The Kid From Brooklyn (1946)

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Danny plays Burleigh "Tiger" Sullivan, a milkman, who gets mixed up in a boxing championship. Gabby Sloan, his manager, is, of course, only out to make money. For the last fight, Burleigh Sullivan has to fight Speed McFarland, the current champ. But Burleigh's fiancee, Polly, finally tells him that she doesn't want to have anything to do with him. He's become two different people, a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. As a result of Polly's talk, Burleigh tells Gabby that he won't fight. Of course, money-hungry Gabby Sloan doesn't want to hear that. So he uses his wits to talk Burleigh into going through with the fight.

Walter Abel plays Gabby Sloan and does a superb job! The interaction between the characters of Burleigh and Gabby are wondrously face-paced providing much hilarity. This scene is a great example of that and is one of my favorites.

GABBY SLOAN: There is a killer in you, but you're all confused. It's the killer in you who doesn't want to fight.

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: He doesn't?

GABBY SLOAN: Of course not. This is a different kind of fight. This is for charity. If you fight, thousands of babies get milk, don't they?

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: Yeah.

GABBY SLOAN: Yeah. The killer in you...the bad side...wants to deprive those tiny toddling tots of the only thing that'll keep them alive.

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: What's that?

GABBY SLOAN: Milk! Milk. What do you think I'm talking about? Now I'm you're friend, Burleigh, honest Gabby Sloan, and I'm going to help you kill that tiger in you. Concentrate. Concentrate as you've never concentrated before. Now think of a baby. Got it? Now think of a bottle of milk. Got it?

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: No, the baby's got it. Did you want me to have it?

GABBY SLOAN: Well take the bottle of milk away from the baby.

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: But you just gave it to the baby.

GABBY SLOAN: Would it be asking too much to ask you to take the bottle of milk?

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: No.

GABBY SLOAN: Now what have you got left?

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: I've got a baby.

GABBY SLOAN: And he's crying?

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: No, he's laughing.

GABBY SLOAN: Throw in a thousand babies.

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: I've got 'em. They're in.

GABBY SLOAN: Now they're all crying?

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: All except that one.

GABBY SLOAN: Throw out that one. Now they're all crying, aren't they?

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: Uh-huh.

GABBY SLOAN: What are they crying for?

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: Because I threw that baby out.

GABBY SLOAN: They're crying for milk! Why can't they have it? Because the killer says no. The killer doesn't want babies to have milk. The killer likes to see babies starve. But the good you wants babies to have milk. Now you're not going to let that tiger lick you, are you?

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: No.

GABBY SLOAN: All right. You see the whole point, don't you? You're going to fight!

BURLEIGH SULLIVAN: Gabby, you're right. I'm going to fight. The good me has to destroy the bad me.

GABBY SLOAN: Atta boy! Atta boy!

 

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