As the story begins, Midge and his handicapped brother Connie (Arthur Kennedy) are hitchhiking to California with plans to run a diner they’ve invested in. The two men are picked up by Johnny Dunne (John Day), a small-time boxer, and his girlfriend Grace (Marilyn Maxwell) on their way to a fight in Kansas City. When they arrive, the promoter needs someone to fill a spot on the undercard. In need of cash, Midge eagerly steps in. Midge is promptly beaten to pulp; nonetheless, manager Tommy Haley (Paul Stewart) sees promise in Midge, and offers to make him a boxer. Midge rejects Haley, and he and brother proceed to California, where they find out that their diner investment is a fraud.
The diner’s owner, Lew Bryce (Harry Shanon) offers them jobs, but warns them to stay away from his daughter Emma (Ruth Roman).Midge is immediately attracted to the pretty girl, and can’t help romancing her. After being forced to marry her, he takes off and decides to track down a trainer who had seen him box in that impromptu bout in Kansas City. Though initially reluctant, Tommy Haley agrees to take Midge on. Under Haley’s tutelage, Midge gains the necessary skills to be a boxer, and begins his ascent up the ranks.
Later, he refuses to throw a fight as the syndicate instructs him. Instead, he wins the fight by beating his opponent to a pulp. Socially, Midge uses Grace, and then dumps her for the beautiful wife (Lola Albright) of his new boss, who in turn proves that he could be persuaded by money to end the affair. Despite all of that, Midge it turns out isn’t really that bad of a guy after all. Yes, he’s awful when it comes to relationships with women, but aside from that, all he really wants is to be liked and respected. While this realization undercuts some of the film’s dramatic impact, Kirk Douglas’s performance still makes Champion a must-see.
Presented on Blu-ray in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Olive Films’ 1080p transfer is very solid, and at times, spectacular. There’s a nice amount of film grain resulting in a filmic appearance. Textures look good, and black levels are strong. There are a few minor scratches present, and a couple of instances of print damage, but those issues are minimal. On the whole, this is a very nice transfer.
The only audio option on the disc is a DTS-HD Mono track in the film’s original English language, no alternate language or subtitle options or offered. The track is clean, and dialogue is always discernible. Dimitri Tiomkin’s score is well replicated, but never overpowering. There are no hisses or other distortions, and the track seems very evenly distributed. The range is obviously limited by the age of the source material, but the film sounds as good here, as it ever has.
There are no special features included.
