Sporting Blood is a 1931 film directed by Charles Brabin.
It's a story about horse racing. A horse named Tommy Boy is born at the ranch of thoroughbred horse breeder Jim Rellence. Jim develops a special emotional fondness for Tommy Boy, but when he's offered $6000 for the horse, Jim sells. Tommy passes through owners until he comes into the possession of a sleazy gambler, Tip Scanlon. Tip winds up abusing Tommy Boy, shooting him up with horse amphetamines, with diminishing returns. Meanwhile, Tip's moll, Ruby, is having an affair with one of Tip's minions, Rid (Clark Gable). Eventually Tip gets himself shot, and Ruby winds up with possession of Tommy Boy, seeking redemption for both the horse and herself.
Clark Gable got top billing, despite not showing up until halfway through the movie.
Tropes:
- Big Game: The Kentucky Derby. Tommy Boy enters as an underdog because of his poor performance while subject to Tip Scanlon's abuse.
- Binocular Shot: Played with as Ruby watches Tommy Boy zip around Jim's track with binoculars, only to turn and be surprised to see Rid.
- Could Say It, But...: How Ruby learns that Rid was the one who gave them the heads-up about Frazier's plot to bribe the jockey. Ben tells her that she shouldn't talk badly about Rid. Ben can't say specifically why, because "He done made me swear never to tell you that he was the fellow that tipped me off about that race."
- Downer Beginning: Jim's favorite mare, the heavily pregnant Southern Queen, shatters her leg. Southern Queen delivers Tommy Boy and then has to be immediately euthanized. Jim is beside himself with grief.
- Gray Rain of Depression: The entire sequence in which Southern Queen has to be euthanized. The sequence ends with a shot of the dead horse in the mud hole where it fell and shattered its leg, as the rain continues to pound.
- In Love with the Gangster's Girl: Rid, in love with Ruby, Tip's moll. Ruby warns Rid that their love affair can't go anywhere. Unusually for this trope, the dangerous love triangle is cut short when Tip is murdered by other gamblers.
- Lady Drunk: Ruby, whose depression about her life as arm candy to a sleazy gambler has led to her constantly drinking. Rid urges her to quit. When she goes back to Jim's horse ranch, it's presented as an opportunity for both Tommy Boy and Ruby to get clean, from horse amphetamines and alcohol respectively.Ruby: You don't know how darn bad I need this drink.
- Opposing Sports Team: Frazier, the sleazy gambler/gangster that Rid goes to work for after Rid's former employer, Tip, is murdered. When Frazier learns that Tommy Boy is greatly underrated and has a real shot to win the Derby, he bribes Tommy's jockey to throw the race by pulling up on the reins. Ruby and her team foil this scheme by slicing the reins so that they break when the jockey pulls on them.
- Politician Guest-Star: Yes, that is Vice President of the United States Charles Curtis at the Kentucky Derby.
- Sexy Backless Outfit: Naturally Ruby is wearing a backless dress, in the scene at the casino where she and Rid are introduced as characters.
- Spit Take: Hartwick is offered $40,000 in 1931 money for Tommy Boy. He spits out his cocktail, then quickly accepts.
- Sports Stories: A race horse that eventually runs in the Kentucky Derby.
- Time-Passes Montage: A quick sequence of shots early in the film show Tommy Boy gamboling around Jim's ranch, going from a newborn foal, to a colt, to a yearling.