The Great John L.

Hollywood has an idea that if a genial and democratic son of Sam meets a conservative Englishman and smashes him in the upper dorsals saying "Hiya bud." the Englishman's repressed face will relax into a coy smile, thus demonstrating that, behind it all he really wants to be cheery and pally to the world In general. This and other theories of similar value are used in the above movie to set off the lovable rascality of a genial American moron who batters [unclear: his] way to the forefront knucklemen in a panoramic story of maxillary hammering and blundering amours.

In the early stages the embryonic bruiser falls in love with the good girl of the story, and it is early-assured that her hallmarked fidelity Wi11 get him in the end: so there is no interest there. However, when it becomes evident that John L is cherishing the ambitions engendered by an over-active pituitary, she attempts to persuade him to lead a more respectable life and is thrown out in favour of the Bad Girl who is more amenable to boxing ideals. It seems that John L. felt an urge to stave in the prominent chin men of the day in order to re-establish his uneasy ego. And so there follows a sequence of fights in which the hero batters down a row of incompetent British and Continental pugilists thus illustrating the plucky dauntlessness of American manhood. Gregory McClure as John L was appropriately inane, and Linda Darnell added no colour to a platitudinous role, but Barbara Britton might have been better in a reasonably intelligent story.