A broken-down alcoholic prizefighter struggles to keep custody of his adoring son.
Acting
Beery's Oscar win; Cooper's devastating naturalism at age eight.
Direction
Vidor's close-ups weaponize a child's face against you.
Director
King Vidor
Wallace Beery
Andy 'Champ' Purcell
Jackie Cooper
Dink Purcell
Irene Rich
Linda Carleton
Roscoe Ates
Sponge
Edward Brophy
Tim
Hale Hamilton
Tony Carleton
Marcia Mae Jones
Mary Lou Carleton
Dannie Mac Grant
Boy Taunting Dink (uncredited)
Frank Hagney
Mexican Champ Manuel Quiroga (uncredited)
Dell Henderson
The Doctor (uncredited)
Tom McGuire
Los Angeles Promoter (uncredited)
Lee Phelps
Louie the Bartender (uncredited)
Andy Shuford
Boy at Racetrack (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jackie Cooper later claimed director Vidor manipulated him into genuine tears by pretending to shoot his dog. Hollywood, baby.
Beery's Best Actor win was reportedly a sympathy vote after his divorce scandal—Academy politics, 1931 edition.
US
