The Champ
The Champ is a 1931 American pre-Code film starring Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper and directed by King Vidor from a screenplay by Frances Marion, Leonard Praskins and Wanda Tuchock. The picture tells the story of a washed-up alcoholic boxer (Beery) attempting to put his life back together for the sake of his young son (Cooper).
Plot
Andy "Champ" Purcell (Wallace Beery) is the former world heavyweight champion, now down on his luck and living in squalid conditions with his eight-year-old son "Dink" in Tijuana, Mexico. Champ attempts to train and to convince promoters to set up a fight for him, but his efforts are consistently stymied by his alcoholism. Dink is repeatedly disappointed and let down by his father's irresponsible actions and frequent broken promises to quit drinking, but his utter devotion to his father nonetheless never wavers.
Awards
More details
| author | Frances Marion Leonard Praskins |
|---|---|
| award | Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Story |
| contentLocation | Tijuana |
| director | King Vidor |
| editor | Hugh Wynn |
| events | alcoholism |
| genre | drama |
| keywords | break broken promise compulsive gambler cry down on his luck dressing room drink first time gamble grow up heavyweight champion injured one by one prize money set up tijuana mexico train ride wealthy man win |
| musicBy | Irving Berlin |
| nomination | Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Director Academy Award for Best Picture Academy Award for Best Story |
| producer | Harry Rapf Irving Thalberg |
| publisher | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| recordedAt | Mexico |