The Champ
Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, 1931
The Champ (1931) is remembered for Jackie Cooper’s extraordinary performance, but the emotional weight of Wallace Beery’s final moments still lands like a gut punch. What begins as a Depression-era boxing film unfolds into one of the most devastating parent-child stories in early cinema.
This episode walks through the film scene by scene, exploring Frances Marion’s original story, the Oscar-night tie, and the disturbing real-life experiences of its cast.
This episode also introduces the next book in our new movie→book→movie podcast sequence: Laughing Gas by P.G. Wodehouse, another story shaped by 1930s Hollywood and the world of child stardom.
I’m here! My first foray into Substack. Loyal follower of E & M. I’ll try to keep up on movie and book recommendations. 🙂