Way back in the day when I was a lad, I read Rocky Graziano's memoirs Somebody Up There Likes Me and enjoyed the book. Someone at MGM must have liked it even more than I did because a really fine film was made from it and a star was born.
Paul Newman's debut picture, The Silver Chalice, was a bomb. Had he not made good in this it's possible he might never have had a film career. But he perfectly captures Rocky Graziano's character and it certainly is the character I remember Rocky talking about in his memoirs.
Thomas Rocco Barbella grew up on the Lower East Side of New York City and his teen years were during The Great Depression. The bleak poverty of the period ground the soul out of many a family as you can see in the portrayals of Graziano's parents by Harold J. Stone and Eileen Heckart. There were no jobs period. I have an uncle who told me that he spent the late thirties after graduating high school doing absolutely nothing, looking for jobs when there were none to be had. What probably saved him from being a Graziano was a strong family structure which Rocky didn't have.
But he sure had dynamite in those fists. In between all kinds of crooked mayhem he was causing with friends, Rocky discovers boxing as a way out of the slums. It was a long process, it involved a few stretches in various penal institutions, including a year term in Leavenworth for going AWOL from the army.
Barbella was his given name, but he took the name Graziano which happened to be his mother's maiden name while fighting when he was AWOL. The year stretch didn't corrupt his fighting skills any.
Somebody Up There Likes Me saw some interesting people in bit roles. Steve McQueen is one of Rocky's punk friends, George C. Scott has a walk-on as a prisoner. And Robert Loggia makes an unforgettable film debut as a wiseguy who nearly derails Graziano's career. Dean Jones also makes his screen debut as well.
Boxing fans know Rocky best from those three classic fights with Tony Zale for the middleweight championship. Tony Zale won the first one in New York. And then Graziano was offered a bribe to throw a tune-up fight and backed out of the bout altogether. The rules of the New York State Athletic Commission say bribes have to be reported, taken or not. But Rocky's code of the street didn't allow for that. He lost his license in New York, but was allowed to fight in Chicago in a rematch with Zale. Of course he won it and while he lost the championship back to Zale the following year, he's in the books as a champion and one of the most popular.
Pier Angeli is Norma Unger the Jewish girl he falls for and marries and she radiates the positive goodness he needs in his life. One of Everett Sloane's finest roles is Irving Cohen, former garment worker and now fight manager. My parents met Irving Cohen years ago, they almost bought a house from him way back when I was a toddler. Sloane's portrayal rings very true.
Finally Sal Mineo as Romolo is very good and having read the book, I can say that Romolo was a real person and Mineo plays him as described in Graziano's memoirs. The last scene with Mineo and Newman together before the second Zale fight is very dramatic as Rocky sees exactly the turn his life could have taken.
Paul Newman fans have this as required viewing. For me it is one of the best boxing films ever made and one of the best inspirational films ever made as well.
Paul Newman's debut picture, The Silver Chalice, was a bomb. Had he not made good in this it's possible he might never have had a film career. But he perfectly captures Rocky Graziano's character and it certainly is the character I remember Rocky talking about in his memoirs.
Thomas Rocco Barbella grew up on the Lower East Side of New York City and his teen years were during The Great Depression. The bleak poverty of the period ground the soul out of many a family as you can see in the portrayals of Graziano's parents by Harold J. Stone and Eileen Heckart. There were no jobs period. I have an uncle who told me that he spent the late thirties after graduating high school doing absolutely nothing, looking for jobs when there were none to be had. What probably saved him from being a Graziano was a strong family structure which Rocky didn't have.
But he sure had dynamite in those fists. In between all kinds of crooked mayhem he was causing with friends, Rocky discovers boxing as a way out of the slums. It was a long process, it involved a few stretches in various penal institutions, including a year term in Leavenworth for going AWOL from the army.
Barbella was his given name, but he took the name Graziano which happened to be his mother's maiden name while fighting when he was AWOL. The year stretch didn't corrupt his fighting skills any.
Somebody Up There Likes Me saw some interesting people in bit roles. Steve McQueen is one of Rocky's punk friends, George C. Scott has a walk-on as a prisoner. And Robert Loggia makes an unforgettable film debut as a wiseguy who nearly derails Graziano's career. Dean Jones also makes his screen debut as well.
Boxing fans know Rocky best from those three classic fights with Tony Zale for the middleweight championship. Tony Zale won the first one in New York. And then Graziano was offered a bribe to throw a tune-up fight and backed out of the bout altogether. The rules of the New York State Athletic Commission say bribes have to be reported, taken or not. But Rocky's code of the street didn't allow for that. He lost his license in New York, but was allowed to fight in Chicago in a rematch with Zale. Of course he won it and while he lost the championship back to Zale the following year, he's in the books as a champion and one of the most popular.
Pier Angeli is Norma Unger the Jewish girl he falls for and marries and she radiates the positive goodness he needs in his life. One of Everett Sloane's finest roles is Irving Cohen, former garment worker and now fight manager. My parents met Irving Cohen years ago, they almost bought a house from him way back when I was a toddler. Sloane's portrayal rings very true.
Finally Sal Mineo as Romolo is very good and having read the book, I can say that Romolo was a real person and Mineo plays him as described in Graziano's memoirs. The last scene with Mineo and Newman together before the second Zale fight is very dramatic as Rocky sees exactly the turn his life could have taken.
Paul Newman fans have this as required viewing. For me it is one of the best boxing films ever made and one of the best inspirational films ever made as well.