Champion
“Fighting or loving, he was the... CHAMPION”
Synopsis
An unscrupulous boxer fights his way to the top, but eventually alienates all of the people who helped him on the way up.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
CHAMPION "Knockout" ClipOfficial
Type: Clip • Published 2021-12-10
Top Cast
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Kirk Douglas
Midge Kelly
Marilyn Maxwell
Grace Diamond
Arthur Kennedy
Connie Kelly
Paul Stewart
Tommy Haley
Ruth Roman
Emma Bryce
Lola Albright
Palmer Harris
Luis van Rooten
Jerry Harris
Harry Shannon
Lew
John Daheim
Johnny Dunne
Ralph Sanford
Hammond
Esther Howard
Mrs. Kelly
Bill Baldwin
Bill Brown (Ringside Broadcaster) (uncredited)
Sam Balter
Championship Fight Announcer (uncredited)
Don Brodie
Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks
Newspaper Reporter at Benefit (uncredited)
Mushy Callahan
Referee Title Fight (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing
Newspaper Reporter at Benefit (uncredited)
Paul Dubov
Gangster (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
April 9, 1949
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$600K
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$2.5M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
4.17x
+$1.9M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Mark Robson
- Screenplay & Story
- Carl Foreman
- Original Score
- Dimitri Tiomkin
- Original Title
- Champion
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 39m
- Production Budget
- $600K
- Worldwide Gross
- $2.5M
- Production Studios
- Stanley Kramer Productions, Screen Plays
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Mark Robson
Carl Foreman, Ring Lardner
Dimitri Tiomkin
Franz Planer
Harry Gerstad
Stanley Kramer
Department Leadership Roster
Mark Robson
Director
Carl Foreman
Screenplay
Rudolph Sternad
Production Design
Dimitri Tiomkin
Original Music Composer
Franz Planer
Director of Photography
Joe King
Costume Design
Adele Parmenter
Costume Design
Harry Gerstad
Editor
Stanley Kramer
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Champion.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Champion.
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Film Noir
Classic-era film noir, 1940 to 1959.
Academy Awards - Best Film Editing-Editing Winners 1934-2025
Academy Awards winners archive (Best Film Editing-Editing Winners 1934-2025)
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Frequently Asked Questions About Champion
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Champion about?
An unscrupulous boxer fights his way to the top, but eventually alienates all of the people who helped him on the way up.
Who directed Champion?
Champion was directed by Mark Robson.
Who stars in Champion?
The principal cast of Champion includes Kirk Douglas, Marilyn Maxwell, Arthur Kennedy, Paul Stewart, Ruth Roman.
When was Champion released and how long is it?
Champion was released in 1949 with a total runtime of 1h 39m.
What was the box office and production budget of Champion?
Champion had a reported production budget of $600K and grossed $2.5M at the worldwide box office (4.17 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Champion?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Champion was composed by Dimitri Tiomkin.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Champion?
Champion holds official age classifications: FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).