Champion (1949)
Genre: Drama / Filmnoir
Duration: 99 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Mark Robson
Stars: Kirk Douglas, Marilyn Maxwell and Arthur Kennedy
IMDb score:
7,3 (5.363)
Releasedate: 9 April 1949
Champion plot
"Fighting or loving, he was the... CHAMPION"
Poor but ambitious Midge Kelly finds out after protecting his handicapped brother Connie from a group of robbers that he is a good boxer, even a natural one. He wins boxing matches with ease and eventually even becomes world champion. But then the decay sets in. Kelly enjoys the opulence and abandons his best friends. Despite being married to the faithful Palmer, he begins a love affair with the attractive blonde Grace, the wife of his opponent's manager. Kelly seems to be losing his physical powers and is arrogant, cocky and mean.
Actors and actresses
Midge Kelly
Grace Diamond
Connie Kelly
Tommy Haley
Emma Bryce
Palmer Harris
Harris
Lew
Dunne
Hammond
Reviews & comments
gotti
-
- 14090 messages
- 5939 votes
A decent film with a good performance by Doglas. The story could have been a bit more fleshed out here and there, especially the fights, which were a bit rushed. 3*
Translated from Dutch · View original
Movsin
-
- 8331 messages
- 8448 votes
Not the first and certainly not the last film about the ups and downs of a boxing champion, this time with Kirk Douglas in his early years and already firmly establishing his Hollywood fame, in a film that is quite well made.
The boxing scenes with our Kirk seem quite awkward to me, but otherwise it's a substantive film: If nothing comes to something... is more or less the theme.
In the vampire role (which she also enjoyed in real life during that period) Marilyn Maxwell, of which very few films have been seen.
Finally, the film also takes a look at corruption in boxing and the insurmountable power of managers.
Translated from Dutch · View original
clubsport
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- 4050 messages
- 7099 votes
I can fully agree with Bobbejaantje's review above, the roles are more than well filled and the long flashback structure that is used at the beginning works very well.
The build-up to the boxing career and the character development of Midge in particular is also solidly done.
Kirk fills the role wonderfully and elevates the film to the next level.
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