In Ham Fisher's original Joe Palooka comic strip, Joe's pal Humphrey Pennyworth was a blimp of a man. In Joe Palooka Meets Humphrey, Mr. Pennyworth is played by Robert Coogan, a slim, athletic chap who was then starring as TV's Captain Video. At least Joe Kirkwood Jr. was closer to Fisher's visual concept of soft-hearted pugilist Joe Palooka. The plot finds Joe pitted against Humphrey in a charity bout. Eschewing the gangster and murder-mystery subplots of Monogram's previous "Joe Palooka" entries, this one is played strictly for laughs, even unto having Leon Errol (cast as Joe's manager Knobby Walsh) going through his "Mexican Spitfire" paces in a dual role. Also good for a few chuckles is Joe Besser (who physically was better suited for the part of Humphrey) as a nervous hotel desk clerk.
by Hal Erickson
synopsis
- Manager
- Fighter
- Charity
