In the early days of Television, programming wasn't as extensive as it would be just a few short years later. No station execs would have dreamed that there would soon be 24 hour outlets sending their programming out over nation-wide cable hook ups. Those were the days of Test Patterns and long hours of audio humming accompanying it.
It was to this primitive, new medium that Pro Wrestling was given exposure to the vast audience in the U.S. and Canada-as well as other countries. The two were made for each other. Television needed an action filled combative spectacle to fill its time and wrestling was waiting in the wings. It was easy to cover, as the size of the ring limited the ground covered. It had plenty of established "old pros" who could be counted on to put on exiting and action filled exhibitions, as well as some of the greatest talents with extensive amateur background and collegiate experience, to provide us with championship bouts.
It was in this world of the late '40s that Republic Pictures made ALIAS THE CHAMP.It was the studio's way of exploiting what was hot, something Hollywood's always done, and always will. The picture had no surprises and could,with a little plot change, have been many other pictures. The casting of Robert Rockwell as the Police Captain who becomes the new Wrestling Commissioner, heads up a cast of familiar character actors to get the job done.
The real stars of the film were Gorgeous George and all of the other Pro Grapplers who basically played themselves.The story is there to give a back-drop for having a Wrestling Movie. In Hollywood, it's just that way. Take advantage of whatever is currently popular. At this time, Wrestling was on this short TV schedule 6 nights a week (according to an old TV listings magazine we have), and of these 6 nights George and company were on two different shows 2 different nights! Gorgeous George was so well known that as a small child of 4 or 5 years old, I thought that it was Gorgeous George's picture on the dollar bill.
ALIAS THE CHAMP is worth viewing, at least for the historic value.
