pace is set by the opening sequence. Cast, under Mark Robson's tight direction, is fine. Kirk Douglas is the boxer and he makes the character live. Second honors go jointly to Arthur Kennedy, the fighter's crippled brother, and Paul Stewart as the knowing manager." The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 92% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on thirteen reviews. Accolades Wins Academy Award for Film Editing – (Harry W. Gerstad) Golden Globe Award for Best Cinematography – (Franz Planer) Nominations Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures – (Mark Robson) Academy Award for Best Actor – (Kirk Douglas) Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor – (Arthur Kennedy) Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Female – (Ruth Roman) Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White – (Franz Planer) Academy Award for Original Music Score – (Dimitri Tiomkin) Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay – (Carl Foreman) WGA for Best Written American Drama – (Carl Foreman) Others The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: 2001: AFI's 100 Years...100 Thrills – Nominated 2005: AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes: Michael Kelly: "For the first time in my life, people cheering for me. Were you deaf? Didn't you hear 'em? We're not hitchhiking any more. We're riding." – Nominated Radio adaptation Champion was presented on Screen Directors Playhouse on NBC on March 17, 1950, with Douglas reprising his role from the film. References External links 1949 films 1940s sports drama films American sports drama films American black-and-white films American boxing films Film noir Films scored by Dimitri Tiomkin Films based on short fiction Films directed by Mark Robson Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award United Artists films Films with screenplays by Carl Foreman Films produced by Stanley Kramer 1949 drama films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films