Silent Boxing Double Feature: The Battling Fool (1924) / American Pluck (1925) (DVD)

The Battling Fool (BW, 1924, Silent): Mark Jenkins is the studious son of a minister. Quiet and humble, he plans to marry his girlfriend Helen upon graduating from college. But when he must defend his girl from a gang of street toughs, his previously concealed skill at fistfighting is revealed. Noticed by washed-up boxer Jerry Sullivan, the former fighter takes Mark under his wing. Enticed by promises of fame and fortune, the young man becomes the world champion with Jerry's guidance. But Helen is repulsed by his new life, having been satisfied with him the way he was. Having won every fight, Mark must now prove that beneath his brawny chest there still beats a heart of gold. The Battling Fool is a an early film for famed director W.S. Van Dyke, who also made such classics as Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), The Thin Man (1934), San Francisco (1936), and Marie Antoinette (1938). Starring William Fairbanks and Eva Novak.

American Pluck (BW, 1925, Silent): "Blaze" Derringer loves a good brawl, but his wealthy tycoon father would prefer him to follow more intellectual pursuits. Fed up with his son's carousing, the old man kicks him out of the house until he can prove that he can earn money on his own. Unskilled at anything other than using his fists, Blaze becomes a boxer. He wins his first match with a knockout, but the crowd turns against him when it looks like he killed his opponent. The pugilist escapes with his life with the help of the Princess Alicia of Bargonia, who is on the run from her murderous ex-lover, the dreaded Count Verensky. With the rich girl forced to choose a husband before she turns 18 next week, Blaze sees a way he can finally impress his father. But the princess's heart is not so easily won...

American Pluck is based on a novel by Eugene P. Lyle, who also wrote Douglas Fairbanks's The Americano (1917). Starring George Walsh and Wanda Hawley. Directed by Richard Stanton.

• silent