Champion

While traveling to California in a cargo wagon, the clandestine Michael "Midge" Kelly (Kirk Douglas) and his crippled brother Connie Kelly (Arthur Kennedy) are robbed and thrown off the train. They hitchhike and get a lift from the famous boxer Johnny Dunne (John Daheim), who is traveling with his mistress Grace Diamond (Marilyn Maxwell) to Kansas City for a fight. They explain that they have bought a share in a restaurant. In Kansas City, Midge gets in trouble while seeking a job and is invited to fight box for 35 dollars. He takes a beat and the promoter pays only 10 dollars to him, but the trainer Tommy Haley (Paul Stewart) invites Midge to go to his gym in Los Angeles to be trained in box. When the brothers arrive at the restaurant, they learn that they have been cheated in the business and the owner Lew Bryce (Harry Shannon) hires them to work in the restaurant waiting table and washing dishes. Soon Midge seduces Lew's daughter Emma Bryce (Ruth Roman) and when her father finds their affair, Emma with Midge are forced to get married to each other. However Midge decides to flee to seek out Tommy and leaves Emma alone after the wedding. He learns how to fight with Tommy and defeats several fighters. When he is scheduled to fight Johnny Dunne, the organized crime orders him to lose the fight. However Midge defeats Dunne and is black-listed and can not fight any more. But Grace convinces him to leave Tommy and be managed by Jerome Harris (Luis Van Rooten), who is connected to the crime world. Now Midge begins a successful career betraying his friends and stepping on women, including Harris' wife Palmer Harris (Lola Albright). How far will he go to make money and be champion?

"Champion" is an awarded film-noir based on the story of an ambitious boxer that is capable to betray friend to climb in his career reaching fame and money. The direction and performances are excellent with good choreography in the fights, and the film was awarded in Film Editing category (Oscar) and Best Cinematography (Golden Globe). In addition, it achieved several nominations. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Invencível" ("The Invincible")

This is a great movie. I rented it from the video store and expected an average boxing film, but instead I got a masterpiece. This movie is better than any boxing movie I've ever seen. The character is also very well constructed. Kirk Douglas really looks like he knows what he's doing in the training and boxing scenes. His acting in this is great and he doesn't overact. He is one of my all time favorite actors. Arthur Kennedy, another favorite of mine, is very good in this movie. Like in the part were he's yelling at Kirk Douglas telling him how his blood's gone cold. He tells Douglas he's worse than a murderer, he's a grave robber.

Midge Kelly does do a lot of wrong in this picture. He starts out as an o.k. guy and when he becomes a famous prizefighter and then champ he really changes. The money and fame goes to his head. He gets mixed up with a blonde too and steps on people to get to the top. He even gets rid of his manager Tommy, wonderfully played by Paul Stewart. He is always good in his supporting roles. The ones that come to mind are; The Bad and the Beautiful, King Creole and The Joe Louis Story. The actresses are good in this movie too and I think all three of them go good with Kirk Douglas. John Day is good as Johnny Dunne. He's always playing some tough guy or boxer. In Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man he played fighter Rocky Hanlon. In Jailhouse Rock he played a tough guy that gets in to a brawl with Elvis Presley. In the Captain America serial he fist fights with Captain America.

My favorite parts in the movie are the opening scene when the fight announcer is introducing us to the champion. The announcer is played by Sam Balter. Balter seems to always be playing an announcer or commentator. In Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man he plays the commentator for the fight. Sam Balter was a great choice for Champion. As you see Kirk Douglas walking into view you can tell just by looking at him that he's a champion. My second favorite part is the thrilling climax. I love every boxing scene in the movie too. If you want to see one of the greatest movies ever made see this movie.

Kirk Douglas plays Midge Kelley, a talented boxer who uses everyone around him for his own gain. This may be Douglas' finest effort on film. The editing won an Oscar and rightfully so. This might be the finest movie involving boxing ever produced. Available in color but see the original black and white version. Listen for Polly Bergen's voice as a radio/juke box singer.

Hollywood loves prize fighting stories. The films about this subject are too numerous to mention, but encompass nearly all decades and include "The Crowd Roars," "The Prizefighter and the Lady," "Golden Boy," "Humoresque," "Body and Soul," "The Harder They Fall," "Million Dollar Baby," "Raging Bull," "Cinderella Man" - I could go on and on.

