The Leather Saint

Episcopalian minister Gil Allen keeps up his college days interest in boxing by working out at a gym run by his friend, Tom Kelley. Gil declines when fight manager Gus McAuliffe offers to get him some bouts but, spurred by the need for a new iron lung and a swimming pool in his community, Gil takes on a fight, without disclosing his true profession, and knocks out his opponent with one punch. This impresses Pearl Gorman, girl friend of fight promoter Tony Lorenzo. Pearl was a promising singer until her fiancé, a boxer, died in the ring but is now on the bottle. She drinks more heavily when Gil ignores her. Gil is about to quit boxing but when Father Ritchie informs him that a down payment has already been made on the iron lung, he continues. He explains his winnings from his fights to Father Ritchie as donations from a friend in the leather business. Pearl learns his true identity and, through his influence, quits drinking. Gil one-punches his way to enough wins to pay off the iron lung and build a swimming pool for the Boys Club---girls couldn't swim in 1956---and the only surprise in this overdose of sweetness is that Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald didn't show up for the swimming pool dedication.