NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL 2024 REVIEW! Writer-director Ash Avildsen tells the incredible story of the first female pro wrestler, Mildred “Millie” Burke, in Queen of the Ring. The film is based on the book The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend by Jeff Leen. Millie (Emily Bett Rickards) is a single mother raising her infant son while working tables at her mother’s diner in Kansas. She dreams of becoming a wrestler and studies techniques when not hustling at her day job. One night, Burke and her mother, Bertha (Cara Buono), attend a local wrestling match where she sees the versatile talent of Billy Wolfe (Josh Lucas). When Billy and his son, G. Bill (Tyler Posey), eat at the diner, Millie begs him to train her. Initially reluctant, but she convinces him that she has the guts to do it. Billy trains Millie in private, and they fall in love, even though Millie’s mother does not trust him.
Eventually, Billy takes Millie on the road in a traveling carnival. She initially wrestles with ordinary people until she is challenged by a wrestler from Texas named June Byers (Kailey Farmer). June proves to be a formidable foe, yet Millie still holds her ground despite a leg injury. Billy gradually builds a team of women wrestlers. He has a fling with fellow wrestler Elvira Snodgrass (Marie Avgeropoulos) and attempts to demean Millie while she’s recovering. She abandons the carnival gig for a short time and returns home disgusted with Billy’s sleazy behavior.
Billy comes to fetch her, promising to mend his ways. So, desperate to still be a part of the wrestling scene, Millie and he get married and agree to become business partners as well. The ensemble of women wrestlers expands with the chaotic Gladys Gillem (Deborah Ann Woll), the glamorous Nell Stewart (Kelli Berglund), East Coast fighter Mae Young (Francesca Eastwood), and former gymnast Babs Wingo (Damaris Lewis). These women become just as popular as Millie, with Babs challenging the status quo as the first Black woman wrestler in American history. As this ragtag team succeeds in fame and fortune, Millie continues to face domestic problems. Billy frequently has flings with the women fighters while she conducts an affair with G. Bill. Friction begins to grow as her teenage son, Joe (Gavin Casalegno), wants to help out in the family business versus living a normal life.

“June proves to be a formidable foe, yet Millie still holds her ground…”
Queen of the Ring blends the women’s picture of the 1930s-40s with the structure of a sports drama. For fans of Pre-Code Hollywood, Millie Burke’s life story recalls films like the Barbara Stanwyck vehicle Baby Face and John M. Stahl’s Imitation of Life. For period piece fans, Sofija Mesicek’s costume design is a gorgeous visual feast. Andrew Strahorn’s cinematography is creative, switching between natural lighting, black-and-white, and Technicolor-inspired imagery. All these stylistic elements have a narrative purpose and are not just there to dazzle the eye.
Rickards brings spunk and raw energy to her performance. Due to Avildsen’s excellent direction, she delivers a fine balance between toughness and vulnerability. This can be incredibly difficult for any actor to get right, yet Rickards nails it. The rest of the cast has moments to shine as well. Eastwood steals the show while also bringing most of the laughs.
Queen of the Ring is a must-see for lovers of sports films, biopics, and period pieces. The drama surrounding Millie Burke’s life remains engaging throughout, thanks to the writing, directing, and acting. The film introduces audiences to the world of wrestling in the early 20th century in a compelling underdog story.
Queen of the Ring screened at the 2024 Newport Beach Film Festival.