User reviews

This is the movie that made Paul Newman a star. And with good reason. Although James Dean was signed to play the great Rocky Graziano, his death in a car crash made the role available for Paul Newman to step into. Newman who up to this point had made only a handful of forgettable pictures,turns in a marvelous portrayal of a man who is so filled with rage that everything he touches turns into trouble.

Newman's performance is layered with anger, humor, and fear. Rocky Graziano was by means the brightest guy in the world, and Newman to his credit does not try to make this an endearing quality of Rocky's.

The story does a nice job of not glossing over Rocky's troublesome youth. It shows a lot of the trouble and bad decision's that he made that led to being thrown out of schools, reformatories, and later into prison. This is not a sanitized bio-style film that you would have seen in the thirties or forties.

The rest of the acting is also first rate. Especially from Eileen Heckart and Everett Sloane as his mother and trainer, respectively. Lots of actors making their film debuts in this movie also. Look for Robert Loggia, Steve McQueen, George C. Scott and Dean Jones.

Robert Wise has done a wonderful job of bringing NYC to life in this picture. Watching Newman walk down the street with all of the people jeering him at first, and then rooting for him as he starts to gain some fame is the work of a top notch director. Wise would later exploit the scenery of New York to better use a few years later in "West Side Story". He also did an excellent job with the fight sequences.

It's easy to see where Sylvester Stallone got his inspiration for his "Rocky". In fact, you might say that he not only borrowed the development of his character, but that of Adrian, as well.

"Somebody Up There Likes Me" is well worth a look.

9 out of 10

Paul Newman stars as Rocky Graziano in the middleweight champion's life story, "Somebody Up There Likes Me," directed with spirit by Robert Wise. The film covers Rocky Barbella's young life on the mean streets of New York, made all the meaner by his juvenile delinquent presence and that of his friends. Totally out of control, Barbella steals, runs, and punches his way through his home life, reform school, and prison, including his army stint where he knocks out a corporal and goes AWOL, then assuming the name Graziano. It's not long before his talent is put to good use in the ring. The respectability and success he gains is short-lived, however, when he refuses to take a dive but then fails to report it to the boxing commission or identify the criminals.

The film covers Graziano's marriage to his wife of 47 years, Norma, and his historic fight with Tony Zale. Pier Angeli plays the petite but tough Norma, who knows just how to handle her husband; Eileen Heckert is marvelous as Rocky's mother. Harold Stone, as Rocky's disillusioned father, is very good in the difficult role of an unlikeable man with an uneasy relationship with his son. Sal Mineo is effective as Romolo, Rocky's friend from the neighborhood.

James Dean was to play Graziano but after his death, the role went to Paul Newman. Words are not really adequate to describe the young Newman's work in this film. He totally inhabits the character of Graziano and loses what one thinks of as "Paul Newman" in the bargain. One of the hardest accents to do without making it sound phony is a New York one, yet Newman pulls it off with no problem. Though Dean would have been excellent, Newman's portrayal is a treasure. He's angry, sympathetic, scrappy, vulnerable and caring - in short, a flawed human being. It's one of the finest performances on film.

Robert Wise was a film editor before he became a director. Having edited some of Orson Welles films when he was starting out, made him a natural director. After all, Mr. Wise knows how to move his camera and how to capture great moments in film. "Somebody Up There Likes Me" is a rarity these days, in that it's seldom seen.

This is also a film that has a rich texture. The story, photographed using New York as a backdrop offers a rare view of how it looked in those years. We are taken to Brooklyn, downtown Manhattan and other natural locations that were an asset in the film. It helps that Mr. Wise had the inspiration to engage Joseph Ruttenberg as his cinematographer because of the excellence of his work in the films he photographed.

This is a story of Rocky Graziano, a boxing champion, who came from a poor family. The father, Nick Barbella, is seen at the beginning trying to show young Rocco to box. When he doesn't get the response he wants, he punches the boy squarely on his nose, making him bleed. Rocco would grow up to become a hoodlum doing petty crime and being sent to jail.

Rocco's story could have ended in tragedy, but didn't. It helped to have met good friends along the way like Irving Cohen who helped him with his boxing career. The love of Nora is another of the blessings this man was blessed with. In fact, yes, somebody up there must have liked Rocco Barbella, a man who is a legend in boxing circles.

