Joe Palooka in Triple Cross is a 1951 American film. It was part of the Joe Palooka series and was directed by Reginald Le Borg.[1]
| Joe Palooka in Triple Cross | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Reginald LeBorg |
| Screenplay by | Jan Jeffery |
| Story by | B.F. Melzer |
| Based on | Joe Palooka by Ham Fisher |
| Produced by | Hal E. Chester |
| Starring | Joe Kirkwood, Jr. James Gleason Cathy Downs John Emery Steve Brodie |
| Cinematography | William A. Sickner |
| Music by | Darrell Calker |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
|
Running time | 60 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editAfter the champ, Joe Palooka, his wife Anne and trainer Knobby stop for gas, they pick up three hitchhikers who turn out to be fugitives from the law. Their leader is the Professor and his top henchman is Dutch, who is disguised as a woman.
While holding Ann hostage, the Professor orders Joe to lose his next fight on purpose while Knobby places a $100,000 bet on his foe. Dutch, carrying a gun, sits ringside, again dressed as a woman, to make sure Joe does what he's told.
Knocked out of the ring, Joe lands at Dutch's feet and exposes his true identity. While cops and security deal with that, Joe jumps back into the ring and flattens his opponent. He is winner and still champion.[2]
Cast
edit- Joe Kirkwood, Jr. as Joe Palooka
- Cathy Downs as Anne
- James Gleason as Knobby
- John Emery as the Professor
- Steve Brodie as Dutch
Retrospective appraisal
editFilm historian Wheeler W. Dixon calls the film “a credible, if minor addition” to the Palooka film series[3]
Director Reginald LeBorg, on completing Joe Palooka and the Triple Cross, his final Palooka picture: “[I]t was becoming almost as much of a trap as the horror movies.”[4]
Notes
editReferences
edit- Dixon, Wheeler Winston. 1992. The Films of Reginald LeBorg: Interviews, Essays, and Filmography. Filmmakers No. 31 The Scarecrow Press, Metuchen, New Jersey. ISBN 0-8108-2550-3