The Set-Up(1949)

Submitted by Jen

POOPER:
Boxer Stoker Thompson remains unaware his manager Tiny, took a bribe to fix his fight against Tiger Nelson. Stoker’s wife, Julie, fears for his safety. During the bout, Stoker misses a warning note and accidentally wins, angering gangster Little Boy, who orders Stoker’s hand broken. Julie finds him post-attack and they leave together, hinting at retirement.

LONGER VERSION:
Directed by Robert Wise, The Setup follows aging boxer Stoker Thompson (Robert Ryan) in Paradise City as he prepares for a bout while his wife, Julie Thompson (Audrey Totter), urges him to retire. Stoker, unaware of a fix orchestrated behind his back, believes this fight could revive his fading career. His manager, Tiny (George Tobias), accepts a bribe from gangster Little Boy (Alan Baxter) to ensure Stoker loses to Tiger Nelson (Hal Baylor). Tiny, confident Stoker will lose naturally, never informs him of the arrangement.

Julie, refusing to watch the match, wanders the streets in distress. At the arena, Tiny’s associate Gus (Wallace Ford) and cutman Red (Percy Helton) discuss the setup, believing Stoker will lose without needing to be informed. The fight unfolds in real time: Stoker absorbs a brutal beating from Nelson. In the third round, Red slips a note into Stoker’s glove warning, “WIN = TROUBLE,” but Stoker, focused on survival, misses it. Defying expectations, he knocks out Nelson in the fourth round.

Furious at the botched fix, Little Boy orders his men to punish Stoker. Tiny flees, abandoning his boxer. Post-fight, Stoker discovers the note and realizes Tiny’s betrayal. Outside, Little Boy’s thugs ambush him in an alley, crushing his hand. Injured and disillusioned, Stoker staggers through the city. Julie finds him, and they share a wordless embrace, walking away together as the fight crowd disperses, signaling the end of his career.