Iron Man (1931)

Director: Tod Browning

Writers: W.R. Burnett, Francis Edward Faragoh

Starring: Lew Ayres, Robert Armstrong, Jean Harlow, John Miljan, Edward Dillon, Mike Donlin, Morrie Cohan, Mary Doran, Mildred Van Dorn, Ned Sparks

More info: IMDb

Plot: Prizefighter Mason loses his opening fight so wife Rose leaves him for Hollywood. Without her around Mason trains and starts winning. Rose comes back and wants Mason to dump his manager Regan and replace him with her secret lover Lewis.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again?  No.


Released between two of Tod Browning's greatest known films, DRACULA (1931) and FREAKS (1932), this flick tells the origin of Kid Mason (AKA Tony Stark/Iron Man) and his quest to be the boxing champ of the world (AKA fly around the world killin' bad guys and bangin' hot broads).  His manager and best friend, George (AKA Happy Hogan), does his best to keep the Kid focused on what he needs to do (AKA ridding the world of bad guys and bangin' hot broads).  Now, when the Kid falls for a bad news dame, Rose (Harlow) (AKA Pepper Potts), and marries her, his world goes to shit and he fights hard to keep his title in the climactic fight against a low ranking challenger (AKA pick any boring ass villain from the MCU that never gets enough screen time to develop).  So there you go, kids, that's Iron Man!

It's OK.  The only music in the film is sourced from radios and whatnot.  It could've benefited from a score but that was how things were in the early days of sound pictures.  The acting is just as you'd expect for the period as is just about everything else.  Robert Armstrong is good for some laughs (intentional) and he plays a big part in moving the picture along.  The ending is great, too.  Overall it was a pleasurable experience but nothing notable enough to ever need to see again.  In case my jokey sarcasm didn't come across, this has absolutely nothing to do with comic book super heroes.  The film came across my radar from the name and then the talent involved.  Now if I could only find a 1930s movie called GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY about a union boss trying to start a local on Mars I'd be tickled to pieces.