The Kid Comes Back (1937) User Reviews

The Kid Gets in the Ring With Barton Maclane

[boblipton · 5/10 · 28 March 2018]

Barton Maclane has been plugging away for years to become heavyweight champion. Along the way he notices that amateur Wayne Morris has a lot of potential, so he buys his contract and mentors him. Meanwhile, Morris and Maclane's sister, June Travis, fall in love. When Maclane gets the chance to be champion, he has to fight Morris for the title, but Travis wants them both out of the ring before their brains get destroyed.

It's a one-hour Warner B from the period when they were slick, fast and mostly rote efforts, but this one is carried on the charms of Maclane's dumb lug characterization, something that I always enjoy . While he was capable of some fine performances -- he is wonderful in his supporting role in HIGH SIERRA -- he spent a lot of time in the Bs as Warner's answer to George Bancroft. The result here is decent, and is bolstered by the always amusing Maxie Rosenbloom as a competing boxer.

Just another "get it out before the bell rings" programmer.

[mark.waltz · 3/10 · 21 August 2020]

According to records, character actor Barton MacLane was only 36 years old when he made this film, playing an aging boxer desperate to win the title but floored when the reigning champion he still wants to fight announces his retirement. Along comes innocent Wayne Morris, a kid from Texas, who MacLane decides to manage and ends up fighting after selling his contract so he has a chance himself at the title finally. Morris adds to the drama by falling in love with McClain sister, June Travis, and as the situation between Morris and McClain becomes more serious, their friendship seems doomed.

At just an hour long, this variation of "The Champ" (with young Dicky Moore stepping in for Jackie Cooper) is enjoyable fast-moving fluff, but the huge age difference between McLane and Morris seems to b a wall in the plot line that the script just can't fight its way through.

Young Dickie Moore does manage to steal every scene that he is in (what kid doesn't?), but he seems to have no outside life, even traveling with Morris without even a hint of where his family is. Maxie Rosenbloom has some funny lines as the typical dumb lug, but overall, this is just another one of dozens of similar films that washes out a script to end up at the bottom of the bill of some unknown A picture.