Champion (1949)

Kirk Douglas: Midge Kelly

Photos 

Quotes 

• Midge : 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!

• Connie : Oh, this rotten business!

  Midge : Aw, lay off the business. It's like any other business, only here the blood shows.

• Midge : Look, you and me and the old lady. That's what's important. Nobody else.

  Connie : What's happened to you? Nothing stands in your way anymore, does it? First, Emma, then Johnny Dunne, now Haley. You've got your own way of destroying people and I don't want any part of it.

  Midge : Well, who's twisting your arm?

  Connie : Thanks, Midge. You've made it easy for me.

  [starts to leave] 

  Midge : OK, go on. Feed yourself for a change. Find yourself a job. Go with Haley. Ah, take your bleeding heart out of here.

  Connie : It's not that, Midge. It's just that I wouldn't get much sleep at nights wondering when it was going to be my turn.

  [he exits] 

• Connie : Hey, you're crazy. You don't know anything about boxing. You'll get your ears knocked off.

  Midge : Listen, for 35 bucks, I'd get my head knocked off.

• Midge : Connie, you think the world is full of angels? Listen, it's time for you to grow up.

• Connie : And I know you, but I didn't know you up in that ring. You looked as if you wanted to kill that guy. As if you would've killed him if they hadn't stopped you.

  Midge : Is that bad?

  Connie : I don't know. I really don't know. But I kept thinking you weren't just hitting that guy in the ring. I kept thinking you were hitting a lot of guys. Different guys. All the guys that ever hurt you. I can't put my finger on it but there's... there's something wrong about that.

• Midge : [to Grace]  You dumped me once. Now I'm dumping you. For good. You better promote yourself another meal ticket.

• Grace : Where are you going?

  Midge : Out. I got a date with a lady. You know what a lady is? Nah, how could you?

• Emma : It's funny.

  Midge : What?

  Emma : You know, I didn't like you at first. Well, you know, you never smile. I mean really smile. Not just on the outside.

  Midge : Got to be happy to smile that way.

  Emma : Aren't you happy?

  Midge : Well, right now I am.

  Emma : Then why don't you smile?

  Emma : [he laughs]  Midge, why aren't you happy?

  Midge : Happy? It's hard to be happy when you're poor. I've been poor all my life. Real poor. You know what it is to be real poor? Cold poor? Hungry poor?

• Midge : But you told me to look you up. You said you wanted to manage me.

  Haley : Aw, that was then. This is now. Everything changes. I'm out of the fight business. It stinks. No kidding.

  [inhales through his nose] 

  Haley : Take a deep breath. Stinks in here, doesn't it? And it's not sweat. It's no good.

• Midge : [to Emma at the beach]  Well, shall we get wet?