BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
FuzzyTagz
If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
classicsoncall
I have a sense there was a pretty good story in here somewhere, but what a mess in the execution. I hate to say that because I like Frankie Darro, but these Poverty Row efforts really left a lot to be desired in the story development department. Case in point with the five hundred dollars that Legs (Arthur Housman) gave to Frankie to put in his brother Smokey's (James Eagles) bank account. I get it about an implied bribe to throw the race, but why would Frankie go along with it? Why not just give Smokey the money and avoid the paper trail?Now call me crazy, but how in the world does a jockey get to write a medical prescription? And how the heck did the pharmacist figure out that it was a warning message to send for help? How did all of that work? But the best was when Frankie broke free from the bad guys and grabbed the gun to make his getaway. He was punched in the face and knocked down by an invisible man!!! Did you see that? I rewound that sequence more than once and seriously folks, you can hear the smack but nobody was there to deliver the punch!!! Well by this time, Frankie has already taken a bullet and he's about to steal an ambulance so he can make it to the track on time to go aboard Trouble in the feature race. Trouble's a one jockey horse, so if Frankie doesn't make it, the bad guys win. I guess when you plunked your money down back in the Thirties, none of this unbelievable stuff was supposed to matter. The good guys come out on top and that's that. I have to hand it to Frankie Darro though. He had one of the all time greatest return on investments when he bought Trouble in the first place and nursed him back to health. He certainly got a lot of mileage out of $4.85! I wonder if he ever paid back his sister?
wes-connors
Aspiring teenage jockey Frankie Darro (as Frankie Reynolds) buys a crippled colt for $4.85 and nurses him back to health. "Racing Blood" has been in young Darro's family for generations, and he will eventually run his horse "Trouble" professionally. Guess you could call him the little colt that could. After six months, Darro cures "Trouble" with mud packs and begins training him to be in the Big Race. Eventually, Darro wins a race against his older brother James Eagles (as "Smokey") and his horse "Dancing Boy"...The brothers are honest jockeys, but crooked Matthew Betz (as Tex O'Donnell) and his gang want the races "pulled" (meaning fixed) in order to rake in the dough. In a romantic subplot, Darro mentor Kane Richmond (as Clay Harrison) romances the jockeys' sister Gladys Burke (as Phyllis). As if to illustrate how routine everything seems, perpetually inebriated Arthur Houseman (as Legs) shows how his drunk act steals scenes, and superstitious Fred "Snowflake" Toones (as Sam) finds the name "Trouble" frightening.**** Racing Blood (11/15/36) Victor Halperin ~ Frankie Darro, Kane Richmond, Arthur Houseman, Gladys Burke
kidboots
This is another of Frankie's films where he is teamed with Kane Richmond and "Snowflake". In this film he was still playing "the kid brother" and always looked disgusted whenever romance was in the air.Frankie Reynolds (Frankie Darro) borrows $4.85 from his sister Phyllis (an unattractive Gladys Blake) to buy a broken down horse that he thinks has potential to be a champion. He names it "Trouble" and cares for it and trains it until he feels it is worthy to race - now he needs $100 for the entrance fee. He manages to find enough friends and realises his dream of winning a big race. His brother, Smokey (Jimmie Eagles) is also a jockey, who refuses to throw the race for some criminals. They decide to try to put the squeeze on him during the race but surprisingly, his little brother Frankie wins on "Trouble".After the race, one of the gangsters approaches Frankie with a cheque for $500 to deposit into his brother's account. After the race, Frankie is called to the steward and Smokey is accused of being a part of race fixing and is banned from the turf for life. Frankie is determined to find the "sour puss" guy who gave him the money and clear his brother's name. "Trouble" is now getting publicity, as the new wonder horse, surpassing his twin "Dancing Boy". A plan is hatched by the gangsters to poison "Trouble" but he is accidentally put in "Dancing Boy's" stall and the wrong horse is poisoned. Never giving up the gangsters kidnap Frankie - the stage is set for a fight between Frankie and the gangsters (Darro must have been invaluable to his directors as he did his own stunts and excelled at acrobatics). He is accidentally shot but pleads with the police to be allowed to attend the races. He hijacks the ambulance and manages to win the race and give his brother a reason to live.It is not his best film but it is okay.Recommended.
