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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
in my opinion, wallace beery should have been cast more as a leading man, judging by his quite brilliant performance as the washed up, alcholic boxer who attempts and struggles to re-capture his former glory in the ring as well of out of the ring.
as much as beery's character is a rough and gruff sort of character, he has a heart of gold underneath: he loves and cares for his little son as best he can. in spite of his heavy drinking, the character never once takes out his frustrations on his boy.
the two of them reside in a cheap boarding house on the mexican border as they both struggle to make ends meet in their every day lives. the boxer's ex wife is able to track down the little boy and hopes to be able to bring him up, along with her new husband and their daughter. the scenes where the boy says goodbye to his drunken dad, are amongst the most touching i have come across and those scenes are very well acted and written.
playing the boy is child star and later respected actor jackie cooper. he is perfectly cast as the street-wise kid. every time the wallace beery character gets drunk and lets the boy down, he is still in his dad's corner, loyal to the last, whether it's inside the boxing ring or outside.
after a few false starts, wallace beery is able to give up drinking and goes into training for an upcoming bout for the heavyweight championship. sadly, all the sacrifices that he has made along the way, come with a heavy price.
a classic of a film from the golden days of hollywood, it is not to be missed.
as much as beery's character is a rough and gruff sort of character, he has a heart of gold underneath: he loves and cares for his little son as best he can. in spite of his heavy drinking, the character never once takes out his frustrations on his boy.
the two of them reside in a cheap boarding house on the mexican border as they both struggle to make ends meet in their every day lives. the boxer's ex wife is able to track down the little boy and hopes to be able to bring him up, along with her new husband and their daughter. the scenes where the boy says goodbye to his drunken dad, are amongst the most touching i have come across and those scenes are very well acted and written.
playing the boy is child star and later respected actor jackie cooper. he is perfectly cast as the street-wise kid. every time the wallace beery character gets drunk and lets the boy down, he is still in his dad's corner, loyal to the last, whether it's inside the boxing ring or outside.
after a few false starts, wallace beery is able to give up drinking and goes into training for an upcoming bout for the heavyweight championship. sadly, all the sacrifices that he has made along the way, come with a heavy price.
a classic of a film from the golden days of hollywood, it is not to be missed.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars
27 reviews
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
CLASSIC HOKUM
17 Nov 2001
By "scotsladdie"
- Published on Amazon.com
Although this flick is essentially sheer hokum, THE CHAMP was made with such superb professionalism in all departments that it achieved record business in depression - stricken 1931; it also gave Wallace Beery and screenwriter Frances Marion Academy Awards. It was M-G-M's biggest smash hit of the year. This third ideal role Marion wrote for Beery was that of a broken-down boxer who made a comeback for the sake of his idolising son, Jackie Cooper. The nine-year-old graduate from OUR GANG got even praise from the critics - and audible sobbing from audiences! The great director, King Vidor, extracted genuine pathos from both stars and there is also good work from the likes of Roscoe Ates, Irene Rich and Hale Hamilton.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Story About True Devotion
10 Jan 2007
By D. Stephen Boyd
- Published on Amazon.com
I enjoy watching The Champ movie because it is well acted in both the father and son roles. Wallace Beery gives a convincing performance as a despairing father who was driven to drinking and gambling but cared much for his son. He was aware that he had become a "has been" in the sport of boxing and was desperate to find a way to support himself and his child. Though Andy Purcell (Beery) had allowed these vices into his life, his love and sensitivity toward his son came through brilliantly in the generosity he showed to keep the boy happy.
Purcell's son Dink, played by Jackie Cooper, was completely devoted to his father. Dink was being raised in a less-than-desirable environment and had adopted some crude ways but, in spite of everything, was charming, friendly, and caring to his father and to friends. Though Andy disappointed him on a few occasions in the movie, Dink's loyalty and love for him came shining through to the very end when the boy witnessed the death of his father.
The story, acted out, brings tears, sentiment, and evokes tender feelings for both Andy who wanted so much to make his son happy and for Dink who remained faithful to his father through it all. The honesty in Dink's character provides a moral lesson and example for children today to stay faithful and to love and honor their parents, no matter what may happen.
Purcell's son Dink, played by Jackie Cooper, was completely devoted to his father. Dink was being raised in a less-than-desirable environment and had adopted some crude ways but, in spite of everything, was charming, friendly, and caring to his father and to friends. Though Andy disappointed him on a few occasions in the movie, Dink's loyalty and love for him came shining through to the very end when the boy witnessed the death of his father.
The story, acted out, brings tears, sentiment, and evokes tender feelings for both Andy who wanted so much to make his son happy and for Dink who remained faithful to his father through it all. The honesty in Dink's character provides a moral lesson and example for children today to stay faithful and to love and honor their parents, no matter what may happen.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of King Vidor's Best
12 July 2006
By Quilmiense
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a wonderful drama, social, human and familial. As all good classics there's more to the story than just surface plot. You can see it from multiple perspectives, among them the social one is always very present in Vidor's films.
But first of all this is a great, great movie. One of those that will make you cry in a couple of scenes at least; if you don't, you'd better check your pulse.
Now, here are the subterraneous plots that I see:
1) The familial, the relation between a divorced father and his little son, whom he loves immensely and by whom he is likewise corresponded. This, actually, is not a plot but a naturalistic depiction of this relationship thru story details and characterization.
2) The social. The incompatibility between high-class minded people and simple minded/humble people.
3) The individual relationships between the three main characters or roles: the uneducated and loving father, the apparently educated and classy mother and the innocent child. This triangle gives a lot of food for thought about the mysteries of the human soul. And every viewer will have his own take on this side of the story.
I hope we'll be able to see soon on dvd more of Vidor's great classics, like "The Crowd", "The Fountainhead", "Our Daily Bread", or the great "The Big Parade".
One more thing: The quality of the dvd is exeptional. It doesn't seem like you are watching an old movie at all.
But first of all this is a great, great movie. One of those that will make you cry in a couple of scenes at least; if you don't, you'd better check your pulse.
Now, here are the subterraneous plots that I see:
1) The familial, the relation between a divorced father and his little son, whom he loves immensely and by whom he is likewise corresponded. This, actually, is not a plot but a naturalistic depiction of this relationship thru story details and characterization.
2) The social. The incompatibility between high-class minded people and simple minded/humble people.
3) The individual relationships between the three main characters or roles: the uneducated and loving father, the apparently educated and classy mother and the innocent child. This triangle gives a lot of food for thought about the mysteries of the human soul. And every viewer will have his own take on this side of the story.
I hope we'll be able to see soon on dvd more of Vidor's great classics, like "The Crowd", "The Fountainhead", "Our Daily Bread", or the great "The Big Parade".
One more thing: The quality of the dvd is exeptional. It doesn't seem like you are watching an old movie at all.
›
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4.8 out of 5 stars
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