Spirit of Youth

The story of the rise of boxer Joe Thomas, which paralleled the life of Joe Louis.

Cast

Joe Louis

as Joe Thomas

Clarence Muse

as Frankie Walburn

Edna Mae Harris

as Mary Bowdin

Mae Turner

as Flora Bailey

Cleo Desmond

as Nora Thomas

Mantan Moreland

as Creighton 'Crickie' Fitzgibbons

Jewel Smith

as Duke Emerald

Tom Southern

as Dr. Bowdin

Jess Lee Brooks

as Jeff Thomas

Marguerite Whitten

as Eleanor Thomas

Reviews

Similar Movies

Rocky II

After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.

⭐ 7.3

Phantom Punch

From his discovery by a priest while serving time at the Missouri State Penitentiary to the infamous 'Phantom Punch' by Cassius Clay which effectively ended his career, the movie spans the years from 1950 to Liston's mysterious and untimely death in 1971.

⭐ 5.3

Gladiator

Tommy Riley has moved with his dad to Chicago from a 'nice place'. He keeps to himself, goes to school. However, after a street fight he is noticed and quickly falls into the world of illegal underground boxing - where punches can kill.

⭐ 7.6

Body and Soul

Charley Davis, against the wishes of his mother, becomes a boxer. As he becomes more successful the fighter becomes surrounded by shady characters, including an unethical promoter named Roberts, who tempt the man with a number of vices. Charley finds himself faced with increasingly difficult choices.

⭐ 6.7

Far and Away

A young couple escapes Ireland, dreaming of a new life during the land giveaway in Oklahoma. As they struggle to survive against betrayal and harsh winter conditions, they must fend off her parents who are determined to bring her back home.

⭐ 6.8

The Crowd Roars

A young boxer gets caught between a no-good father and a crime boss when he starts dating the boss's daughter, although she doesn't know what daddy does for a living.

⭐ 6.5

Hell's Kitchen

Newly released from jail, an ex-gang member asks a former contender to teach him to box.

⭐ 5.2

The Challenge

Rick, a down-and-out American boxer, is hired to transport a sword to Japan, unaware that the whole thing is a set up in a bitter blood-feud between two brothers, one who follows the traditional path of the samurai and the other a businessman. At the behest of the businessman, Rick undertakes samurai training from the other brother, but joins his cause. He also becomes romantically involved with the samurai's daughter.

⭐ 6.0

The Harder They Fall

Jobless sportswriter Eddie Willis is hired by corrupt fight promoter Nick Benko to promote his current protégé, an unknown Argentinian boxer named Toro Moreno. Although Moreno is a hulking giant, his chances for success are hampered by a powder-puff punch and a glass jaw. Exploiting Willis' reputation for integrity and standing in the boxing community, Benko arranges a series of fixed fights that propel the unsophisticated Moreno to #1 contender for the championship. The reigning champ, the sadistic Buddy Brannen, harbors resentment at the publicity Toro has been receiving and vows to viciously punish him in the ring. Eddie must now decide whether or not to tell the naive Toro the truth.

⭐ 7.1

The Great White Hype

When the champ's promoter, Rev. Sultan, decides something new is needed to boost the marketability of the boxing matches, he searches and finds the only man to ever beat the champ. The problem is that he isn't a boxer anymore and he's white. However, once Rev. Sultan convinces him to fight, he goes into heavy training while the confident champ takes it easy and falls out of shape.

⭐ 5.2

Toboggan

Toboggan, the 1934 Henri Decoin French boxing sports romantic love triangle melodrama (about a washed up boxer who makes a comeback for a sexy dancer, but she is two-timing him, and she brings her boyfriend into the arena during the climactic boxing match) starring Georges Carpentier (real life heavyweight boxing champion), Arlette Marchal, Paul Amiot, John Anderson, and Raymond Cordy. Note that because Carpentier was a real life boxer, he naturally was able to do his own boxing scenes, and the producer of the movie interwove footage of Carpentier from his actual matches into the film.

⭐ 0.0

Johny Mera Naam

When a gangster named Heeralal gets arrested, he befriends Johny, a petty thief, in prison. He seeks Jony's help in executing his mission of smuggling a few diamonds. Johny, however, is an undercover CID officer named Sohan.

⭐ 7.3

Dempsey

Nominated for two primetime Emmy Awards in 1984, this made-for-TV movie follows the true story of American boxer Jack Dempsey, who became a media sensation in the 1920s as the world heavyweight champion. Based upon the book by Jack Dempsey and Barbara Piatelli Dempsey.

⭐ 6.0

The Crooked Circle

A young prizefighter finds himself being squeezed on all sides to throw a fight.

⭐ 6.0

In This Corner

A Navy veteran takes up boxing and winds up killing his own friend in the ring during a championship match.

⭐ 0.0

The Devil Is a Sissy

A well-bred young English lad living in lower Manhattan tries to gain acceptance from his not-so-well-bred peers at school.

⭐ 6.9

100 Yen Love

Slacker Ichiko gets into a fight with her younger sister and begins to live on her own, working the late shift at a 100 yen shop. On her way home, she passes a gym and meets boxer Kano who trains there in silence...

⭐ 7.2

Kid Galahad

Fight promoter Nick Donati grooms a bellhop as a future champ, but has second thoughts when the 'kid' falls for his sister.

⭐ 7.0

The Square Ring

Boxing drama following the lives of 5 different fighters and their reasons for becoming boxers.

⭐ 7.1