a new heavyweight.I doubt there have been too many people more innocent portrayed on the screen than Wayne Morris in this film. The gawky country kid who comes off like a young Jimmy Stewart with a little more meat on his bones manages to get both Davis and Robinson's kid sister Jane Bryan interested in him. That ticks off Robinson considerably and he starts looking at Morris in a new and bad light.Of course the presence of those three Hollywood legends makes Kid Galahad watchable. Davis with little to work with turns in a good performance as the decent girl friend of Robinson who while she's been around the track a few times, has a good heart. Jane Bryan is appealing herself as the sister. She retired early from the screen when she married Justin Dart the founder of Rexall Drugs. Later on Dart became an early backer of another Warner Brother contract player named Ronald Reagan when he opted for politics. Bryan by then a fashionable society hostess was also a big backer of the Gipper.Robinson is good, his fanatical interest in protecting his sister is not as bad as Paul Muni with Ann Dvorak in Scarface, but pretty close without crossing over into incest. Humphrey Bogart is also fine as the mobbed up manager, a type all to familiar in boxing.Kid Galahad is dated, you couldn't have someone today as innocent as Wayne Morris is portrayed on the screen, the film would be laughed at. But those were more innocent times.