The young Paul Newman was lucky to land this part. James Dean had been selected to play the role, but it went to Mr. Newman who took it and ran away with the film. This was his big break through in films. Paul Newman was formed at the famous Actor Studio. His technique is in sharp contrast with other, formally trained actors, but in a way, by making Rocky's character so complex, we get a detailed account of the man by an inspired young actor that went to become a legend in his own right.

The supporting cast was excellent. Eileen Heckart is the suffering Ida Barbella, a woman who has been cheated out of everything by a husband that is a brute. Harold Stone is also good as Nick Barbella. Pier Angeli is sweet as Norma and Sal Mineo makes the best out of Romolo, the childhood friend. Everett Sloan plays the pivotal role of Irving Cohen.

In the film we see a lot of interesting young actors who went to have their own distinguished careers later on. Steve McQueen, Robert Loggia, George C. Scott, Frank Campanella, and other New York based theater actors are seen in the background without any credit.

This is a boxing film that was way ahead of the others because of the tight direction of Robert Wise.

This was excellent! I think it is one of the most underrated and under-discussed movies of the 1950s. It was interesting from start-to-finish and had drama, humor, suspense, action, romance.....and it's all true. The story was approved by the man it was about: boxer Rocky Graziano. Thus, you know it's not "based on a true story" in which 90 percent of it turns out to be fiction, just for dramatic purposes. No, this was Graziano's story and Paul Newman - despite not looking Italian - did a superb job playing him. This movie put Newman "on the map" as an actor. He was fascinating in here and dominated most of the scenes.

The film's direction by Robert Wise and the cinematography also took center stage. Apparently, the "powers that be" agreed as this film won an Oscar for its photography.

Newfane's portrayal of the juvenile delinquent-turned-championship boxer may have dominated the story but all the characters left strong impressions, beginning with this parents played by the great character actors Harold Stone and Eileen Heckart . Pier Angeli is well- cast as Graziano's sweetheart-turned wife. Her Italian accent fits in perfectly as does her character as the soft and frail--but tough female complement to Rocky. Too bad we didn't see much of this actress in the USA.

The rest of the supporting cast is top-notch, from Everett Sloane as the fight manager to '50s star/teen idol Sal Mineo as a neighborhood pal to Graziano. Also good was Robert Loggia as the bad- influence hood. This was Loggia's first role on screen. Speaking of first roles, did anyone catch Steve McQueen in here?? I did a double-take when they had a quick gang-fight rumble on top of a roof and there's McQueen! The camera put a closeup shot on him and there was no doubt it was him! He had no lines, unfortunately, but that apparently was his film debut.

This movie is finally going to be released on DVD sometime in November of 2006. I hope more people get the opportunity to discover this fantastic movie which, by the way, reminded me quite a bit of another fantastic film in this era: On The Waterfront.

It's interesting to note the career relationship of James Dean and Paul Newman.

Both were leading contenders for the starring role in "East of Eden." Dean's moving screen test landed him the part over Newman.

Then, upon Dean's sudden demise, Newman was awarded the role Dean was to play in "Somebody Up There Likes Me." Fortunately, Newman was up to the task.

His Rocky was most effectively limned, with Newman in top physical form as well as in the acting department. He assumed a "New York hood" accent, which enhanced his portrayal, and executed the challenging fight scenes with conviction.

Perhaps young Newman's burning ambition at the time to greatly succeed in his craft provided extra stamina to smash through this meaty part for a "knockout punch." Fresh from Actors Studio training, Mr. Newman was fortunate to be surrounded by a quartet of fine "method" artists.

Eileen Heckart was particularly fine as Mrs. Barbella, Everett Sloane as a concerned Manager, Sal Mineo as dependable pal Romolo, and Pier Angeli as sensitive Norma Graziano.

Rocky's hard-hitting life was given a realistic black and white production, doing justice to the middle weight champ's biography. Robert Wise directed with his usual skill and confidence.

