Tough Guy (1936)

The Age of Commercialism

Simply A Masterpiece

One of my all time favorites.

Expected more

Joseph Calleia takes over the parts usually played by Wallace Beery in this corny story of an armored car robber who befriends the runaway kid (Jackie Cooper) who overheard the stick-up occur. After shooting the kid's dog (Rin Tin Tin Jr.), the gangster has a change of heart, and after some hedging, agrees to let the kid go on the run with him. Meanwhile, the kid's father (Robert Warwick) gets involved in the federal case while searching for his son.The MGM sentiment gets in the way of reality here as Cooper cries over his wounded dog, Calleia sings Spanish songs while picking berries and shooting bunny rabbits, and Rin Tin Tin Jr. protects his old pal and new buddy (I guess dogs do forgive) as the law and Calleia's vindictive cronies (sensing ransom money for Cooper) and the law closes in. This was so close to the following year's "Captain's Courageous" in set-up, in fact everything but excellence. This defies reality on all ends, even though the action keeps the viewer from giving up on it although a speeded up fight scene looks absolutely ridiculous. One interesting thought about this film is that while there are a few women extras in the film, not one of the billed actors are female. There's only one moment where a woman reacts briefly out loud to Calleia's being wheeled in on a gurney into a waiting ambulance.

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.

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!

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.