Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Champion

  • 19491949
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
4.3K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
16,949
4,924
Kirk Douglas and Marilyn Maxwell in Champion (1949)
DramaFilm-NoirSport
Boxer Midge Kelly rises to fame...mainly by stepping on other people.Boxer Midge Kelly rises to fame...mainly by stepping on other people.Boxer Midge Kelly rises to fame...mainly by stepping on other people.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
4.3K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
16,949
4,924
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Mark Robson
    • Writers
      • Carl Foreman(screenplay)
      • Ring Lardner(story "Champion")
    • Stars
      • Kirk Douglas
      • Arthur Kennedy
      • Marilyn Maxwell
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Mark Robson
    • Writers
      • Carl Foreman(screenplay)
      • Ring Lardner(story "Champion")
    • Stars
      • Kirk Douglas
      • Arthur Kennedy
      • Marilyn Maxwell
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 63User reviews
    • 41Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 2 wins & 9 nominations total

    Photos29

    Kirk Douglas and Marilyn Maxwell in Champion (1949)
    Kirk Douglas and Marilyn Maxwell in Champion (1949)
    Kirk Douglas and Ruth Roman in Champion (1949)
    Joe Gray in Champion (1949)
    Kirk Douglas and Joe Gray in Champion (1949)
    Marilyn Maxwell in Champion (1949)
    Kirk Douglas and Marilyn Maxwell in Champion (1949)
    Kirk Douglas in Champion (1949)
    Kirk Douglas in Champion (1949)
    Kirk Douglas in Champion (1949)
    Kirk Douglas in Champion (1949)
    Kirk Douglas and Marilyn Maxwell in Champion (1949)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Kirk Douglas
    Kirk Douglas
    • Midge Kelly
    Arthur Kennedy
    Arthur Kennedy
    • Connie Kelly
    Marilyn Maxwell
    Marilyn Maxwell
    • Grace Diamond
    Paul Stewart
    Paul Stewart
    • TommyHaley
    Ruth Roman
    Ruth Roman
    • Emma Bryce
    Lola Albright
    Lola Albright
    • Mrs. Jerome Harris aka Palmer
    Luis Van Rooten
    • Jerome Harris
    Harry Shannon
    Harry Shannon
    • Lew Bryce
    John Daheim
    John Daheim
    • Johnny Dunne
    • (as John Day)
    Ralph Sanford
    Ralph Sanford
    • Hammond - Kansas City Promoter
    Esther Howard
    Esther Howard
    • Mrs. Kelly
    Bill Baldwin
    Bill Baldwin
    • Bill Brown - Ringside Broadcaster
    • (uncredited)
    Sam Balter
    Sam Balter
    • Championship Fight Announcer
    • (uncredited)
    Polly Bergen
    Polly Bergen
    • Radio and Jukebox Singer
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Don Brodie
    Don Brodie
    • Newspaper Reporter
    • (uncredited)
    Ralph Brooks
    • Newspaper Reporter at Benefit
    • (uncredited)
    Mushy Callahan
    Mushy Callahan
    • Referee Title fight
    • (uncredited)
    Sayre Dearing
    Sayre Dearing
    • Newspaper Reporter at Benefit
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Mark Robson
    • Writers
      • Carl Foreman(screenplay)
      • Ring Lardner(story "Champion")
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Detective Story
    7.5
    Detective Story
    The Harder They Fall
    7.5
    The Harder They Fall
    The Set-Up
    7.8
    The Set-Up
    I Walk Alone
    7.0
    I Walk Alone
    Gentleman Jim
    7.6
    Gentleman Jim
    Bright Victory
    7.3
    Bright Victory
    Requiem for a Heavyweight
    7.8
    Requiem for a Heavyweight
    Desert Fury
    6.6
    Desert Fury
    The Bad and the Beautiful
    7.8
    The Bad and the Beautiful
    House of Strangers
    7.3
    House of Strangers
    All My Sons
    7.3
    All My Sons
    Beyond the Forest
    6.9
    Beyond the Forest

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The address, 49 Eagle Street, that Kirk Douglas mentions, was actually the address where he grew up as a child.
    • 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.
    • Quotes

      Midge: For the first time in my life, people cheering for me. Were you deaf? Didn't you hear 'em? We're not hitchhiking any more. We're riding!

    • Alternate versions
      Also available in a computer-colorized version.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Special London Bridge Special (1972)
    • Soundtracks
      Never Be It Said
      By Dimitri Tiomkin and Goldie Goldmark (as "Goldie" Goldmark)

      Sung by Polly Bergen (uncredited)

    User reviews63

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Kirk Knew What He Wanted
    According to the Films of Kirk Douglas book, Douglas was offered a choice between a big budget MGM loan out The Great Sinner and this small independent film Champion about boxing. For the first time in his career Douglas was able to show what a shrewd judge of stories that were tailor made for him.

    He chose Champion and for his efforts earned his first trip to the Oscar Sweepstakes. He lost the big prize to Broderick Crawford for All the Kings Men. But from then on in Kirk Douglas was taken seriously as an actor. Douglas was also determined to break free of studio contracts and chart his own career. Some actors can and some are terrible judges of screen property. Kirk Douglas has always been in the first category.

    The story involved two brothers, Kirk Douglas and Arthur Kennedy, who when we first meet them are bumming their way across the country to take possession of a diner that was sold to them bogusly. To earn some eating money, Kirk had gone the distance in a four round preliminary fight and came to the attention of fight manager Paul Stewart. Now dead broke, Douglas turns to Stewart who takes him on as a prize fighter, for real.

    Douglas can't forget those days in the hobo jungle and is willing to do anything, use anybody to rise to the top of his profession. His role is a complex one, he's ruthless and tough, but he also has to have enough charm to fool the three women who enter his life, Ruth Roman, Marilyn Maxwell, and Lola Albright.

    Arthur Kennedy got an Oscar nomination in the Supporting Actor category as Douglas's brother and conscience. Paul Stewart is every inch the wise professional fight manager who steps out of his league when Douglas gets into the big money in the fight game.

    There's not a moviegoer who's ever seen Champion who will forget the primeval look on Kirk Douglas's face in the climatic fight scene in defense of his championship as he gets back up from the last of several knockdowns. Like something out of a Hammer horror picture, it's that frightening. You won't forget it either.
    helpful•44
    4
    • bkoganbing
    • Dec 9, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 20, 1949 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sampion
    • Filming locations
      • Pacific Coast Hwy & Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Screen Plays
      • Stanley Kramer Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $600,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Kirk Douglas and Marilyn Maxwell in Champion (1949)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Champion (1949) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    New & Upcoming Superhero Movies and Series
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.