Probably the director Robert Wise wanted to emphasize more on the behavior of young Graziano, his problems with his father, the time he spent in jail and his misdoing in the army, but some aspects of his final life as a boxer were not shown at all in the film, which ends with the rematch between Graziano and Tony Zale in Chicago in 1947, where Graziano did his best to knock out Zale. With this victory Graziano became world champion, something that did not last for long. Zale and Graziano met once again in 1948, and this time Zale finished his adversary with a knock out in the third round. Graziano wanted to come back in 1952 fighting against the famous Ray "Sugar" Robinson. In that fight, Graziano knocked down Robinson in the third round, but he recovered and finished with Graziano in the same third round. In any case, Graziano was a good boxer, and this bloody -violent sport put his life on the right track. Interesting to note that this was the first film (uncredited) in the career of the actor Steve McQueen. Sal Mineo again acted as a wrong young boy in New York. The actress Pier Angeli did a good work as Graziano's wife.

Up until now I've only seen Paul Newman in 1990's and later movies - but he's never been the actor that called me into a movie theater or made me change the channel. He always seemed to play the same type of part: easy going, calm, aware, well contained. Or maybe that's the way he made each part seem.

After seeing this movie, now I know why he's considered such a great actor. I only watched boxing when it was part of the Olympics - just don't enjoy the sport itself that much - and only know about Rocky Graziano from the newspapers. But Paul Newman was riveting. He made this character of a complete underdog, who apparently had no hope, no charm, and nothing to live for, into someone I cared about enough to stick with the movie for two hours.

I don't know how true-to-life the story was; Hollywood generally creates composite characters, cleans up reality and changes or outright ignores major events. Certainly the many fights Graziano had were a bit of a blur in the film and I'm sure several critical steps in his advancement towards middleweight championship were neglected. The reason for the violent relationship between Rocky and his father was unexplained. And his mother's mental state (the film alludes to her time in the hospital) is not fully developed.

These gaps do not overshadow in any way Paul Newman's performance. I always thought it was longevity, charitable works, and a long-lasting marriage to another actor (not to mention darn good spaghetti sauce) that gave him the aura he has - now I understand.

This film is some sixty (60+) plus years old and it still holds up as a legitimate biography of the late great boxing champion Rocky Graziano. There was a lot of history to try and cover of this professional boxers real life story in less than the two (2) hours of run time but the producer/writer and director did an admirable job of illustrating that Rocky's upbringing from his childhood days through to his monogamous marriage and family man persona were all covered.

The fight scenes in the filmed seemed to reflect the lack of effort that Rocky himself expressed about having to train hard for a fight, and his record of 67 wins, 10 losses and 6 draws is reflective of a former champion who lost his focus on more than one night even with becoming the middleweight champion.

This is a decent sports boxing themed biographical film on the life of Rocky Graziano well worth watching for the stellar performance of a great cast which includes a young Paul Newman. I give it a solid 6 out of 10 IMDb rating.

Rocky Graziano was a very, very flawed guy to say the least. To be more blunt, until he settled into a career in boxing, he was an antisocial jerk--a blight on society. However, as was the case with most older bio-pics (such as "The Birdman of Alcatraz" and "The Sound of Music"), in order to make a more marketable flick, the truth was often very, very malleable--as the writers took such huge liberties with the facts that the original of the film was hardly recognizable. And, since Rocky was not a very likable guy, I expected a whitewash with this film. Fortunately, the writers stuck reasonably close to the truth and Paul Newman puts in his first excellent performance (after his disaster in "The Silver Chalice").

The film begins with a lovely man (Harold Stone) forcing his young boy to fight. He slaps the little kid around horribly--and it was obvious the father was a complete jerk. From this sort of upbringing, it's understandable why the kid grew up angry (in reality, the father would bit his two sons against each other in boxing matches for his friends to watch--and Rocky's older brother usually beat the snot out of him). This portion of the film shows the many stupid and self-defeating things Rocky did before switching to a life in boxing. Stealing, violence, prison and a stint in military prison--all make up this sordid portion of the movie. To see just how Rocky manages to pull it all together, watch the film.

Overall, well-written and with a very likable performance from Newman. This isn't exactly "Raging Bull" but it is well worth seeing.

The "Hollywood" version of boxer Rocky Graziano's autobiographical life story has Paul Newman (as Mr. Graziano, née Barbella) beaten by an abusive father, growing into criminal gangland activity, and rising up to succeed in the sport of boxing. This is, of course, the inspirational plot of the "boxing picture"; and, it was very much a part of the "American Dream". Graziano was one of the biggest boxing stars of his time - according to my grandfather, the era feathered several Muhammad Ali-caliber boxers (which must have been quite exciting). Grandfather saw Mr. Newman as a good casting choice; better, in fact, than the originally cast James Dean.

