• Trending
    • Certified Fresh & Verified Hot
    • TV Premier dates
    • New horror Movies
    • Best Movies of All Time
  • Movies
    • Movies In Theaters
    • Movies at Home
  • TV Shows
    • New TV
    • Most Popular TV
  • News
    • What to Watch
    • Guides
    • RT News
    • Awards
  • Games
    • Find Your Next Horror Watch
  • Video
  • Showtimes
  • Fanstore
  • About Rotten Tomatoes
  • Critics
  • Download the App Now
  • Logout
Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App New News Showtimes

Champion

Play trailer Poster for Champion 1949,  1h 39m,  Drama/ Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Stream Now Watchlist 94% 16 Reviews Tomatometer 73% 500+ Ratings Popcornmeter
94% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Scrappy Michael "Midge" Kelly (Kirk Douglas), on the run from a shotgun marriage and needing to help support his handicapped brother, Connie (Arthur Kennedy), angles his way into a short-term job as a boxer. His life of hard knocks has given Midge a fiery temper and a will to win that quickly makes him one of the most popular fighters on the circuit. But when he gets instructed to take a dive in a championship bout, his bosses learn that no one tells Midge Kelly what to do.
Watch on Fandango Stream Now

Where to Watch

Champion

Stream

Rent Champion on Fandango, or buy it on Fandango.

Critics Reviews

View More
Christy Lemire Associated Press Jun 19, 2019
A tight, gripping drama worth more to the movie customer than many multi-million epics. Go to Full Review
THR Staff The Hollywood Reporter Apr 9, 2019
Frank Planer's photography has much drama as the script as it begins to tell the story right under the titles and continues compelling on its course through the grim, relentless narrative. Go to Full Review
Tom Milne Time Out Jun 24, 2006
The Set-Up, made the same year, is infinitely superior. Go to Full Review
Elsa Branden Photoplay Aug 20, 2021
2/3
Long, loud cheers for the season's smashing movie of the fight game. Go to Full Review
Michael J. Casey Michael J. Cinema Apr 12, 2021
3.5/5
In another movie, maybe a Hollywood melodrama, Kelly's defiance, and individualism would be celebrated, maybe even lauded, treating Kelly's rise from rags to riches as something distinctly American and noble. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Rey W May 8, 2017 A complicated drama.
Read all reviews
Champion

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Mark Robson

Director

Kirk Douglas

Michael 'Midge' Kelly

Marilyn Maxwell

Grace Diamond

Arthur Kennedy

Connie Kelly

Paul Stewart

Haley

Ruth Roman

Emma

More Like This

View All
King of Kings 80% 78% King of Kings Watchlist The Cardinal 47% 67% The Cardinal Watchlist Paris Blues 71% 68% Paris Blues Watchlist Cry, the Beloved Country 92% 68% Cry, the Beloved Country Watchlist The Champ 40% 82% The Champ Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Champion

Champion (1949) Champion (1949) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Scrappy Michael "Midge" Kelly (Kirk Douglas), on the run from a shotgun marriage and needing to help support his handicapped brother, Connie (Arthur Kennedy), angles his way into a short-term job as a boxer. His life of hard knocks has given Midge a fiery temper and a will to win that quickly makes him one of the most popular fighters on the circuit. But when he gets instructed to take a dive in a championship bout, his bosses learn that no one tells Midge Kelly what to do.
Director
Mark Robson
Producer
Stanley Kramer
Screenwriter
Carl Foreman, Ring Lardner
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Screen Plays Corp.
Genre
Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 9, 1949, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 1, 2012
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings