The Shakedown

George Kotsonaros is a tank fighter, going from one town to the next, offering $1000 to anyone who can stand in the ring with him for four rounds. It's a frame-up, with James Murray the man who loses, and the gang makes a nice profit by betting on the outcome. He's been showing off a little in the towns up to now, and the betting hasn't been good, so he's sent to the next town with orders to get a regular job, do something like save a life, and get ready to lose. But when he saves Jack Hanlon with no witnesses, he takes a liking to the waif, and to diner waitress Barbara Kent. When the show rolls around, there's heavy betting on him, but he's changed. At first he refuses to fight at all. That will mean Kotsonaros will will by default. So he has to go into the ring trying to win. And the gang isn't going to play by Marquess of Queensbury rule

William Wyler's goat-glanded picture -- the copy I looked at was entirely silent -- is a tale of redemption, with a lot of sappy stuff going on as Murray comes to care more about the boy and the girl than the easy money. It also has a brutal fight scene, with Kotsonaros looking like he's beating Murray to a pulp. Wheeler Oakman is despicable as the caddish manager, and Harry Gribbon offers some sort of comedy by making faces at young Hanlon. John Huston is supposed to be visible in the crowds, but I couldn't spot him.