An unscrupulous boxer fights his way to the top, but eventually alienates all of the people who helped him on the way up.
Acting
Kirk Douglas's hungry eyes—career-defining intensity.
Cinematography
Franz Planer's shadows swallow Midge whole.
Editing
Flashback structure that guts you slowly.
Director
Mark Robson
Kirk Douglas
Midge Kelly
Marilyn Maxwell
Grace Diamond
Arthur Kennedy
Connie Kelly
Paul Stewart
Tommy Haley
Ruth Roman
Emma Bryce
Lola Albright
Palmer Harris
Luis van Rooten
Jerry Harris
Harry Shannon
Lew
John Daheim
Johnny Dunne
Ralph Sanford
Hammond
Esther Howard
Mrs. Kelly
Bill Baldwin
Bill Brown (Ringside Broadcaster) (uncredited)
Don Brodie
Newspaper Reporter (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Kirk Douglas bought the rights to Ring Lardner's short story himself when no studio would touch it—his first producing credit and the launch of his antihero era.
The film's flashback structure was revolutionary for sports dramas; it treats boxing as Greek tragedy, not spectacle. Midge dies in the first minute—we're just watching how he earned it.
US
