The Champ (1931/I)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Writers:

Frances Marion (story)
Leonard Praskins (dialogue continuity)

Release Date:

21 November 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Sport

Tagline:

Don't fail to get a ringside seat!

Plot:

Dink Purcell loves his alcoholic father, ex-heavyweight champion Andy "Champ" Purcell, despite his frequent binges...

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Gambling | Alcoholic | Jail | Boxing

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Wallace Beery	...	Champ
Jackie Cooper	...	Dink
Irene Rich	...	Linda
Roscoe Ates	...	Sponge (as Rosco Ates)
Edward Brophy	...	Tim
Hale Hamilton	...	Tony
Jesse Scott	...	Jonah
Marcia Mae Jones	...	Mary Lou

Runtime:

86 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #4248-R: 13 April 1938 for re-release) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Agua Caliente Racetrack, Baja California Norte, Mexico

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Wallace Beery actually got one less vote than Fredric March in the 1931/1932 Academy Awards voting for best actor, but the rules at the time considered anyone with one or two votes less than the leader as being in a tie. So both got Academy Awards.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the fight, The Champ sustains a cut above his left eye, but when he goes back to his corner it is gone. The cut comes back when the fighting resumes and stays for the duration of the film.

Quotes:

[Dink compares the swanky home to his own]
Dink Purcell: The Champ and I ain't fixed up swell as this, but our joint's more lively.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Waltz #15 in A flat major ('Lullaby'), Op.39

Beery not bad, Cooper excellent, Irene Rich terrible

I've just finished watching this film, which I've been wanting to see for years and I was impressed without being overwhelmed. Wallace Beery's not bad (though a bit stilted) in the leading role; he's better than Irene Rich, playing his ex-wife, who throws herself around the screen, swooning from sofa to sofa in a totally over-acted performance. However, it's Jackie Cooper who steals the show with a portrayal which manages to be both heart-rending and realistic. I know the concept of "real sound" is a disputable one, as sounding real on screen may just entail being a good actor, rather than a realistic one, but nonetheless he does seem far more genuine than the rest of the cast. 8/10.