Champion (1949)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Thanks for the memories!

Fantastic!

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

Even though I don't like boxing as a sport, I always end up watching movies about boxers. And, while I'm the first to admit that seeing a bunch of rugged, half-naked, sweaty guys is a bonus, it might not be the main reason why I continue to watch them. Then again, it might. Kirk Douglas probably spends more of the movie with his shirt off than on.In Champion, we see the story of a poor, angry young man who wants respect and adoration. Due to a chance right-place-at-the-right-time meeting with a well-known boxer, he ends up in the ring for some quick, easy money and finds out he's pretty good! But in his quest to become a champion, what is he willing to throw away? The real reason why I keep watching boxing movies is because of that age-old, always interesting story of learning what's really important when you think you've got it figured out. They're wonderful stories, because the hero is always terribly flawed and makes tons of mistakes, and the suspense lies in two questions: will he get punished for what he's done, and will he be forgiven and get a happy ending? Kirk Douglas was nominated for Best Actor for his performance in Champion, so if you're a fan, you're definitely going to want to rent this one and see him in his early days. He's got an incredible "Oscar clip" scene at the end of the movie; even though he was only nominated three times during his career, you can tell he more than earned it in this movie. Only three years after his first film The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, he plays his typical bad boy, only worse. If you've never seen a Kirk Douglas movie, this is not the one to start with. He's awfully mean, so you might always associate him with this role and not like him in the future. Check out The Glass Menagerie first, and then when you see him act so mean, you'll be shocked and impressed! The make-up in Champion is really impressive, especially given the constraints of the Hays Code, which didn't allow for gruesome gore or violence. Arthur Kennedy plays Kirk Douglas's brother, and while I'm not usually his biggest fan, he was easily the most likable person in the movie! All in all, it's not my favorite boxing movie in the world, but I'm never one to turn down a movie with a half-naked guy in the lead.

Wow, excellent story and excellent performances make this film from 1949 a veritable knockout by almost any measure. Kirk Douglas displays all the talent necessary to make him an overnight success in this hard edged tale of a man who'll do just about anything to make it to the top. Perhaps if Douglas hadn't had the physical skills to pull off the boxing role things might have been different. However his fight scenes looked quite realistic, and when he suffered cuts and bruises in the ring, they looked like the real thing. I'll contrast Douglas's ring style here with Robert Ryan in "The Set-Up", another boxing picture which came out the same year. Ryan's character Stoker Thompson didn't look comfortable in the ring at all, operating from a crouched position that looked defensive most of the time. Midge Kelly (Douglas), once he got some ring time under his belt, looked completely relaxed and natural.What was impressive about the picture for me aside from the boxing was the story telling. Generally you'd like to root for the principal in a picture like this but Midge Kelly turned out to be a heel in virtually all of his personal relationships. His immediate abandonment of wife Emma (Ruth Roman) was a stunner and pegged him as an opportunist who wouldn't hesitate stepping on people if they got in his way. As the viewer, you're kind of hoping against hope he wouldn't discard his own crippled brother (Arthur Kennedy) in the same manner, but it was only a matter of time. That was one of the sadder scenes when Midge decked Connie in the dressing room.On the flip side, one of the better and more significant moments occurred when Kelly's second manager Jerry Harris (Luis Van Rooten) put it all on the line with Midge to prove to wife Palmer (Lola Albright) that Kelly's only concern was the fame and money becoming Champ would bring. It was a wake up moment for the jilted woman, right after her husband told her "Don't be an idiot". Sometimes words hit harder than a sock to the jaw.There's one thing that kept me distracted in the picture though; each time Arthur Kennedy appeared on screen as Connie I kept wondering who he reminded me of. I finally figured it out, the resemblance to Kiefer Sutherland was somewhat uncanny. Closing out the story with Emma on his arm seemed a fitting ending for the story, seeing as how he arrived at a reconciliation with older brother, even if it was after Midge's death from a brain hemorrhage. Connie thought he 'went out like a champion', but the truth was, as a human being, Kelly was hardly a contender.

"Champion" is a very good movie that is sustained by an amazing performance by Kirk Douglas in the title role. The tale of a determined individual rising from poverty to riches through sheer will is not a new story. Douglas' Midge Kelly is determined to become someone no matter what he has to do and he succeeds; trampling everyone in his path. He alienates those who love him as his lust for personal glory consumes him fully. Anyone seeking for an example of what a charismatic movie star looks like need go no further than Kirk Douglas in this film. He is an absolute powerhouse of physical energy and blows everyone else off the screen. Whether stalking his prey in the ring, hitting the speed bag, effortlessly skipping rope, or launching himself to his feet by pushing his hands off the floor Kirk is just phenomenal. Probably one of the greatest physical performances of all time; echoed many times in the future by action stars like Stallone and Johnson. Supporting performances are excellent as well. The three leading ladies (Maxwell, Albright, and Ruth Roman) are all beautiful and have their chances to shine. Marilyn Maxwell is particularly shallow and her come-uppance at the hands of the even more shallow Douglas is a great scene. Paul Stewart is terrific as the weary manager who protects his fighter's image as a great champion despite knowing what he really is. And Arthur Kennedy turns in a pretty subdued performance that deserves commendation. Although the theme of corruption in boxing is pretty standard stuff in films the character study of Midge Kelly elevates the movie to great heights. And the performance of Kirk Douglas stamps this movie as a classic.

A boxer goes from rags to riches by working his way to the middleweight championship. It is interesting that this film and "The Set-up," another fine boxing drama, were in concurrent release in the U.S. in April 1949. Each film looks at corruption in the ring and pulls no punches, so to speak. Douglas, getting top billing for the first time, is quite believable as the boxer, an arrogant heel. There are also good performances from Kennedy as his brother, Roman as the woman he reluctantly marries, and Stewart as his manager. It is solidly directed by Robson, who also made "The Harder They Fall," another good boxing drama and Humphrey Bogart's last film.