A make-believe fight from the movie.


 When I was growing up as a school kid there would be the occasional fight between two other lads. The cry would go up, ‘’Big fight! Big fight!’’ Then other kids would rush to watch till an adult arrived to separate the miscreants.


The same thing happened on the set of Manpower, 1941, starring Marlene Dietrich, Edward G Robinson, and George Raft. Only it wasn’t kids involved, but two adults. It looks like Ward Bond may have shouted the invitation as he seems to be loving every minute of the brawl.


This is the real thing, not a snap from the movie. Caused by jealousy on two fronts, George was peeved that he was third billed and he was suspicious of Edward’s intentions towards Marlene. He had set his cap towards the actress and was afraid Edward had done the same.


For a couple of weeks, he made life difficult for Edward till one day his anger boiled over and he physically attacked his rival. There was a break in filming which cost the studio quite a lot of money. To add more woes for the studio there was a Life photographer present who captured the moment and published it.


Later when Edward wrote his autobiography he said that George was, ‘’touchy, difficult and thoroughly impossible to play with.’’

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