On april 9, 1949, the kirk douglas boxing drama champion premiered in. Looking at him in a movie would be a chore of extreme distaste. His death on wednesday at the age of 103 led to an outpouring of tributes across hollywood. Kirk douglas plays the hero in champion, film of ring. Its all the more considerable an achievement given that in 1991, aged 74, he was involved in an aircrash that killed two people and left him with a debilitating back injury. Douglas was at his best when playing the heavy in movies. Douglas was known for his fierce commitment to his craft, and his independent spirit he formed his own production company after dissatisfaction with the movie studio system of his era. You first saw it in champion, the 1949 ringside noir that elevated him to stardom, in which he plays a. New york times subscribers enjoy full access to timesmachineview over.
Ive made about 90 feature films, but these are the ones im proudest of. A look back at kirk douglas most famous sexual conquests. Kirk douglas full list of movies and tv shows in theaters, in production and upcoming films. Renowned ladies man kirk douglas wasnt prepared to dish on his sexual exploits during his appearance on the dick cavett show in 1971 to hawk his latest movie, a gunfight. Eve miller, patrice wymore, edgar buchanan, alan archer, alan hale jr this movie is a wonderful inspirational western. In this boxing drama, kirk douglas stars as midge kelly, a poor, ambitious boy who accidentally learns that.
Kirk douglas quickly became a star, playing an unscrupulous boxer in champion 1949, based on a ring lardner story. It recounts the struggles of boxer midge kelly fighting his own demons while working to achieve success in the boxing ring. Sort kirk douglas movies by costars or in some cases directors. I can associate with this movie because i had a stroke 10 years ago and thankfully fully recovered. All kirk douglas movies ranked by tomatometer kirk douglas movies ranked. The drama was directed by mark robson, with cinematography by franz planer. The following is the filmography of american film and stage actor, film producer and author kirk douglas 19162020. Champion 1949 mark robson, kirk douglas, arthur kennedy. Sep 02, 2016 made to celebrate the legendary stars 100th birthday and screened at his birthday party. It wasnt until 1946, after serving in the united states navy during world war ii and enjoying a subsequent stage career, that hollywood legend kirk douglas, then 30 years old, first stepped in front of a camera for the strange love of martha ivers. Favorite kirk douglas films a list of 35 titles created 2 months ago film noir. Full western movie childhood movies by childhood movies. Champion got me a best actor nomination for an oscar and made me a star.
Kirk is a lumber tycone who starts out despicable but ends up seeing the err of his ways. Champion was a breakthrough for douglas, who earned an oscar for his gritty. He is not afraid to let the public know that he is alive and doing the best he can. Apr 06, 2019 screen directors playhouse production of champion starring kirk douglas and frank lovejoy. Sort kirk douglas movies by ultimate movie rankings umr score. Although the script gives midge excuses, douglas does not he shows midge at his best and at his most brutal and self seeking with equal measure, forcing neither side to the fore.
The supporting cast is adequate, but arthur kennedy should also be commended for his convincing work. Kirk douglas and marilyn maxwellmarilyn maxwell and kirk douglas in. Cleftchinned, steelyeyed and virile star of international cinema who rose from being the ragmans son the name of his bestselling 1988 autobiography to become a bona fide superstar, kirk douglas, also known as issur danielovitch demsky, was born on december 9, 1916 in amsterdam, new york. Kirk douglas western movies to watch free westerns tv. See who they starred with and what they are working on now. Its a grueling boxing tale with tough realism full of faceblistering, punch. Champion, american film noir, released in 1949, that was one of the first movies to.
Very few movie stars have that goldengod quality, the one that leads from kirk douglas to robert redford to brad pitt, and you could say that for most of them its a strength but also, at times. Feb 05, 2020 the actor starred in such films as champion, the bad and the beautiful, lust for life, gunfight at the o. A tight, gripping drama worth more to the movie customer than many multimillion epics. It is a stark and gripping character study that concerns the rise and fall of a unscrupulous boxing champion midge kelly, played brilliantly by kirk douglas in his breakout oscar nominated star. Spartacus the movie kirk douglas laurence oliver laserdisc cd movie 1985.
Champion 1949 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. The plot is good in the way we first see the image of a triumphant boxer but then flash back to add meat to the bare bones of the legend. Stanley kramer, in full stanley earl kramer, born september 29, 19, new york. His popular films include out of the past 1947, champion 1949, ace in the hole 1951, the bad and the beautiful 1952, 20,000 leagues under the sea 1954, lust for life 1956, paths of glory 1957, gunfight at the o. Kirk douglas plays the hero in champion, film of ring lardners fight story. Sort by how many oscar nominations and how many oscar wins each kirk douglas movie received. Sort kirk douglas movies by how the movie was received by critics and audiences. From champion to spartacus his six most famous films kirk douglas earned his first of three oscar nominations for his role in the 1949 film champion. Kirk douglas plays midge kelley, a talented boxer who uses everyone around him for his own gain.
