i look at this a simply a good story and a solid drama that happen to have the sport of box figure into it . box movie . if people insist on label this under that category and be particularly popular around the time of this film . many of them have similar story about a good guy be tell to take a dive or else . yes and that be in here and too and but it wasn not anywhere near the central part of the story . this film be more of an early rag bull type tale in that it concentrate on the friend and family and freeloader and criminal and woman surround the main male character . this be more of a story about a decent man who get carry away with success and with the power and money that go with it . as good a the lead actor and john garfield and be in here and he be good i be more intrigued with the support character . lilly palmer look and sound the part of a refined sweet and pretty french girl ( whatever that mean ) and be a good contrast to the uneducated and quick temper brute ( garfield ) . a in so many story and she wasn not fully appreciate by her man until the end . anne revere and a garfield mom ( she seem to always play the lead character mother in 1940s film ) be fascinate a she always be and kudos to joseph peveny a shorty and lloyd gough a robert . both add a lot to the film . wlliam conrad and hazel brook add some great film noir type dialog and berate each other once in a while . these actor and and the photography of james wong howe and make this a cut above most if not all the so called boxing film .