The Champ 1979
Years after retiring from the ring, former boxing champion Billy (Jon Voight) is divorced from his wife and lives with his beloved young son (Rick Schroeder), playing in small matches to make ends meet. When his ex-wife reappears and asks for custody of the child, the aging and lovestruck boxer will return to the ring to win back his son. The film, one of the most tear-jerking in cinema history, skillfully exploits emotions with Zeffirelli’s expertise. Champion is a remake of King Vidor’s 1931 film The Champion, with lead actor Wallace Beery winning an Oscar for his performance. It is also considered a remake of the 1953 film The Clown. This film, adapted by Frances Marion, had Red Skelton in the lead role, playing a clown instead of a boxer. A difficult sport, with a rare style and a high dose of sentimentality, the film was described as “boxing translated for women.” The tagline for the film was, “The most poignant love triangle is between a father, a son, and a woman.”
