The Kid from Brooklyn

Burleigh Sullivan [Danny Kaye] is a well-meaning, mild-mannered milkman who crosses paths with Polly Pringle [Virginia Mayo], a beautiful but out-of-work singer, during an early-morning round. He tries to help by lining her up a gig at the club where his sister Susie Sullivan [Vera-Ellen] performs, but ends up losing his job in the process. That same night, as he catches up with Susie after her show, he witnesses a troubling scene: Susie is molested by the drunken boxer Speed McFarlane [Steve Cochran] and his hard-edged minder Spider Schultz [Lionel Stander]. In the ensuing melee, Speed is knocked out, and his manager Gabby Sloan [Walter Abel] erupts in anger over the setback.

The headlines explode with the incident. Photographers catch Burleigh appearing to knock out Speed once more, though the truth is that Speed is knocked out again by Spider due to Burleigh’s nimble footwork and his habit of ducking out of trouble. Gabby—seeing opportunity in chaos—decides to turn Burleigh into a public fighter to milk the growing publicity for all it’s worth.

Burleigh heads on tour, blissfully unaware that every one of his supposed victories is arranged: his opponents are told to take a dive to build up the star’s image. As the tour unfolds, Polly and Susie grow uneasy about the fakeries behind the curtain, while Speed and Susie quietly become an item, adding a delicate tangle to the emotional stakes.

Backstage, Burleigh’s contract is bought by Mr. Austin [Clarence Kolb], his former boss at Sunflower Milk, for a sizable sum, and the plan is set for a charity bout against Speed organized by society matron Mrs. E. Winthrop LeMoyne [Fay Bainter]. Minutes before the charity match, a series of comic reversals collide with the bout’s seriousness: Speed is knocked out by Burleigh’s miniature horse and then, hilariously, given insomnia medicine instead of ammonia, causing him to sleep through the fight and hand Burleigh an easy win. Burleigh’s longing to retire only after a knockout keeps him chafing at the edges of fame, but Mrs. LeMoyne’s accidental push finally ends that dream.

With the promised compensation, Burleigh steps into a partnership in the dairy company, and Speed becomes one of the district managers, signaling a formal shift from aspiring athlete to business ally. In a final twist of irony, Gabby Sloan and Spider Schultz find themselves working as milkmen, tying the whole misadventure back to the very industry that funded the rise and fall of a would-be boxing hero. The film uses a light, tongue-in-cheek look at show business and publicity to illuminate how quickly fame can inflate a man’s sense of self, only to diffuse just as suddenly when the real world intrudes.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:23