THE CHAMP (1931)

Back at M-G-M after shedding the last vestiges Early Talkie technique on STREET SCENE/’31 at Goldwyn Studios (https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2020/05/street-scene-1931.html), director King Vidor brought a looser freewheeling style, naturalistic staging & acting and a preference for real location shooting to this formulaic male weepie.  By turns, raw and sentimental, it was a late triumph for screenwriter Frances Marion*, an original story about a washed-up boxer with a bum ticker who gets back in the ring for the sake of the idolizing son left by his ‘Ex,’ now a rich, repentant society lady.  No secret how this is all going to play out, but Vidor had a perfect touch for the material and a perfect cast unafraid of pathos, bathos or Depression-Era ethos.  Sure you’ll wince at some dated elements (the boxing climax painfully under-cranked & faintly ridiculous, though not the knock-out blow!), but you’ll be laughing thru real tears.  Especially when Vidor wraps with one of his signature OTT operatic ariosos.  In line with ones given to Renée Adorée clinging to John Gilbert as he drives off in THE BIG PARADE/’25 or to Jennifer Jones, crawling back to die next to Gregory Peck in DUEL IN THE SUN/’46.  Here, it’s little Jackie Cooper ('Dink') unable to process his grief after the big fight.  Wallace Beery got his Oscar® (with a bit of studio pull) as the out of shape, but still powerful ‘Champ.’  (Note Cooper switching from ‘Champ’ to ‘Daddy’ when he tries to throw in the towel.)  With Irene Rich as the tardy Mom & Hale Hamilton the new husband, both completely understanding in this villain-less film.  And note Cooper’s best pal, a Black kid who hangs at the race track with Dink.  (Cooper quietly tells Rich he’s ‘colored’ in case she didn’t notice.)  Acted by debuting Jesse Scott (8 or 9) with zero ‘darkie’ caricature so typical of the period.  Dressed like every one else, talking like everyone else, no craps, no shufflin’, no funny hat or wiseguy personality.  Being just a person something of a small miracle for a Black kid on screen at the time.

ATTENTION MUST BE PAID:  *Second only to Ben Hecht as a legendary Hollywood screenwriter, for some reason Marion isn’t even listed at IMDb on this, her second Oscar® winner.

DOUBLE-BILL/LINK:  Cooper particularly loathed working with Beery, not the lovable mug of his films, but a brutal, all 'round pain in the ass.  Note Beery slamming his hand onto Cooper’s in the jail scene.  Yikes!  (Cooper’s reaction shot stunningly lit.)  Nevertheless, they made four films together, best after this probably TREASURE ISLAND/’34, the only version of the story with a crying jag for young Jim Hawkins.  No way, Louis B. Mayer was going to release a Jackie Cooper film without a scene for the little fellow to cry his heart out.  https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2008/06/treasure-island-1934.html