This week’s mystery movie was the 1949 picture Champion, with Kirk Douglas, Marilyn Maxwell, Arthur Kennedy, Paul Stewart, Luis Van Rooten, Harry Shannon, John Day, Ruth Roman and Lola Albright.
Screenplay by Carl Foreman, based on the story Champion by Ring Lardner.
Production design by Rudolph Sternad.
Music composed and directed by Dimitri Tiomkin.
Song Never Be It Said by Dimitri Tiomkin and Goldie Goldmark.
Photography by Frank Planer.
Production manager Clem Beauchamp.
Assistant director Ivan Volkman.
Set decoration by Edward G. Boyle.
Men’s wardrobe by Joe King.
Ladies’ wardrobe by Adele Parmenter.
Furs by Marcus and Kessler.
Technical Adviser Mushy Callahan.
Edited by Harry Gerstad.
Makeup by Gus Norin.
Sound by Jean Speak.
Hairstyles by Wheeler.
Dialogue direction by Don Weis.
Associate producer Robert Stillman.
Produced by Stanley Kramer.
Directed by Mark Robson.
Further information on Champion is available from the AFI Catalog.
Champion is available on Blu-ray from Critics’ Choice Video.
Ring Lardner’s story is available from Archive.org.
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In going through the AFI entry for last week’s The Set-Up, I noticed a line that RKO sought an injunction against Champion over alleged plagiarism, though ultimately only one or two lines were changed in Champion. I never heard of the film and it airs infrequently on TCM. I was pleased to discover that Champion is a first-rate movie and that Kirk Douglas is in top form as a total heel. But rather than doing a typical treatment of another fight picture, and because I try to never miss an opportunity to be tricky, I only posted the women in the cast until the last day.
I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther didn’t like Champion – too earthy and too ugly.
No, he actually liked it. With a few quibbles. Because Bosley always has quibbles. (The New York Times, April 11, 1949):
Ring Lardner’s decimating portrait of a pugilistic punk, drawn with ironic candor in his short story, Champion, some years ago, has been used by a new producing outfit, Screen Plays Corporation, as the basis for another prizefight film. This one is also called Champion and it opened at the Globe on Saturday.
Possibly we should be grateful that the makers of the film have sweetened the character just a little from the way he was in the tale, for Mr. Lardner’s Midge Kelly was as cruel and contemptible as they come. Looking at him in a movie would be a chore of extreme distaste. But here the redeeming virtues which Carl Foreman, the scriptwriter, has thrown in make the fellow endurable, if not altogether plausible.
For Monday, we have a couple of mysterious guests.
Update: This is Kirk Douglas and Ruth Roman.
For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have a mysterious woman with an elaborate hat.
This actress, apparently an evocation of Hedda Hopper, is unidentified. I accepted Howard Mandelbaum’s guess of Gail Bonney.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious woman.
Update: This is Lola Albright.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (likely identification of Tuesday’s mysterious woman).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have another mysterious woman.
Update: This is Marilyn Maxwell.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Monday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (mystery movie, Monday’s and Wednesday’s mysterious guests), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery woman), Incredible Inman (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery woman) and L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast).
For Friday, we have a mysterious couple.
Update: This is Arthur Kennedy and Ruth Roman.
And this mysterious couple.
Update: This is Ruth Roman and Kirk Douglas.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery woman), Sylvia E. (mystery movie and Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests plus Friday’s leads), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guest) and Benito (Thursday’s mystery guest).
ladailymirror.com 
Possibly Zachary Scott and Joan Crawford from “Mildred Pierce”?
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Possibly Joan Crawford and Zachary Scott in “Mildred Pierce”?
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An excellent guess, but alas, not this time…
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The beach scene is reminiscent of “From Here to Eternity” with Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster, which would be too obvious, but still…..
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It is similar, for sure. But a different film…. All will become clear, eventually.
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no guess yet. Just seeing if I can chime in.
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Is it a monster movie by any chance?
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Alas, no creatures from the deep in this film….
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John Garfield and Lana Turner in POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE.
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A great guess! But not this time! All will become clear soon….
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Gail Bonney.
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Eileen Brennan doing an early version of Mrs. Peacock in… ??
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An interesting guess, but the mystery movie predates Brennan’s film career.
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Backfire. Dane Clark and Viveca Lindfors Monday, Frances Robinson Tuesday, and Virginia Mayo today.
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An excellent guess, but, alas I’m afraid not.
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CHAMPION
Wednesday: Lola Albright
Monday: Kirk Douglas, Ruth Roman.
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Kirk Douglas and Ruth Roman cavorting surfside in “Champion.” And, Wednesday, Lola Albright in a mink coat. The woman in the feathered hat remains a mystery …
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Lola Albright in CHAMPION.
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Lola Albright today? And in the wake of “The Set-Up,” could the movie be “Champion”?
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Champion (1949) w/Kirk Douglas, Ruth Roman, Lola Albright, Marilyn Maxwell, Arthur Kennedy, Paul Stewart, Polly Bergen…
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I’ll treat myself to a steak dinner if I’m correct but is Hm Wednesday’s beauty Viveca Lindfors?
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Alas, no. But have a steak dinner anyway, it’s a good guess!
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Marilyn Maxwell mixing a drink.
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Marilyn Maxwell.
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Champion 1949
Monday – silos of Kirk Douglas and Ruth Roman
Tuesday – She appears to be a reporter. Maybe like the “boxing world” version of Maurine Dallas Watkins (Mary Sunshine in “Chicago” for which Ms Watkins wrote the play and sort of parodied herself). This was a long winded way to say I don’t know.
Wednesday – Lola Albright
Thursday – Marilyn Maxwell
That leaves Kirk Douglas, Arthur Kennedy and a clear shot of Ruth Roman for Friday.
Looking forward to the Saturday breakdown
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Marilyn Maxwell.
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Marilyn Maxwell today. PS is that really Edgar Bergen on Tuesday?
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CHAMPION. Kirk Douglas and Ruth Roman Monday, Esther Howard Tuesday, Lola Albright Wednesday, Marilyn Maxwell Thursday, And Arthur Kennedy, Ruth Roman, and Douglas today.
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Champion, 1949.
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Arthur Kennedy, Ruth Roman and Kirk Douglas.
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OK, so it’s the Friday gimme; but I still have to give a shout out to one of my favorite films of 1949: Champion and Kirk Douglas rope-skipping his way to stardom.
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Arthur Kennedy, Ruth Roman and Kirk Douglas.
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