Champion is a 1949 american film noir drama sport film based on a short story by ring lardner. It starred kirk douglas as midge kelly, a young man who rises to the top of the boxing world only to find himself isolated and mentally destroyed by the moral compromises he had to make to secure his success. Mankiewicz all about eve and written by david newman and robert benton bonnie and clyde, starred kirk douglas as a convicted robber. Spartacus was up there but champion is kirk douglas s winner for me kirk douglas as midge kelly in champion 1949. The threetime oscar nominee defied the hollywood black list when he gave rightful credit screenwriter dalton trumbo on the film sparta. Douglas was at his best when playing the heavy in movies such as the bad and the beautiful. Kirk douglas 50 highest rated movies by top 10 charts. My name is nobody western english free and full movie henry fonda hd spaghetti western duration.
He earned his first of three oscar nominations for best actor. The drama features kirk douglas, marilyn maxwell, and arthur kennedy. Champion 1949 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Sort kirk douglas movies by adjusted box office grosses using current movie ticket cost. On april 9, 1949, the kirk douglas boxing drama champion premiered in new york at the globe theatre. This might be the finest movie involving boxing ever produced. The film won an academy award for best film editing and gained five. Champion mark robson, kirk douglas, marilyn maxwell. I have always liked kirk douglas and to see him now after he had a stroke is sad but thats the way life is. With kirk douglas, arthur kennedy, marilyn maxwell, paul stewart.
After an impoverished childhood with immigrant parents and six sisters, he made his film debut in the strange love of martha ivers 1946 with barbara stanwyck. Kirk douglas is one of hollywoods most legendary actors. Despite this, having undergone speech therapy, he continued to act, playing his. Mostly known for his explosive acting style, he starred in over 90 films. Made to celebrate the legendary stars 100th birthday and screened at his birthday party. Screen directors playhouse production of champion starring kirk douglas and frank lovejoy. The movie went on to earn six nominations at the 22nd academy awards ceremony, winning in the. Sep 23, 2018 a look back at the classic boxing movie starring kirk douglas.
A boxer alienates all those around him until he enters the ring with his ultimate foe, himself. Kirk douglas is an american actor, producer, director, and author from the film industrys golden age, who debuted opposite barbara stanwyck in the film the strange love of martha ivers 1946. Kirk douglas, who died this week at the age of 103, was a 32yearold, relatively unknown actor when he was offered the leading role in the movie champion, an adaptation of ring lardners short story of the same name. Kirk douglas was a champion on the silver screen boxing news. He hogs the attention when he is onscreen and really paints a realistic character for us to digest. The main reason it works so well is a great performance by douglas. Get the best deals on kirk douglas film discs when you shop the largest online. Film clip from the classic film noir with kirk douglas and marilyn maxwell. To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well.
Douglas soon developed into a leading boxoffice star throughout the 1950s, known for. At the time, douglas had another offer on the table that would have guaranteed him more money. The videos in my playlists are uploaded by many wonderful people who take a lot of time and effort to make these videos available for us to enjoy. The ringside radio commentator hurls all these superlatives about the greatness of kelly that is probably eaten up by the listeners. Top 10 kirk douglas films worth watching hollywood reporter. The champion is one of the classic fight movies, if only because it stars kirk douglas as the lead role and for no other reason. Kirk douglas plays the hero in champion, film of ring lardners. There was a crooked man 1970, directed by joseph l.
Champion was based on a short story by ring lardner. The film opens as the champion, midge kellykirk douglas enters the ring to defend his title smiling to the cheers of the approving crowd. As midge kelly in champion, he set a new standard in realism in. A look back at the classic boxing movie starring kirk douglas. A goldengod movie star who was mythic enough to symbolize america. Aug 09, 2019 champion 1949 mark robson, kirk douglas, arthur kennedy, marilyn maxwell august 9, 2019 midge kelly, hitchhiking west with lame brother connie, is hustled unprepared into a pro boxing match. Champion spartacus kirk douglas lust for life act of love. It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and i announce that kirk douglas left us today at the age of 103. With his explosive acting style, he became a lead boxoffice star, acting in successful films like champion 1949, young man with a horn 1950. Kirk douglas will be included in the in memoriam section of this years academy awards. Hollywood icon kirk douglas is dead at the age of 103. The big trees starring kirk douglas complete western movie. An unscrupulous movie producer uses an actress, a director and a writer to achieve success.
The following is the filmography of american film and stage actor, film producer and author kirk douglas. Sort kirk douglas movies by box office rank in the year of release. The film opens as the champion, midge kelly kirk douglas enters the ring to defend his title smiling to the cheers of the approving crowd. The movie went on to earn six nominations at the 22nd academy awards. Ive made about 90 feature films, but these are the ones i. Apr 09, 2019 on april 9, 1949, the kirk douglas boxing drama champion premiered in new york at the globe theatre. This is a solid boxer film, even if it is really more of a melodrama than the hard nosed thriller that the pictures of a battered kirk douglas suggest it might be. December 9, 1916 february 5, 2020 was an american actor, producer, director, philanthropist, and writer. Spartacus was up there but champion is kirk douglass winner for me kirk douglas as midge kelly in champion 1949. Douglas so longed to play the antihero lead in champion that when he met with kramer and foreman he. A frustrated former bigcity journalist now stuck working for an albuquerque newspaper exploits a story about a man trapped in a cave to rekindle his career, but the situation quickly escalates into an. To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies.