IMDb RATING
6.2/10
5.1K
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After a short study of boxing's history, narrated by newscaster Douglas Edwards, we follow a day in the life of a middleweight Irish boxer named Walter Cartier.After a short study of boxing's history, narrated by newscaster Douglas Edwards, we follow a day in the life of a middleweight Irish boxer named Walter Cartier.After a short study of boxing's history, narrated by newscaster Douglas Edwards, we follow a day in the life of a middleweight Irish boxer named Walter Cartier.
Judy Singer
- Self - Female Fan in Crowd
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIt cost Stanley Kubrick $3,900 to make and he sold it (to RKO) for $4,000.
- Alternate versionsWhen RKO obtained the film for their "This Is America" series, they added about four minutes of new material to the beginning of the film, making the short 16 minutes long instead of the original 12 minutes. The opening four minutes with boxing historian Nat Fleischer is markedly different from the rest of the film as if features footage from different boxing matches. The opening was also modified with the credits appearing in different order and the music for the opening was also changed. The majority of the picture is the same until the end. In the last sequence when the knock out happens, the narration is once again changes. Kubrick's original cut features Douglas Edwards talking about personal sacrifice and success. The extended RKO cut removes this portion of the narration and adds new one with Nat Fleischer to better match the opening segment - this narration is about how this fight will go down into the record books. The music at the end was also changed - Gerald Fried's finale cue was moved earlier to match the beginning of the new narration, but because it starts sooner, it doesn't line up with the ending. Thus the new end title card (which adds This is America to the bottom of the card) plays in silence.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001)
Featured review
A mediocre documentary elevated by Kubrick's name
I have never cared much about sports, but my favorite director is Stanley Kubrick, so I wasn't quite sure what to think going into this short documentary. After all, I'll be the first to say that Kubrick's work up until The Killing was rather bland.
As no exception to the aforementioned rule, Day of the Fight is bland. There is no style and little substance; there is nothing special that elevates it from any other short documentary about boxing. In fact, the main reason it's remembered is because it was directed by Stanley Kubrick, and it only served as one of the stepping stones to pave the way to his future success.
On the other hand, Day of the Fight gave me a much needed appreciation for the world of sports. I'd never before considered the gravity behind an athlete's performance; it determines their career and the ultimate success of their livelihood. I enjoyed the emphasis on Nat's nervousness about waiting for the fight more so than the fight itself. These aspects culminate to a decently suspenseful boxing match, marking the first time I have cared about a sport. Though Day of the Fight was successful as a documentary for me, it is still a forgettably bland movie.
Rating: D.
As no exception to the aforementioned rule, Day of the Fight is bland. There is no style and little substance; there is nothing special that elevates it from any other short documentary about boxing. In fact, the main reason it's remembered is because it was directed by Stanley Kubrick, and it only served as one of the stepping stones to pave the way to his future success.
On the other hand, Day of the Fight gave me a much needed appreciation for the world of sports. I'd never before considered the gravity behind an athlete's performance; it determines their career and the ultimate success of their livelihood. I enjoyed the emphasis on Nat's nervousness about waiting for the fight more so than the fight itself. These aspects culminate to a decently suspenseful boxing match, marking the first time I have cared about a sport. Though Day of the Fight was successful as a documentary for me, it is still a forgettably bland movie.
Rating: D.
helpful•10
- mudtitan
- Jul 31, 2022
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Day of the fight (Día de combate)
- Filming locations
- Church of St. Francis Xavier, 46 W. 16th St., New York City, New York, USA(Church where Walter Cartier and his brother, Vincent, attend morning mass)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $3,900 (estimated)
- Runtime16 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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