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5.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Knockout remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Is this worth watching today? Only if you have twenty minutes to kill and a high tolerance for people yelling in high-pitched voices.
Fans of early sound-era slapstick will probably find it charming in a dusty sort of way. If you hate old shorts where the plot is just an excuse for a fistfight, you should skip it.
It’s not as polished as something like One Hour with You which came out the same year. But it has its own weird energy.
Mickey Daniels is the lead here. He has this face that looks like a map of the moon if the moon was covered in thousands of freckles.
He spends a lot of time looking terrified. His eyes get really wide, and he does this thing with his mouth that makes him look like a fish gasping for air.
It’s funny the first three times. By the tenth time, you kind of want someone to actually hit him just so he stops making that face.
The premise is one of those classic comedy setups. Mickey accidentally KOs a champ and then has to take his place in a big bout.
It’s predictable. You know exactly where it’s going from the second he swings his arm by accident.
The sound quality in these 1932 shorts is always a bit of a gamble. This one is noisy.
The crowd noise sounds like static. Every time a punch lands, it sounds like someone dropping a wet bag of flour on a sidewalk.
There is a scene in the locker room that feels like it goes on forever. Everyone is talking over each other and nobody is saying anything important.
Grady Sutton shows up, though. He’s great at playing the slow-witted friend who doesn't quite know what room he's in.
"I don't think he's dead, he's just resting his eyes."
That line isn't even that funny, but the way Grady says it makes it work. He has a very specific way of blinking that feels very human.
There is a bit with a bucket of water that is actually pretty clever. It’s the kind of physical gag you don’t see much anymore because everyone uses CGI now.
I noticed a guy in the background of the boxing match who looks like he’s genuinely bored. He’s just staring at the ceiling while Mickey is getting his head knocked off.
Maybe he was an extra who stayed out too late the night before. I spent five minutes just watching him instead of the main action.
The fight itself is pure chaos. It’s less like boxing and more like two people falling over each other in a bathtub.
At one point, Mickey’s trunks keep sliding down. It’s a cheap laugh, but I giggled anyway. 🤡
It reminds me a bit of the rough energy in The Chain Gang, even though that’s a totally different vibe. There’s just this raw, unedited feeling to these early talkies.
The movie doesn't really end so much as it just stops. The final gag is a bit weak and involves a lot of water.
I feel like they ran out of film or the director wanted to go to lunch. It’s very abrupt.
Mary Kornman is in this too, but she doesn't have much to do. She mostly just stands there looking pretty and worried.
It’s a shame because she was usually the best part of these shorts. Here, she’s just background noise for the boys to yell at.
If you’re looking for a deep story, look elsewhere. Maybe check out Trailin' if you want some actual plot with your old movies.
But for a Tuesday night when you’re tired? It’s fine. It’s fine.
It’s the kind of movie that feels like a time capsule. You can smell the stale tobacco and the heavy wool suits through the screen.
The way Mickey moves his legs when he's running away is actually impressive. He’s like a cartoon character that came to life but forgot to put on a shirt that fits.
I’ll probably forget I watched this by next week. But I enjoyed the twenty minutes while they lasted. 🥊
One more thing—the referee in the boxing match has the weirdest mustache I’ve ever seen. It looks like a small cat is sleeping on his upper lip. Why did nobody mention that?
IMDb 5.3
1915
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