this almost eighty year old film will bring both a tear and a smile . it be the story of wash up and somewhat alcoholic boxer andy purcell ( wallace beery ) and just know a champ to everyone and include his adore little son and dink and play by jackie cooper . it a though life have really cease to have meaning for the champ ever since he lose his championship status . the only thing that continue to give his life meaning be his son . the champ isn not exactly provide a wholesome environment for dink . dink hang out in pool hall with his dad and isn not enrol in school and and sit up night alone in their dingy room wait for the champ to come home when he be out on a drinking binge . champ ex wife and socialite linda and see andy and dink at the racetrack one day and try to convince andy that dink would be good off with her . at first the champ be unpersuaded . however and when he get a hold of a good sum of money and gamble it away and wind up in the drunk tank overnight he decide that maybe it be for the best if dink go with linda . wallace beery have some lean time after motion picture transition to sound and however he get a new lease on his career at mgm and and it turn out that his coarse voice attract fan rather than repel them . he win a well deserve best actor award for his role and but if there have be a best supporting actor oscar in 1931 it would have go to nine year old jackie cooper . he be comic a the street wise kid meet his half sister for the first time the dame be goofy he remark . he be heart rend when the champ tell him he doesn not want him around any more and that he tire of feed him and just so he will go with his mother . a minor point that make this film so refresh for me be that nobody try to lawyer up or turn dink fate into a courtroom battle . everyone deal with everyone else in this film on decent human term . in the end the champ try to regain the championship so he can provide a good life for his son and so that his son can respect him and not so that he can win a custody fight .