The Tomato Can

The ``sweet science'' of boxing is reduced to a curious alchemy in this uproarious and sentimental look at crooked pugs and their ``wise guy'' handlers. It's 1947, and Jake LaMotta has just thrown the infamous bout at the Garden. Sitting at the usual table in the usual restaurant is crooked boxing maven Sonny, who recounts the evening's events for the usual crowd from the neighborhood. According to these ring rats, LaMotta is a bum who can't even throw a fight gracefully, unlike their former schoolyard friend turned prizefighter, Tommy Curcio. Nicknamed ``The Cockie-Doodie Boy'' after an unfortunate childhood incident, Tommy once made an art form of taking a fall in the ring. In the parlance of the boxing world, this earns one the label, ``Tomato Can,'' as well as the friendship of those who consider a fair fight to be a sucker bet. However, love for Rosie, daughter of Big Nose Sallie, not greed, motivated Tommy's compliance. Dimwitted, but with a heart of gold, he had misgivings about being a skilled loser. However, loyalty to his mob patrons won out, setting the stage for a truly hilarious fight scene. (Feb.)