Whiplash (1948)

Although he has been known to be able to use his fists, Michael Gordon uses his hands in another fashion as an aspiring artist in San Francisco, he arguably harder on himself about his artistic abilities than the average person. He ultimately falls in love with Laurie Rogers, the first person who purchases one of paintings. That purchase was initially against his own wants in he feeling it not purchase worthy, that is until he spoke to Laurie who told him the reason she liked and wanted to buy it. But as mysteriously as she enters Mike's life, Laurie leaves it without a word. However, Mike is eventually able to track her down in New York City, he having moved there to find her. He will discover that part of the reason she left San Francisco without a word to him was because she was hiding the fact she is already married, she really nightclub singer Laurie Durant married to the club's ruthless owner, Rex Durant, who also manages boxers. Once a boxer himself, Rex, now wheelchair-bound after an accident, lives vicariously through those he manages, he treating his boxers solely as possessions he can throw away after he gets his pound of flesh from them. Not knowing about their San Francisco past but seeing that Mike can defend himself, Rex offers to manage Mike as a boxer, which Mike, using the stage name Mike Angelo, ultimately accepts solely to be close to Laurie. Mike, in the process, also sees that Rex has an inexplicable hold over not only Laurie, but her brother, Dr. Arnold Vincent, who acts as the physician to Rex's boxers and who for whatever reason has turned to the bottle to cope with whatever problem is going on in his life. Unable to get Laurie off his mind, Mike has figure out what is going on that she stays with Rex, who she does not love, before Rex has his own hold over Mike which has the potential to end tragically in the ring if Rex has his way.