The Square Jungle

Tony Curtis plays Eddie Quaid, a young man who turns to the ring to raise enough money to post bail for his jailed father (Jim Backus). Though he originally only wanted the money to help his dad, he ends up winning the middleweight crown. Ernest Borgnine plays the gentle and reserved trainer who guides Eddie's fighting career. In the final title bout, Eddie badly beats his opponent and then is overcome with guilt. While the main story is the stuff of standard boxing melodramas, THE SQUARE JUNGLE does highlight the dilemma of the referee, who is booed, jeered, and otherwise pressured into letting fights continue despite the risk to the boxers' lives. Good performanc...