Kirk Douglas reached stardom after Champion (1949) was released. He was very fond of this movie, until he died.
Hal March, a popular 1950s stage, film and TV personality, is seen here, as a mob enforcer meeting out punishment against Midge Kelly (Kirk Douglas) for Kelly's failure to throw a fight. March would later be implicated in a real life fix, as he was host of the popular but ill fated TV quiz show The $64, 000 Question (1955). This quiz show was cited in the 1950s "Quiz Show Scandal," where some former contestants testified under oath that they were given information pertaining to the questions that they may be asked, in advance of their appearances on the show.
Director Mark Robson re-used variation of Midge's workout montage sequence nearly 20 years later for Neely's (Patty Duke) career montage in Valley of the Dolls (1967).
The address, 49 Eagle Street, that Kirk Douglas mentions, was actually the address where he grew up as a child.
Producer Stanley Kramer had made Champion (1949) in 24 days for a modest $595,000, as a result of extensive pre-production rehearsal and preparation. According to Kramer, this preparation saved him 14 days of shooting and at least $150,000.
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