Le défenseur silencieux

It's Jackie Cooper and Rin Tin Tin, Jr. against the world in the opening scenes of this okay crime drama. Having run away together, the two of them can't even hitch a ride--though they both give their best efforts at flagging down passing cars. Claudette Colbert being nowhere to be found, they eventually climb into the back of a parked truck, and....

Joseph Calleia is the crook who, in an early turning point in the plot and in audience sympathies, can't refuse helping a boy with a wounded dog--he did have a dog himself, once, he admits.

Speaking of audience sympathies, the other adult characters in this movie nearly all range from annoying to repulsive--and that includes the boy's neglectful father and the smug detective even more than Calleia's stooges who are ready to turn on him right from the moment we meet them.

No surprises, overall, but Cooper is earnest and Rinny gets to show off his acting chops. And Calleia is actually quite good in a somewhat meatier role than he is normally seen in.

Frederick Martindale 'Freddie' Vincent, III (Jackie Cooper) runs away from home with his dog Duke (Rin Tin Tin Jr.) They climb onboard a truck which gets into the middle of a heist. The truck gets taken by Joe Calerno and his gang.

Child star Jackie Cooper and dog star Rin Tin Tin Jr. Combine to do a crime thriller. It should be easy. I don't like a few of these plot turns. It's so simple to have the dog help the kid escape from the gangsters. It doesn't need anything else. I don't need the search party. I really don't need the developing friendship. It comes off wrong. I mean he's making a morbid joke and it's not funny.

The most interesting thing I took away from this soporifically sentimental movie was that Rin Tin Tin, before he hooked up with Rusty and the lieutenant way out there at Fort Apache, played canines other than himself. As for entertaining, exciting or touching elements to take away, there were none. Unless, of course, you want to give a mournful shout out to the great character actor, Joseph Calleia, and note the sad fate of a guy who could have been Anthony Quinn if only he'd been a bit taller. Otherwise, prepared to be bored as hell, especially in the scenes without Rinny, Jackie and Joe. Give it a C.

In 1936 there was no special films about 'Lassie', Rin Tin Tin Sr. and Jr. entertained the movie goers. In this film they even had Rin Tin Tin ride on top of a station wagon and at times you could see a stuffed animal being a stunt dog for the dangerous twists and turns around a deserted road! Jackie Cooper(Freddie), "Chosen Survivors",'74 was the great child star and was the pretty boy of MGM studios. In this film Freddie goes through a rough time being kidnapped by a mean bunch of gangsters. Joseph Callera,(Joe Calerno),"Cry Tough",'59, came to Freddie's rescue, however, Rin Tin Tin Jr.,"Fangs of the Wild",'39, went through plenty of trouble trying to track down his faithful friend Freddie through thick and thin! Jean Hersholt,(Doctor Mulback, Veterinarian), Dancing in the Dark",'49, gave a great supporting role, who was a great veteran actor for many years. This is a great Classic Rin Tin Tin film along with Jackie Cooper, which was shown along with another feature film, newsreel and some cartoons on Saturday night at the local movie houses in the USA!

Southern California rich kid Jackie Cooper (as Frederick "Freddie" Martindale Vincent III) runs away from home when his wealthy widower father tells the boy he can't keep his dog "Duke" (a role credited to Rin Tin Tin Jr., billed as a canine offspring of the most successful animal star at the time). Young Cooper and his German Sheppard hit the streets as hitchhikers. Unable to get picked-up, Cooper and "Duke" jump a truck. In quick succession, they are caught in a gangster shoot-out, kidnapped and taken hostage by convicted bank robber Joseph Calleia (as Joseph "Joe" Calerno)...

While trying to avoid detectives and disgruntled gangsters, Cooper and Mr. Calleia bond; they sleep, swim and toast marshmallows together. Cooper eventually finds himself in even greater danger, with Calleia, "Duke" and father Robert Warwick (as Frederick Martindale Vincent II) struggling to save the lad's life. Veteran humanitarian Jean Hersholt appears nicely as a La Crescenta veterinarian. "Tough Guy" is a formula film with subversive undertones. The co-stars perform well. Calleia and veteran director Chester M. Franklin skillfully bring it to a captivating, bang-up ending.

******* Tough Guy (1/24/36) Chester M. Franklin ~ Jackie Cooper, Joseph Calleia, Harvey Stephens, Jean Hersholt