Champion (1949)

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

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Carl Foreman (screenplay), Ring Lardner (story)

Stars:

Kirk Douglas, Marilyn Maxwell, Arthur Kennedy

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 9 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kirk Douglas	...	Midge
Marilyn Maxwell	...	Grace
Arthur Kennedy	...	Connie
Paul Stewart	...	Haley
Ruth Roman	...	Emma
Lola Albright	...	Palmer
Luis Van Rooten	...	Harris
Harry Shannon	...	Lew
John Daheim	...	Dunne (as John Day)
Ralph Sanford	...	Hammond
Esther Howard	...	Mrs. Kelly

Storyline

Midge Kelly, hitchhiking west with lame brother Connie, is hustled unprepared into a pro boxing match. Though he's severely beaten, manager Tommy Haley finds him promising. Arrived in California, Midge and Connie find nothing but a menial job from which Midge gets relief by seducing Emma, a lovely young waitress. One shotgun marriage later, ambitious Midge falls back on the only option he knows: boxing. Seduced by cheering crowds, money, and a succession of blondes, Midge becomes more and more of a hero in public...and a heel in private.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing | waitress | boxer | hitchhiking | one word title | 

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Taglines:

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.

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 April 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

De kampioen

Company Credits

Production Co:

Screen Plays, Stanley Kramer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Connie Kelly: Oh, this rotten business!
Midge Kelly: Awww, lay off the business. It's like any other business, only here the blood shows.

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Connections

Referenced in The Colgate Comedy Hour: Episode #2.21 (1952)

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Soundtracks

"Never Be It Said"
By Dimitri Tiomkin and Goldie Goldmark (as "Goldie" Goldmark)
Sung by Polly Bergen (uncredited)

User Reviews

Riveting role for Douglas, unrealistic boxing scenes.

Douglas must have felt this film was his big chance at a starring role. His intensity is bruising and as riveting as Cagney in 'White Heat' or Pacino in 'Scarface'. Imagine what Kirk Douglas would have done with the part of Gordon Gekko in 'Wall Street'!

I was disappointed that the character Midge Kelly was never convincing as a skilled boxer. He never slips a single punch, never shows any footwork, never shows any combinations. In the training sequences you see him skip roping expertly with speed & timing, but whenever he gets in the ring he just walks straight toward his opponent with no bobbing or weaving, taking 2 or 3 hits to deliver 1. In a real fight he would have been taken out in the first round.

I noticed that early in the movie before Midge becomes a boxer, he gets in the ring out of desperation for some quick money and gets beaten badly. The boxer who skillfully beats him to a pulp looks very much like Courtland Shepard, who played boxer Tony Zale vs Paul Newman's Rocky Graziano in 'Somebody Up There Likes Me' Unfortunately, this boxer-actor, who actually has a spoken line, is never credited.