Champion (1949)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Carl Foreman (screenplay)
Ring Lardner (story)

Release Date:

9 April 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

This is the only sport in the world where two guys get paid for doing something they'd be arrested for if they got drunk and did it for nothing.

Plot:

Boxer Midge Kelly rises to fame...mainly by stepping on other people.

Plot Keywords:

Boxing | Boxer | Hitchhiking | Waitress | Sculptor

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 9 nominations

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Michael 'Midge' Kelly
Marilyn Maxwell	...	Grace Diamond
Arthur Kennedy	...	Connie Kelly
Paul Stewart	...	Tommy Haley
Ruth Roman	...	Emma Bryce
Lola Albright	...	Palmer Harris
Luis Van Rooten	...	Jerome 'Jerry' Harris
Harry Shannon	...	Lew Bryce
John Daheim	...	Johnny Dunne (as John Day)
Ralph Sanford	...	Hammond
Esther Howard	...	Mrs. Margaret Kelly

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | USA:TV-PG | USA:Approved (certificate #13642) | UK:PG | Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-16 | West Germany:16

Company:

Stanley Kramer Productions

Trivia:

Director Mark Robson reused variation of Midge's workout montage sequence nearly 20 years later for Neely's (Patty Duke) career montage in Valley of the Dolls.

Goofs:

Continuity: Midge mangles the sculpture that Palmer has made of him, twisting the head out of alignment. In next shot, the head of statue is back in its original location.

Quotes:

Tommy Haley: You know what a "Golem" is? I think I knew all the time I was building one.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Ren & Stimpy Show: Space Madness/The Boy Who Cried Rat! (#1.3)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

Never Be It Said

Best boxing movie I've ever seen

This is a great movie. I rented it from the video store and expected an average boxing film, but instead I got a masterpiece. This movie is better than any boxing movie I've ever seen. The character is also very well constructed. Kirk Douglas really looks like he knows what he's doing in the training and boxing scenes. His acting in this is great and he doesn't overact. He is one of my all time favorite actors. Arthur Kennedy, another favorite of mine, is very good in this movie. Like in the part were he's yelling at Kirk Douglas telling him how his blood's gone cold. He tells Douglas he's worse than a murderer, he's a grave robber.

Midge Kelly does do a lot of wrong in this picture. He starts out as an o.k. guy and when he becomes a famous prizefighter and then champ he really changes. The money and fame goes to his head. He gets mixed up with a blonde too and steps on people to get to the top. He even gets rid of his manager Tommy, wonderfully played by Paul Stewart. He is always good in his supporting roles. The ones that come to mind are; The Bad and the Beautiful, King Creole and The Joe Louis Story. The actresses are good in this movie too and I think all three of them go good with Kirk Douglas. John Day is good as Johnny Dunne. He's always playing some tough guy or boxer. In Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man he played fighter Rocky Hanlon. In Jailhouse Rock he played a tough guy that gets in to a brawl with Elvis Presley. In the Captain America serial he fist fights with Captain America.

My favorite parts in the movie are the opening scene when the fight announcer is introducing us to the champion. The announcer is played by Sam Balter. Balter seems to always be playing an announcer or commentator. In Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man he plays the commentator for the fight. Sam Balter was a great choice for Champion. As you see Kirk Douglas walking into view you can tell just by looking at him that he's a champion. My second favorite part is the thrilling climax. I love every boxing scene in the movie too. If you want to see one of the greatest movies ever made see this movie.