Keep Punching (1939 film)

Keep Punching
Directed by	John Clein[1]
Produced by	John Clein,; Edward Mead[1];
Screenplay by	Marcy Klauber[1]
Story by	John Rosamond Johnson[1]
Starring	Henry Armstrong; Willie Bryant; Mae Johnson; Hamtree Harrington; Francine Everett; Canada Lee; Lionel Monagas; Arthur "Dooky" Wilson; Hilda Offley; Walter Robinson[1];
Music by	Lee Norman (music score),; Dean Cole (sound engineer)[1];
Cinematography	J. Burgi Contner,; Jay Rescher[1];
Edited by	Al. Harburger[1]
Production; company	M. C. Pictures, Inc.[1]
Distributed by	State Rights[1]
Release date	December 8, 1939 (Apollo Theater, Harlem)[1];
Running time	81 minutes[1]
Country	United States of America
Language	American English

Keep Punching is a 1939 film about boxing. Its primary character is Henry Armstrong (born Henry Jackson).[1] Unlike most films of the era, its cast was composed entirely of African Americans.

The film includes Whitey's Lindy Hoppers (Lindy Hop) performing the much imitated Big Apple Routine.[2] A film clip of the dance scene was also released as the short “Jittering Jitterbugs” in 1943 showing the Big Apple routine choreographed by Frankie Manning and the a Jitterbug dance competition that followed in the film.[3]

Plot

Golden gloves champion Henry Jackson turns professional and gets scheduled into a though match. Days before the match, he finds a old school friend of his, Frank Harrison, but Henry does not know that Frank is betting heavily on his loss. Then Frank sets Henry with beautiful Jerry Jordan, who is instructed to get him drunk and mess him up in anyway possible, and on the day of the fight she slips him a sleeping drug, she loves him, but is being blackmailed by Frank.

Cast

The film's cast was entirely composed of African-American people; this was highly unusual for its era.

It was directed by John Clein.[1] Performers in the film include Dooley Wilson and George Wiltshire. The film also features boxing champion Henry Armstrong.[1]

References

"Keep Punching". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
"Big Apple Keep Punching Version". Lindy Hop Moves.
Reporter, Lindy Hop (July 3, 2019). "The Big Apple / Keep Punching (1939)".

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[AFI-1] "Keep Punching". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved February 25, 2018.

[2] "Big Apple Keep Punching Version". Lindy Hop Moves.

[3] Reporter, Lindy Hop (July 3, 2019). "The Big Apple / Keep Punching (1939)".