David Lewis as Otto Danzig Robert Emhardt as Maynard Roy Roberts as Jerry Bathgate Liam Redmond as Father Higgins Judson Pratt as Howard Zimmerman Ned Glass as Max Lieberman Ed Asner as Frank Gerson (uncredited) Red West as Opponent (uncredited) Del "Sonny" West as Bit Part (uncredited) Joe Esposito as Bit Part (uncredited) Michael Dante as Joie Shakes Richard Devon as Marvin Mushy Callahan as Romero Fight Referee Orlando de la Fuentes as Ramon "Sugarboy" Romero George J. Lewis as Romero's trainer Harold 'Tommy' Hart as Referee John Gonsalves (Gonzalves) as Presley's stunt double Chester Morris as man in the crowd De la Fuente was the reigning welterweight champion at the time. Production Former light welterweight world champion Mushy Callahan trained Presley for his role. Callahan, who also appears in the film as a referee, had a long career as a professional boxing referee after retiring from the ring as a fighter. According to Callahan, he threw all of the punches in the close-up scenes in which Presley is struck in the face. He taught Presley how to move his head backward as the punches were being delivered so that each blow either missed him or barely touched him. Callahan considered Presley to be an excellent athlete. Shooting began in early November 1961 at Hidden Lodge, Idyllwild, California before a storm forced a move to Hollywood. Soundtrack Reception Bosley Crowther of The New York Times suggested that Presley was miscast as a boxer, writing that he was "certainly no model for a statue of Hercules, and his skill at projecting an illusion of ferocity is of very low degree." However, Crowther found the film to be "moderately genial entertainment. It's not explosive, but it has the cheerful top of a lightly romantic contrivance that ranges between comedy and spoof. For this we can thank the other actors who played their roles ardently and Phil Karlson, who has directed at a brisk and deceptive pace." Harrison's Reports graded the film as "Good": "Presley is surrounded by some very nice people. In lending him support, they give strength to a run-of-the-mill story that plays itself out with a simplicity of appeal and bountiful residue of entertainment. The film manages to give a pleasing account of itself." A less positive notice in Variety read: "The story may be old, the direction not especially perceptive, the performances in several cases pretty poor, but United