The Champ (1979)

The more you love... the harder you fight.

Drama

Billy used to be a great boxer, but he's settled into a hardscrabble life that revolves around drinking, training horses, and the one bright spot in his existence — his young son, T.J. Although Billy has had custody of T.J. since his wife, Annie, left the family years ago, her return prompts a new struggle for the former fighter. Determined to hold on to his son, Billy gets back into the ring to try and recapture his past success.

Release Date: July 7, 1979
Runtime: 2h 1m
Rating: 7.0/10 (211 votes)

Director: Franco Zeffirelli

Cast: Jon Voight, Faye Dunaway, Rick Schroder, Jack Warden, Arthur Hill, Strother Martin, Joan Blondell, Mary Jo Catlett

Production: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Hialeah Park Studios

sports gambling boxer remake alcoholic single father racetrack alcoholic father mother child separation boxing

Revenue: $30M

Full Cast (48 people)

Jon Voight as Billy
Faye Dunaway as Annie
Rick Schroder as T.J.
Jack Warden as Jackie
Arthur Hill as Mike
Strother Martin as Riley
Joan Blondell as Dolly Kenyon
Mary Jo Catlett as Josie
Elisha Cook Jr. as Georgie
Stefan Gierasch as Charlie Goodman
Allan Miller as Whitey
Joe Tornatore as Hesh
Shirlee Kong as Donna Mae
Jeff Blum as Jeffie
Dana Elcar as Hoffmaster
Randall 'Tex' Cobb as Bowers
Kristoff St. John as Sonny
Gina Gallego as Cuban Girl
Jody Wilson as Mrs. Riley
Reginal M. Toussaint as Groom
Bob Gordon as TV Reporter
Gene Picchi as Dolly's Trainer
Anne Logan as Horse Owner
Bill Baldwin as Race Track Announcer
Rita Turner as Lady at the Rail
Dorothy Streisin as Dolly's Guest
Lionel Dozier as Hot Walker
Charles W. Camac as Head Starter
David Peden as Ship's Captain
William Fuller as Steward

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The Champ

The Champ

The Champ

The more you love... the harder you fight.

The Champ

The Champ

The more you love... the harder you fight.

121 min

Billy used to be a great boxer, but he's settled into a hardscrabble life that revolves around drinking, training horses, and the one bright spot in his existence — his young son, T.J. Although Billy has had custody of T.J. since his wife, Annie, left the family years ago, her return prompts a new struggle for the former fighter. Determined to hold on to his son, Billy gets back into the ring to try and recapture his past success.

The more you love... the harder you fight.

121 min

Billy used to be a great boxer, but he's settled into a hardscrabble life that revolves around drinking, training horses, and the one bright spot in his existence — his young son, T.J. Although Billy has had custody of T.J. since his wife, Annie, left the family years ago, her return prompts a new struggle for the former fighter. Determined to hold on to his son, Billy gets back into the ring to try and recapture his past success.

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Production Info

Original LanguageEnglish

Revenue$30,441,738

Release Date7/7/1979

Director & Writers

Directed by

Written by

,

Produced by

Production Companies

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Hialeah Park Studios

Keywords

alcoholic father

mother child separation

father son relationship

retired prizefighter

mother son reunion

Spoken Languages

Production Countries

More Info:

IMDb 🍿JustWatch TMDB

Rate & Review

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Cast

Jon Voight

as Billy

Faye Dunaway

as Annie

Rick Schroder

as T.J.

Jack Warden

as Jackie

Arthur Hill

as Mike

Strother Martin

as Riley

Joan Blondell

as Dolly Kenyon

Mary Jo Catlett

as Josie

More from Franco Zeffirelli

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet

1968

Endless Love

Endless Love

1981

The Taming of the Shrew

The Taming of the Shrew

1967

Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre

1996

Hamlet

Hamlet

1990

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

1972

Images

The Champ poster

Poster

The Champ backdrop

Backdrop

Videos

The Champ ≣ 1979 ≣ Trailer ≣ Remastered

Trailer

The Champ 1979 (Trailor)

Trailer

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Champ about?▾

Billy used to be a great boxer, but he's settled into a hardscrabble life that revolves around drinking, training horses, and the one bright spot in his existence — his young son, T.J. Although Billy …

How long is The Champ?▾

2h 1m

When was The Champ released?▾

July 7, 1979

Who directed The Champ?▾

Franco Zeffirelli

Who stars in The Champ?▾

Jon Voight, Faye Dunaway, Rick Schroder

What genre is The Champ?▾

Drama