The Champ *** (1931, Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Irene Rich, Roscoe Ates) – Classic Movie Review 8640

Wallace Beery won a Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar (shared with Fredric March in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) and Frances Marion won for Best Original Story for director King Vidor’s 1931 tearjerker boxing movie The Champ. It tells an oh-so sentimental yarn about an alcoholic has-been fighter, Andy Purcell – The Champ (Wallace Beery) and the young son Dink (Jackie Cooper) who believes in him, and so he tries for a comeback to impress the kid.

Beery and Cooper are still a knockout in these roles if you can handle the relentless waves of unashamed heart-tugging in a four-hankie weepie.

Beery and Cooper proved a very popular team, and The Champ is the first of the stars’ teamings.

Also in the cast are Irene Rich, Roscoe Ates, Edward Brophy, Hale Hamilton, Marcia Mae Jones and Jesse Scott.

It is remade as The Champ by Franco Zeffirelli in 1979.

The Champ is directed by King Vidor, run 86 minutes, is made and released by MGM, is written by Leonard Praskins (dialogue continuity), Wanda Tuchock (additional dialogue) and Don Marquis (dialogue) (uncredited), based on the story by Frances Marion, is shot in black and white by Gordon Avil, is produced by King Vidor, Harry Rapf and Irving Thalberg, and is designed by Cedric Gibbons.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8640

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