The gentleman is James J. Corbett, who rose from bank clerk to heavyweight champion in San Francisco in the 1890s. Noted in real life for bringing refinement to the game many consider to be the antithesis of refinement. Gentleman Jim, in Errol Flynn's re-creation, has a demeanor less than gentlemanly, with arrogance and brashness beating out charm.
Director Raoul Walsh's look at the early days of boxing is wonderfully rich in atmosphere and detail--an illegal match on the piers, Corbett's championship fight against John Sullivan, as well as scenes of Irish immigrant family life. More concerned with creating a feel for the period, than sticking to "just the facts," the film was praised as an example of "how Walsh adroitly sidesteps the academic nature of Warners biographies of the period (by Curtiz, Dieterle, etc.) by concentrating on a pure narrative rhythm at the expense of historical verisimilitude" (National Film Theatre). Its re-release in Paris led to a re-evaluation of Walsh's stature as a director.