Le défenseur silencieux

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

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.

Freddie (Jackie Cooper) is an incredibly weird and stupid child. He comes from a wealthy family but runs away because he feels neglected emotionally. This might be true....and that's not why he's weird and stupid....more about that in a minute. After running away with his doggy (Rin Tin Tin Jr.), the pair hide out in an armored car (???). Soon the car is attacked by vicious criminals and soon the boy and dog are taken captive. Now here's where it gets weird...and stupid. The boy and the gang leader (Joseph Calleia) soon become buddies and they take off together with the dog and hide out from the law. Now this kid appears to be about 12 or so...a bit old to be hanging out with his best buddy, a most-wanted criminal! But the boy and crook inexplicably hit it off and soon they are making plans for a life together. What's next....see the film.

The notion of most 12 year-olds becoming BFFs with a most-wanted criminal seems a bit hard to believe. Now had the kid been a complete sociopath then it would have made sense...but this didn't. Not a terrible film...but an illogical one. No...wait...when the pair sang..then it WAS pretty terrible!

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.

This was kind of silly fun made worthwhile by the performances of both Calleia, in familiar gangster role and the young Cooper - who gets to cry about his dog, whom his father does not like. Cooper runs away in the first place to save his dog from dad's ire.

One has to suspend all belief in the plot. At the start Calleia is intent on rubbing out young runaway Cooper because he is a witness to a crime he has just committed. But then a common love bond develops for Cooper's dog, who happens to be Rin Tin Tin, Jr. and Calleia does a miraculous if somewhat unbelievable 180. He soon becomes a big brother to Cooper and even does battle with the other baddies to protect him.

I found myself wishing that I could be Jackie Cooper, romping around with a tender hearted gangster and my loyal Rin Tin Tin, swimming in a forest lagoon, frolicking amongst the berry bushes while singing an old Italian tune, and eating roasted rabbit and marshmallows. That being said, I'd have preferred a different ending, but only in regards to the gangster.