I was not able to watch Queen of the Ring locally in theatres as the closest place it was screening was near 2 hours aways, and I just couldn't make it work to go. Much like The Iron Claw I really wanted to check this one out on the big screen.
A couple weeks back it hit streaming so earlier this week I took the time to watch the movie. I have to say over all, I really enjoyed it. The image of the poster above whenever I saw it I kept thinking it was Cobie Smulders, even though I knew it wasn't. The actress that plays Mildred Burke is Emily Bett Rickards and as I'm watching the movie I recognize her but can't place it, felt like a fool when I looked it up and saw that she played Felicity Smoak in the Arrowverse on the CW.
The film is based inspired by the 2010 book "The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend" by Jeff Leen which I own but haven't read in year.
Overall I really enjoyed the movie, the wrestling was acceptable, the story was great, and the cinematography was tremendous. Much like The Iron Claw, you can enjoy this movie even if you are not a wrestling fan.
While I am not subject matter expert in the the timeline of women's wrestling from the 1940's & 1950's I picked up a few historical inaccuracies in the film, but that's typical for the Hollywood creative license.
For instance:
In the movie we meet Jeanette Boyer who takes the stage name of Gladys Killem Gillem in the movie. Her character dies after a rough match with June Byers.
Jeanette Boyer was lady wrestler, who was the foster daughter of Billy Wolfe, she took the ring name of Janet Wolfe and tragically passed away at the age of 18. She wrestled Ella Waldeck on a matinee show and then competed later that evening in a tag team match, shortly into the match she lost consciousness and died from a brain hemorrhage a few hours later at the hospital. A hard body slam by Ella Waldek in her first match of the day has been attributed to her death, however a blood clot had most like formed a week earlier.
Gladys "Killem" Gillem wrestled from 1942 - 1962
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| Killem Gillem |
Several current and past wrestlers and wrestling personalities are in the movie, some in larger roles than others.
Toni Storm as Clara Mortensen
Kailey Latimer aka Kamille as June Byers
James E. Cornette as NWA Commissioner
Trinity Fatu aka Naomi as Ethel Johnson
Britt Baker as Debbie Nichols
Mickie James as Fabulous Moolah
Kamille has the largest role in the movie of all the wrestlers that appeared. Mickie and Britt are in blink and you missed it cameo's essentially. There is a documentary that came out a couple years ago about Ethel Johnson called Lady Wrestler and that is worth your time. Also the 2004 documentary Lipstick and Dynamite: The First Ladies of Wrestling is an excellent look at early women's wrestling.
I would also recommend the autobiography of Penny Banner Banner Days as another excellent look at women's wrestling in the 1950's & 1960's.
I'm going to re-read Mildred's book and read June Byers book before I watch this film again.
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Until next time!
