Movies Like Joe Palooka in the Knockout

If you liked Joe Palooka in the Knockout (1947), a comedy and drama movie directed by Reginald Le Borg, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Kid Galahad (1962)
★ 6.2/10Also drama
After completing military service, Walter Gulick takes a job as a sparring partner at a gym, the owner of which sees potential in Walter as a professional fighter—and takes him under his wing.
2
Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)
★ 6.6/10Also comedy
When an upwardly mobile couple find themselves unemployed and in debt, they turn to armed robbery in desperation.
3
The Trip to Italy (2014)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
Years after their successful restaurant review tour of Northern England, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are commissioned for a new tour in Italy.
4
Much Ado About Nothing (2013)
★ 6.8/10Also comedy
A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
5
Rocky II (1979)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to…
6
The Champion (1915)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy
Walking along with his bulldog, Charlie finds a "good luck" horseshoe just as he passes a training camp advertising for a boxing partner "who can take a beating." After watching others lose, Charlie puts the horseshoe…
7
Any Which Way You Can (1980)
★ 5.8/10Also comedy
Philo takes part in a bare knuckle fight – as he does – to make more money than he can earn from his car repair business. He decides to retire, but when the Mafia come along and arrange another fight, he's pushed into…
8
Rocky IV (1985)
★ 7.1/10Also drama
Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimen…
9
Chang Can Dunk (2023)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy and drama
Chang, a 16-year-old, Asian American, bets the high school basketball star that he can dunk by Homecoming. The bet leads 5' 8" Chang on a quest to learn to dunk—not only to impress his crush, Kristy, but to gain the…
10
Don't Think Twice (2016)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
An improv group deals with several crises, including the loss of their lease and one member hitting the big time.
11
Rocky III (1982)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
Following Rocky Balboa's intense battle with his most powerful adversary yet – the ferocious Clubber Lang – Rocky joins forces with former rival Apollo Creed in an effort to get back his fighting spirit.
12
Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
★ 7/10Also comedy
While attending a major horse race with their young son, Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles witnesse a shocking murder from the crowded grandstand. What first appears to be an isolated killing soon leads to a maze of…
13
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the…
14
Feel the Beat (2020)
★ 7.5/10Also comedy and drama
After failing to make it on Broadway, April returns to her hometown and reluctantly begins training a misfit group of young dancers for a competition.
15
The Big Brawl (1980)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy
A young Asian American martial artist is forced to participate in a brutal formal street-fight competition.
16
Eleanor the Great (2025)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein tries to rebuild her life after the death of her best friend. As a result, she moves back to New York City after living in Florida for decades.
17
Song of the Thin Man (1947)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy
While attending a glamorous jazz cruise on New York’s East River, Nick and Nora Charles witness the fatal shooting of a wealthy patron. When suspicion falls on a young bandleader and his musicians, the couple steps in…
18
A King in New York (1957)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy and drama
A recently-deposed "Estrovian" monarch seeks shelter in New York City, where he becomes an accidental television celebrity. Later, he's wrongly accused of being a Communist and gets caught up in subsequent HUAC hearings.
19
The Good Half (2024)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and drama
Renn Wheeland returns home to Cleveland for his mother's funeral. Once there, he forges new relationships while healing old ones, before confronting his problems and trying to face his grief.
20
The Set-Up (1949)
★ 7.4/10Also drama
Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.