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Somebody Up There Likes Me |
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Somebody Up There Likes Me
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by MGM (Warner)
Sales Rank: 9751
Price: $14.98
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Robert Wise, who directed the classic boxing noir <I>The Set-Up</I> in 1948, also made this 1956 biopic about the life of Rocky Graziano, a one-time juvenile delinquent from New York's back streets who became World Middleweight Champion. Paul Newman, though in the thick of his mannered, Method approach to acting in those days, is wonderful as the impoverished young Graziano, who finds success in the ring through a combination of talent, hope, and tenacity. The script by Ernest Lehman is layered with well-meaning social-consciousness and observations about the effects of poverty, but that is less impressive than cinematographer Joseph Ruttenberg's outstanding footage of fight scenes. Steve McQueen and Robert Loggia made their screen debuts with this film. <I>--Tom Keogh</I>
Viewer Reviews
Director Robert Wise helmed the great boxing movie The Set-Up , a work scathing in its depiction of the seamy side of the sport .Somebody Up There Like Me takes an altogether more positive view of the noble art and is a thorougly entertaining biopic about Rocky Graziano .Graziano is splendidly played by Paul Newman making his second picture ,after the debacle that was The Silver Chalice,a movie that could have strangled his screen career at birth ,so bad was it .
Rocky was born in the slums of New York ,the son of a boxer whose own career stalled through several losing bouts with the bottle .In and out of trouble with the law as a youth and into young manhood ,encompassing a strech in reform school ,a dishonourable discharge from the Army and a spell in Leavenworth .Rocky eventually finds a route to success through prowess in the ring .He is taken under the wing of a small time manager ,Irving Cohen (Everett Sloane) and begins to build a career in the fight game and get some wins under his belt .He meets and falls in love with Norma (Pier Angeli)before eventually getting a title shot at champ Tony Zale
Newman spent some time with Graziano studying his speech patterns , mannerisms and movements as well as doing intensive physical preparation for the role .It paid handsome dividends as the performance of a tongue tied and likeable man was exceptional .Angeli gives a sensitive performance as do Eileen Heckhart and Harold J Stone as Rocky's parents and Sal Mineo as his childhood buddy .The luminous black and white photography by Joseph Rillenberg deservedly garnered him an Oscar
This is a spelendidly enjoyable movie and should appeal beyond the circle of boxing enthusiasts .I unresevedly recommend it .
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