Champ for a Day
“HIS FISTS...Made For Killing...HER LIPS...Made For Kissing”
Synopsis
An up-and-coming heavyweight fighter, George Wilson, arrives in Vulcan City, a small mid-western town over-run by racketeers, to fight a heavily-favored Frankie Sebastian. George arrives but his manager Dolan is nowhere to be found. But Ma and Pa Karlsen, owners of Karlsen's Kozy Kottages motel and restaurant take him under their wing. He meets Miss Gormley who is also there to meet the no-show manager who is blackmailing her brother. Dolan still hasn't arrived by the date of the fight but, to the surprise of sports-promoters Tom Healy and Dominic Guido, George shows up and wins the fight. This wins him the friendship of trainer Al Muntz and the enmity of Willie Foltis, a punchy ex-fighter and a Healy henchman. This leads George to a fight with "Soldier" Freeman, whose manager Scotty Cameron has made arrangements for the favored-Freeman to take a dive, so he and Healy and Guido can clean up betting on the underdog. But Honest George has other plans.
Top Cast
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Alex Nicol
George Wilson
Audrey Totter
Miss Peggy Gormley
Charles Winninger
Pa Karlsen
Hope Emerson
Ma Karlsen
Joseph Wiseman
Dominic Guido
Barry Kelley
Tom Healy
Harry Morgan
Al Muntz
Jesse White
Willie Foltis
Horace McMahon
Sam Benton
Grant Withers
Scott Cameron
Dick Wessel
'Speedtrap' Calhoun
Hal Baylor
'Soldier' Freeman
Release History & Theatrical Window
August 15, 1953
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- William A. Seiter
- Screenplay & Story
- Irving Shulman
- Original Score
- R. Dale Butts
- Original Title
- Champ for a Day
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 30m
- Production Studios
- Republic Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
William A. Seiter
Irving Shulman
R. Dale Butts
John L. Russell
Fred Allen
William A. Seiter
Department Leadership Roster
John L. Russell
Director of Photography
William A. Seiter
Director
William A. Seiter
Producer
Irving Shulman
Screenplay
Fred Allen
Editor
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
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Champ for a Day.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Frequently Asked Questions About Champ for a Day
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Champ for a Day about?
An up-and-coming heavyweight fighter, George Wilson, arrives in Vulcan City, a small mid-western town over-run by racketeers, to fight a heavily-favored Frankie Sebastian. George arrives but his manager Dolan is nowhere to be found. But Ma and Pa Karlsen, owners of Karlsen's Kozy Kottages motel and restaurant take him under their wing. He meets Miss Gormley who is also there to meet the no-show manager who is blackmailing her brother. Dolan still hasn't arrived by the date of the fight but, to the surprise of sports-promoters Tom Healy and Dominic Guido, George shows up and wins the fight. This wins him the friendship of trainer Al Muntz and the enmity of Willie Foltis, a punchy ex-fighter and a Healy henchman. This leads George to a fight with "Soldier" Freeman, whose manager Scotty Cameron has made arrangements for the favored-Freeman to take a dive, so he and Healy and Guido can clean up betting on the underdog. But Honest George has other plans.
Who directed Champ for a Day?
Champ for a Day was directed by William A. Seiter.
Who stars in Champ for a Day?
The principal cast of Champ for a Day includes Alex Nicol, Audrey Totter, Charles Winninger, Hope Emerson, Joseph Wiseman.
When was Champ for a Day released and how long is it?
Champ for a Day was released in 1953 with a total runtime of 1h 30m.
Who composed the musical score for Champ for a Day?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Champ for a Day was composed by R. Dale Butts.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Champ for a Day?
Champ for a Day holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).