‘The Prizefighter and the Lady’

This fast-paced romance shows love, when the gloves come off.

(L–R) Primo Canera (as himself), Belle Mercer (Myrna Loy), and Steve Morgan (Max Baer), in “The Prizefighter and the Lady.” MGM

NR | 1 h 42 min | Drama | 1933

Producer-director W. S. Van Dyke’s fast-talking romance depicts two fights, both metaphorical, and nowhere near a boxing ring. First, an insecure boxer fights to prove that he isn’t lovable, or loved, or capable of love. Next, his beloved wife fights to prove that he’s all of that. Then both find out who’s the better fighter.