ALIAS THE CHAMP-1949-Smug stupid Lt. Peterson (Robert Rockwell) of the LAPD is visited by Lorraine Connors (Audrey Long), manager of pro wrestler Gorgeous George (playing himself). It seems George is being threatened by gangster Al Merlo (Jim Nolan) who wants to control pro-wrestling. Later we are treated to a match between George (at the height of his fame) and Bomber Kulkovic (future character actor Henry Kulky). Legendary ring announcer Jimmy Lennon introduces them. Two gangsters look on. Later Peterson visits backstage but George rebuffs him. "Beat it, Junior you bore me". After having a fistfight with Merlo, Peterson takes Lorraine out to dinner at a club where he gets into a tussle with wrestler Sam Menacker over the affections of singer Collette (Barbara Fuller) who's connected to Merlo. Later when Merlo demands Menacker get a title shot at the gorgeous one an all out brawl erupts between several wrestlers (described by one character as “the grunt and groan boys”) including big lovable Tor Johnson (credited as the Super Swedish Angel).
Peterson is made wrestling commissioner. In their match Menacker dies and George is arrested for murder! The police commissioner (John Hamilton) isn't happy. Using a film of the match Peterson solves the murder, clears George, stops Merlo and gets Lorraine (and her marbles). It's too bad Gorgeous George wasn't the star of this movie. Without him and the wrestling angle it's just an innocuous low budget crime/love story. Real life pro wrestler Sam Menacker was one of the strongmen who tackled Mighty Joe Young the same year.
Director George Blair had been making movies since the mid-forties but a few years after this would venture into TV and work with John Hamilton again on “The Adventures of Superman”.
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