"Champion" is the story of a prize fighter who makes it to the big time by stepping on those who care about him - also not a new topic for Hollywood. This film was the one that made Kirk Douglas a star, winning him an Oscar nomination. Like the character he plays here, Midge Kelly, Douglas was on his way to the top.

The story begins at the fight for the championship as Midge reflects on his life. The story is then told in flashback. At the last minute, with the promise of $50, Midge (real name Michael) steps into a prize fight. A manager thinks he has talent and gives Midge his card.

Midge and his lame brother Connie (Arthur Kennedy) make their way to Los Angeles, believing they have purchased an interest in a coffee shop there. When they arrive, they learn that their cousin has bilked them and someone else owns the place.

The owner gives them both a job and they both fall for the waitress there, Emma (Ruth Roman), the daughter of the owner. When dad catches Emma with Midge, he forces them to marry, after which Connie and Midge take off. They seek out the fight manager but by now, he is retired. However, Midge convinces him to take him as a client.

Along the way, Midge gets involved with a tough blond, Grace (Marilyn Maxwell), fires his manager and goes with someone else, dumps Grace for another woman (Lola Albright), spends money like water, and basically gets everyone to hate him.

Connie talks Emma into moving to Chicago and staying with Connie and Midge's mother who is ill; Midge of course never shows up until he learns she's dying. He then has his final confrontation with Emma, which gets ugly.

This is a dark, absorbing film - two brothers who deal with life very differently, one with anger and the other with gentleness. The focus is on Midge who as he rises higher and higher becomes colder and colder. Strangely, because we understand the genesis of his need for applause and power, we can't hate him, only feel pity.

Kirk Douglas, with his fantastic build, the tight jaw, the dimples and the cleft chin made an ideal movie star. Watching him at this age (32) you can see Michael's resemblance to him. Douglas' intense way of speaking and tense jaw have made him easily imitated for years.

Though his acting is sometimes dismissed today, he is very good, even if now he seems at times a little over the top. The style of acting has changed, that's all. He gives a very complete performance as Midge - passionate, tough, angry, and needy.

Arthur Kennedy, a more subtle actor and one much more appreciated even now, is wonderful as Connie. Young Ruth Roman does a good job as Emma but perhaps is too classy for the role.

Be advised one of the fights is particularly gruesome, and the director, Mark Robson, sought to give a realistic picture of the fight game using real announcers and referees.

Recommended as good drama, good early Kirk Douglas, and if you like boxing.

During the three years just following World War II, Kirk Douglas had completed seven feature films. He already had caught the attention of key motion picture executives, such as producer Hal Wallis. Success was gradually coming Douglas' way. But, with "Champion", like a sudden knockout punch, Douglas instantly achieved his lofty aim. In this low-budget film gem, populated by outstanding character portrayals, Kirk Douglas' performance as boxer Midge Kelly is the bravura centerpiece. Though the multi-textured character of Kelly, as created by Ring Lardner in his short story, lends itself to a strong performance, it is Douglas who lifts the character into the stratosphere. At age 33, and having been a wrestler while attending New York's St. Lawrence University a decade earlier, Douglas still possessed the phyical tools for this role. His work in the fight and training scenes are accurate and strongly believeable. But it is his performance as Midge Kelly the individual that is stunningly riveting. During "Champion", Douglas becomes the character until it is virtually impossible to separate actor and role. He eagerly assimilates Kelly's various nuances and attitudes. Passion has always been a Kirk Douglas hallmark. Never has he been so powerfully passionate as in this performance. Contemporary audiences may like to compare the screen work of son, Michael, with that of his father. But after seeing Kirk Douglas' unforgettable performance in "Champion", comparisons fade.

In his biography, "Ragman's Son," Douglas tells of watching a screening of "Champion" in the home of a studio mogul who had invited numerous people unknown to the actor...who himself was unknown to the guests. After the screening, Douglas relates, the guests---as one---turned back toward him with overwhelmed expressions. They now had a startled new knowledge of the young actor whose presence at the back of the room they only vaguely had acknowledged.

Joining Douglas, with excellent performances of their own, were Paul Stewart, Marilyn Maxwell, Luis Van Ruten, Ruth Roman, John Day, Arthur Kennedy and Lola Albright. Each was highly believeable.

Even if Carl Foreman's adaptation of Lardner's story was sometimes predictable, the combination of Douglas' volatile performance, and the high-calibre work of the supporting actors make "Champion" a mini-masterpiece.