Director: SAM WOOD. Story: William Thiele, Reginald Owen. Screenplay: Leonard Praskins, Richard Maibaum. Camera: John Seitz. Editor: W. Dan Hayes. Music: Edward Ward. Art directors: Cedric Gibbons, Urie McCleary. Set decorator: Edwin B. Willis. Song, "That's How I Need You", by Joe Goodwin. Sound: Douglas Shearer. Western Electric Sound System. Producer: Harry Rapf. Assistant director: Al Shenberg.
Copyright 3 October 1938 by Loew's Inc. Presented by Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer. New York opening at the Capitol, 20 October 1938. U.S. release: 7 October 1938. Australian release: 20 April 1939. 9 reels. 89 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Disgraced vet saves youngster's horse.
NOTES: Academy Award, Mickey Rooney, best male juvenile of 1938.
COMMENT: Whether singing "When You Wore a Tulip" and "That's How I Need You", whether acting plain mean or surly or just being his usual slobbering tough-nut, Wallace Beery is undoubtedly the mainstay of this re-working of "The Champ".
His co-star this time is Mickey Rooney, a lad who is rather over- inclined to seize the hokey script with both hands and tearfully eject its contrived dialogue for rather more than it is worth. Beery knows exactly when to stop squeezing. Master Rooney does not!
The rest of the players have rather small parts, although Margaret Hamilton distinguishes her role as a frosty-turned-romantic farmer, and Sam McDaniel provides an amusing cameo as a rhyming bookie.
A pity the scriptwriters didn't work in a few more colorful characters like these into the proceedings, although we liked Arthur Hohl's "keep punching" owner even if he is as familiar a figure as the central plot itself.
Despite its clichés, Beery does make the movie's plot entertaining — and even moving.
Seitz's grainy photography matches the stock shots and contributes atmosphere. Wood's direction is occasionally super-deft, as in the Beery at the sing-song sequence, but he is also inclined to be too emphatic and heavy-handed. Other credits are accomplished.
OTHER VIEWS: This poorly directed, sentimental tear-jerker of a melodrama has one or two entertaining sequences (Beery in a sing- song), but as a whole, it is dull and predictable. Seitz's sepia photography has a certain down-at-heels, "flat" atmosphere though we suspect it was mainly employed to disguise the many stock shots and surprising over-use of the process screen. In fact, rarely have we seen such obvious process screen effects used so extensively in what is supposed to be an "A" feature. - JHR writing as George Addison.
Copyright 3 October 1938 by Loew's Inc. Presented by Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer. New York opening at the Capitol, 20 October 1938. U.S. release: 7 October 1938. Australian release: 20 April 1939. 9 reels. 89 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: Disgraced vet saves youngster's horse.
NOTES: Academy Award, Mickey Rooney, best male juvenile of 1938.
COMMENT: Whether singing "When You Wore a Tulip" and "That's How I Need You", whether acting plain mean or surly or just being his usual slobbering tough-nut, Wallace Beery is undoubtedly the mainstay of this re-working of "The Champ".
His co-star this time is Mickey Rooney, a lad who is rather over- inclined to seize the hokey script with both hands and tearfully eject its contrived dialogue for rather more than it is worth. Beery knows exactly when to stop squeezing. Master Rooney does not!
The rest of the players have rather small parts, although Margaret Hamilton distinguishes her role as a frosty-turned-romantic farmer, and Sam McDaniel provides an amusing cameo as a rhyming bookie.
A pity the scriptwriters didn't work in a few more colorful characters like these into the proceedings, although we liked Arthur Hohl's "keep punching" owner even if he is as familiar a figure as the central plot itself.
Despite its clichés, Beery does make the movie's plot entertaining — and even moving.
Seitz's grainy photography matches the stock shots and contributes atmosphere. Wood's direction is occasionally super-deft, as in the Beery at the sing-song sequence, but he is also inclined to be too emphatic and heavy-handed. Other credits are accomplished.
OTHER VIEWS: This poorly directed, sentimental tear-jerker of a melodrama has one or two entertaining sequences (Beery in a sing- song), but as a whole, it is dull and predictable. Seitz's sepia photography has a certain down-at-heels, "flat" atmosphere though we suspect it was mainly employed to disguise the many stock shots and surprising over-use of the process screen. In fact, rarely have we seen such obvious process screen effects used so extensively in what is supposed to be an "A" feature. - JHR writing as George Addison.