Flesh and Fury is a 1952 American film noir drama sport film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Tony Curtis, Jan Sterling and Mona Freeman.

Plot

Boxing fan Sonya Bartow and manager Pop Richardson are both impressed the first time they see amateur Paul Callan win a fight. They are more amazed, and Sonya somewhat appalled, when they discover later that Paul is deaf.

Flesh and Fury

Pop agrees to train him, even though he's still not quite over the death in the ring of a former protege. A romantic relationship begins with Sonya, but she refuses to marry Paul until he's a champion. She impatiently pushes Pop to set up a title fight, even if he is not ready yet.

Flesh and Fury

When a reporter, Ann Hollis, comes to interview Paul, she uses sign language. Sonya mocks it as a "dummy" language and Paul explains that he has always been reluctant to use it. Ann begins seeing Paul socially, takes him to a deaf-children's school and introduces him to her deaf father, a successful architect. Sonya drunkenly threatens to kill Ann if she does not leave Paul alone.

Flesh and Fury

A doctor performs an operation that restores Paul's hearing. He rushes to Ann's house, but a party there is so noisy that it confuses and overwhelms him. Paul goes back to Sonya and is excitedly told that a fight's been arranged with Logan, the champ. Paul discovers that Sonya has hidden a telegram from the doctor, explaining that a beating in the ring could cause him to again go deaf.

Sonya bets heavily on the fight, but on Paul to lose. The punches he absorbs cause his hearing to fade. With all the distracting noise tuned out, Paul rallies to win the fight. He reunites with Ann, and is relieved when he can hear her speak.

Cast

Tony Curtis as Paul Callan

Jan Sterling as Sonya Bartow

Mona Freeman as Ann Hollis

Wallace Ford as Jack 'Pop' Richardson

Connie Gilchrist as Mrs. Richardson

Katherine Locke as Mrs. Hollis

Harry Shannon as Mike Callan, Paul's Father

Louis Jean Heydt as Whity

Tom Powers as Andy Randoph

Nella Walker as Mrs. Hackett

Harry Guardino as Lou Callan - Paul's Brother

Joe Gray as Cliff

Harry Ravan as Murphy

Ted Stanhope as Maris, the Bulter

See also

List of American films of 1952

List of boxing films

List of films featuring the deaf and hard of hearing

References

External links

1952 films

1950s sports drama films

American black-and-white films

American boxing films

American sports drama films

Film noir

Films about deaf people

Films directed by Joseph Pevney

Films scored by Hans J. Salter

Universal Pictures films

1952 drama films

1950s English-language films

1950s American films

Films about disability