The Champion

The Champion

97 mins | Drama, Action, Romance, Music | May 1, 1957

Eikichi Yamashiro, who is a former contender for the boxing title, works as a manager at a Club Champion owned by his fiancé Natsuko’s father. He lost a title match five years ago as he was besotted by Natsuko, but Eikichi actually cannot give up the dream of the championship. One day, he meets Shuntaro Fuma, who is a punk kid but a promising boxer, and realizes the dream that he himself could never fulfill. Then, they together start to train with the aim of the title. Mari Shiraki is an up-and-coming ballerina under the patronage of Eikichi as well. Eikichi forbids Shuntaro and Mari to be romantically involved with someone during their training, however, they start to go on a date. (source: Nikkatsu International)

The Champion

97 mins | Drama, Action, Romance, Music | May 1, 1957

The Champion
Eikichi Yamashiro, who is a former contender for the boxing title, works as a manager at a Club Champion owned by his fiancé Natsuko’s father. He lost a title match five years ago as he was besotted by Natsuko, but Eikichi actually cannot give up the dream of the championship. One day, he meets Shuntaro Fuma, who is a punk kid but a promising boxer, and realizes the dream that he himself could never fulfill. Then, they together start to train with the aim of the title. Mari Shiraki is an up-and-coming ballerina under the patronage of Eikichi as well. Eikichi forbids Shuntaro and Mari to be romantically involved with someone during their training, however, they start to go on a date. (source: Nikkatsu International)
Producers Nikkatsu Corporation
Original title 勝利者
Directors Umetsugu Inoue
Writers Isamu Onoda, Toru Kino, Umetsugu Inoue, Toshio Masuda

Cast

Tatsuya Mihashi

as Eikichi Yamashiro

Yûjirô Ishihara

as Shuntaro Fuma

Yôko Minamida

as Natsuko Miyagawa

Mie Kitahara

as Mari Shiraki

Taiji Tonoyama

as Pote-chan

Masao Shimizu

as Keisuke Miyagawa

Tōru Abe

as Shinzo Takaoka

Mamoru Yokoyama

as Champion Teshima

Jō Shishido

as Boxer Ishiyama

Hyōe Enoki

as Boxer Akagi

Zenji Yamada

as Coach Yamamoto

Kazuo Kinugasa

as Coach Yoshida

Ogino Hiroshi

as Johnny Minami

Hisae Urashima

as Rose Minami

Noriko Katsura

as Yottan

Keiko Tama

as Op-chan

Seijiro Takano

as Club Manager

Akira Kobayashi

as Cameo