Le défenseur silencieux

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!

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.

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

A nice little second feature, the last directed by silent perennial Chester Franklin -- brother of Sidney Franklin, with whom he co-directed a lot of children's movies in the teens.

We needn't go too much into the details of the plot, which are pretty harmless as you might expect of anything with Rin-Tin-Tin Jr. and Jackie Cooper. However, it is a pleasure to watch Joseph Calleia, who was all too frequently cast as a gangster in evening clothes as a tough guy, being reformed by Coop's innocence and, of course, Rinty. He does very well with the role. MGM was trying to promote him as a leading man in this period. It's a pity it did not take.

The back and forth between Jackie Cooper and Joe C. is at times hilarious. I love the touching scene with them at the camp fire toasting marshmallows while on the lam. "Hey, these ain't bad", quips Joe and then laughs to himself. "what's funny", says Jackie. "Oh...I was just thinking about what it be like to shove one of these in a guy's ear...". And in classic gangster lingo: "I got no use for dames; I had one once and she give me the air. What would you do if a dame did that to you?" "Why, I'd knock her block off!", says Jackie. "That's exactly what I did", chuckles Joe, "and they ain't found her YET" (both laugh). Yeah the dog's great too....