The Ring (1952 film)


The Ring is a 1952 American film noir drama sport film directed by Kurt Neumann and based on an Irving Shulman´s novel. It tells the story of a Mexican American who becomes a boxer to gain reputation in the U.S. and be respected by the English-speaking white majority. The film was shot in various locations in Los Angeles. The film examines institutionalized bigotry.

Plot

The film focuses on a young Mexican-American named Tommy resident in Los Angeles's neighborhood. He feels unable to progress in American society, dominated by white Anglophones. Therefore, to achieve popularity, he decides to become a boxer, thus achieving fame and honor. But when he believes he has earned the respect of the "Anglos", he discovers that they are only interested in his reputation, because they still consider him an outsider because of their ancestry and skin colour. Only two white men treat him decently: his manager Pete and trainer Freddy. However, they also have a personal interest in him. The manager quits due to disappointment over Tommy's unconditional love for Lucy, the daughter of a punch-drunk bum.

Production

The Ring is one of the first Hollywood films in which discrimination against Mexicans and Chicanos are presented, including prejudice against young people in the forties.

Cast