Right to the Heart (1942)

71-72 or 74 mins | Comedy-drama | 23 January 1942

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HISTORY

The working titles of this film were A Straight Left and You Can't Always Tell. According to HR news items, Clark Andrews was briefly set as the picture's producer, and Lester Ziffren and Stanley Rubin worked on the screenplay for the film. The extent of Ziffren and Rubin's contributions to the completed picture has not been confirmed, however. HR news items also noted that Cornel Wilde was originally set for the leading role but was replaced by Joseph Allen, Jr. after Wilde became ill with a "stomach disorder." According to the Twentieth Century-Fox records of the Legal Department, contained in the UCLA Arts--Special Collections Library, some scenes were shot on location at Malibu, CA. Fox first filmed Harold MacGrath's story in 1926 as Womanpower, which was directed by Harry Beaumont and starred Ralph Graves and Kathryn Perry (see entry). ...

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The working titles of this film were A Straight Left and You Can't Always Tell. According to HR news items, Clark Andrews was briefly set as the picture's producer, and Lester Ziffren and Stanley Rubin worked on the screenplay for the film. The extent of Ziffren and Rubin's contributions to the completed picture has not been confirmed, however. HR news items also noted that Cornel Wilde was originally set for the leading role but was replaced by Joseph Allen, Jr. after Wilde became ill with a "stomach disorder." According to the Twentieth Century-Fox records of the Legal Department, contained in the UCLA Arts--Special Collections Library, some scenes were shot on location at Malibu, CA. Fox first filmed Harold MacGrath's story in 1926 as Womanpower, which was directed by Harry Beaumont and starred Ralph Graves and Kathryn Perry (see entry).

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GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS
SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Box Office
10 Jan 1942
---
Daily Variety
6 Jan 1942
p. 3
Film Daily
9 Jan 1942
p. 9
Hollywood Reporter
15 May 1941
p. 1
Hollywood Reporter
16 Jul 1941
p. 3
Hollywood Reporter
22 Aug 1941
p. 2
Hollywood Reporter
8 Sep 1941
p. 4
Hollywood Reporter
8 Oct 1941
p. 1
Hollywood Reporter
29 Oct 1941
p. 1
Hollywood Reporter
4 Nov 1941
p. 3
Hollywood Reporter
6 Nov 1941
p. 11
Hollywood Reporter
14 Nov 1941
p. 9
Hollywood Reporter
28 Nov 1941
p. 9
Hollywood Reporter
2 Dec 1941
p. 2
Hollywood Reporter
10 Dec 1941
p. 6
Hollywood Reporter
6 Jan 1942
p. 3
Motion Picture Herald Product Digest
10 Jan 1942
p. 451
Variety
21 Jan 1942
p. 8
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTORS
Asst dir
Dial dir
Dial dir
PRODUCER
Exec prod
WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY
Virgil Miller
Dir of photog
ART DIRECTORS
Art dir
Lewis Creber
Art dir
FILM EDITOR
Film ed
SET DECORATOR
Set dec
COSTUMES
Cost
MUSIC
PRODUCTION MISC
Sailor Billy Vincent
Boxing instructor
Prod mgr
Dir of pub
Dog trainer
SOURCES
LITERARY
Based on the short story "You Can't Always Tell" by Harold MacGrath in Red Book Magazine (Dec 1925).
LITERARY SOURCE AUTHOR
DETAILS
Alternate Titles:
A Straight Left
You cant always tell
Release Date:
23 January 1942
Production Date:
early Nov--1 Dec 1941
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp.
23 January 1942
LP11119
Physical Properties:
Sound
RCA Sound System
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
71-72 or 74
Length(in feet):
6,783
Length(in reels):
8
Country:
United States
PCA No:
7975
SYNOPSIS

New York City playboy John T. Bromley, III goes upstate to the rural boxing camp of famed trainer Jim Killian. Using the name Johnny White, John tells Jim that he has to get in shape for an important amateur bout in six weeks. Jim recognizes John but does not say so and agrees to give him a tryout, which annoys his two champion fighters, Tommy Sands and Willie Donovan, and his young foster son, Stash Lanigan. Stash, whose late father was a renowned prizefighter, believes that John will be a washout and waste Jim's time, so he arranges for Tommy to be especially hard on him during his tryout. Jim sees potential in John, however, and decides to let him stay. Although Stash, Willie and Tommy start John on a grueling training schedule, John sticks with it. One afternoon, Willie knocks John down during a sparring match, and as he wavers in and out of consciousness, John remembers the reason why he came to Jim: During a night out on the town, John and his debutante girl friend, Barbara Paxton, are confronted by her former boyfriend, ex-champion boxer Danny Morgan. Morgan accuses Barbara of being a gold digger, then punches John. Disgusted, Barbara leaves alone, and the publicity provokes John's crusty aunt Minerva to disown him for causing yet another scandal. Determined to win Barbara back, John vows to knock Morgan out by learning boxing. After John regains consciousness back at Jim's, he continues his training. He gets discouraged by Stash's constant criticism, however, and is about to return home when Jim's daughter Jenny praises his determination and progress. John ...

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New York City playboy John T. Bromley, III goes upstate to the rural boxing camp of famed trainer Jim Killian. Using the name Johnny White, John tells Jim that he has to get in shape for an important amateur bout in six weeks. Jim recognizes John but does not say so and agrees to give him a tryout, which annoys his two champion fighters, Tommy Sands and Willie Donovan, and his young foster son, Stash Lanigan. Stash, whose late father was a renowned prizefighter, believes that John will be a washout and waste Jim's time, so he arranges for Tommy to be especially hard on him during his tryout. Jim sees potential in John, however, and decides to let him stay. Although Stash, Willie and Tommy start John on a grueling training schedule, John sticks with it. One afternoon, Willie knocks John down during a sparring match, and as he wavers in and out of consciousness, John remembers the reason why he came to Jim: During a night out on the town, John and his debutante girl friend, Barbara Paxton, are confronted by her former boyfriend, ex-champion boxer Danny Morgan. Morgan accuses Barbara of being a gold digger, then punches John. Disgusted, Barbara leaves alone, and the publicity provokes John's crusty aunt Minerva to disown him for causing yet another scandal. Determined to win Barbara back, John vows to knock Morgan out by learning boxing. After John regains consciousness back at Jim's, he continues his training. He gets discouraged by Stash's constant criticism, however, and is about to return home when Jim's daughter Jenny praises his determination and progress. John decides to persevere, and Stash, afraid that Jenny is falling for him, sends Barbara a telegram to come at once because John is ill. Barbara shows the telegram to Minerva, who goes to the training camp herself. She is surprised to see Jim, whom she pursued romantically when they attended high school together, but recovers sufficiently to order John to leave. John refuses to leave without accomplishing his goal, and Minerva storms off. One afternoon, John succeeds in knocking down Willie, and Jim pronounces him ready to fight Morgan. John goes on a picnic with Jenny to celebrate, and when they return, they find that Stash's beloved dog Salome has gone into labor. While Jenny rushes to get the veterinarian, John delivers the puppies, and his gentle assistance finally wins Stash over. When John leaves for home the next day, Stash observes Jenny's lovesick devastation. Stash drives alone to New York City, where he confronts Minerva and tells her that she must help reunite John and Jenny. Determined to show John that Barbara is a gold digger, Minerva pretends to reconcile with her in a nightclub. John does realize that Barbara is interested only in his money and breaks off their relationship, after which Morgan enters, and John knocks him out. Minerva and Stash return to the camp, where Minerva tells Jenny to go after John while she herself resumes her pursuit of Jim. Jenny rushes outside to John and agrees to elope with him.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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