Killer McCoy (1947) starring Mickey Rooney, Brian Donlevy, Ann Blyth
In Killer McCoy, a boxer accidentally kills his friend in the ring. Then, he gets mixed up with an unscrupulous manager and racketeers.
Cast of characters
- Mickey Rooney (Requiem for a Heavyweight) as Tommy McCoy / Killer McCoy.
- Brian Donlevy (Hangmen Also Die) as Jim Caighn. The racketeer, who makes a fortune off Tommy … and many other boxers. Unknown to Tommy, he’s also Sheila’s father.
- Ann Blyth (Mildred Pierce) as Sheila Carrson. The lovely young lady that Tommy falls in love with. Her father is trying to keep her safe from the consequences of his “work” by having her attend an upper-crust school. But when other crooks find out about her relationship with Tommy …
- James Dunn (Cowboy from Brooklyn) as Brian McCoy. Killer’s alcoholic father … and “manager”. A former vaudeville performer, he’s gambled away all of Tommy’s winnings … and he’s deeply in debt to Caighn as well.
- Tom Tully (Love Me or Leave Me) as Cecil Y. Walsh. The crooked gambler who kidnaps Shiela and Brian, to force Tommy to throw a fight in the eighth round. But when Brian makes a final heroic sacrifice for his son …
- Mickey Knox as Johnny Martin. Tommy’s friend, who introduces him to professional boxing, trains him … and is accidentally killed by Tommy in the ring.
- Sam Levene (Crossfire) as Happy. Tommy’s trainer.
Editorial review of Killer McCoy courtesy of Amazon.com
For years Mickey Rooney had portrayed Hollywood’s all-American teen, but at the age of 27 he was eager to move into grown-up dramatic roles. So he laced up the gloves as feisty boxer Tommy McCoy and scored a resounding box-office K.O. in the hard-hitting Killer McCoy. The story – a retelling of 1938’s The Crowd Roars – traces McCoy’s rise from slum kid to lightweight title contender.
Along the way, he falls under the sway of a big-time gambler (Brian Donlevy), copes with his boozed-up pop (James Dunn) and finds forbidden romance with the gambler’s daughter (Ann Blyth). But will he take a dive in the big fight? Don’t expect Killer to be some everyday palooka.