Mainly, "Somebody Up There Likes Me" falters under its increasingly implausible "based-on-fact" storyline. Director Robert Wise starts off well, foreshadowing his own "West Side Story" (1961). Soon, the stylization becomes hard to stomach; and, the movie, obviously, compares unfavorably with more realistic boxing films. The "love story" between Newman and Pier Angeli (as Norma) is particularly unrealistic; romantically, they act like a couple of 12-year-olds.

Sal Mineo (as Romolo) heads up an enjoyable supporting cast, as Newman's friend from childhood. Certainly the film's "Best Supporting Actor", Mr. Mineo provides Newman with a warm bed, and cheers on his career. Pool-hustling Steve McQueen (as Fidel) and Michael Dante (as Shorty) are two other interesting members of Mineo's gang. Mr. McQueen is quite charismatic; and, Mr. Dante's enviable prowess with women is depicted very effectively. A slew of other notables appear; including impressionable Everett Sloane (as Irving Cohen). Eileen Heckart and Harold J. Stone are a little strange, as Rocky's parents.

The photography (Joseph Ruttenberg) and writing (Ernest Lehman) are strengths. Listen up for Newman telling a smiling Mineo, "I need to get some shut-eye before the bed cools"; and, wisecracking Sloane's observation, "I should have never left the lingerie business; I was the happiest man in ladies underwear." You will have no problem reading the credit identifying PERRY COMO as the mawkish title song singer; at the time, he was probably the biggest name associated with the film.

****** Somebody Up There Likes Me (7/3/56) Robert Wise ~ Paul Newman, Pier Angeli, Sal Mineo, Everett Sloane

How many chances do we get to watch Paul Newman overact? His over-the-top performance as an Italian-American boxing champ from New York City is lots of fun to watch. He turn Graziano into a poor man's Terry Malloy. Nice, albeit brief, performance by Sal Mineo as well, as Rocky's running buddy. Worth a look!

Question: Is there such a thing as a boxing movie that isn't just a total cliché from start to finish? 'Cause if there is, then I'd sure like to know about it. I really would.

With that said, you have my personal guarantee that 1956's Somebody Up There Likes Me is such a predictable cliché-of-a-boxing-movie that, at times, it's almost too painful to endure.

On top of having this one major strike against it, this film also lost itself some significant points for its gross miscasting of Paul Newman in the lead role.

Not only did Newman never, ever come anywhere near to being at all convincing as a full-blooded American/Italian, but his goofy performance as boxing champ, Rocky Graziano, was, by far, one of the most absurd and annoying examples of copy-catting Marlon Brando's quirky mannerisms that I've ever seen.

Believe me, Newman's ridiculous portrayal was absolutely laughable to watch at times.

Filmed in stark b&w, Somebody Up There Likes Me's story (which was set in NYC during the 1930s & 40s) was based on the autobiography written by real-life, middleweight, boxing champ, Rocky Graziano (whose birth-name was Rocco Barbella).

Of all the many boxing films that I've seen over the years this dud has certainly proved to be one of the weakest and most unsatisfactory, by far.

By the end of the movie I literally loathed Newman's Graziano character right to the very bone. My only wish was to see one of his opponents really clean his clock, but good. But, unfortunately, this never happened. So I was left totally unsatisfied.

After the critical and commercial fiasco of THE SILVER CHALICE, Paul Newman decided that the move to Hollywood had been a mistake, and returned to Broadway, to star in "The Desperate Hours" (later filmed with Humphrey Bogart in Newman's role). Warner Brothers, not amused by Newman's departure, tacked an additional two years onto his film contract, and brought the young actor back for a so-so war drama on loan to MGM, THE RACK. Then lightning struck!

Boxer/Entrepreneur Rocky Graziano's entertaining autobiography, SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME (ghosted by Rowland Barber) had been planned with James Dean in the lead, but the 24-year old star's untimely death, after completing GIANT, left the WB without a loan-out actor for the MGM production. The studio decided to use Newman, and at last the young actor had a role he could really "sink his teeth into".

Masterfully directed by the legendary Robert Wise, the fast-paced, gritty comedy/drama follows young Rocco Barbella (Newman), from his early gang days (with Sal Mineo in a small role, and young Steve McQueen and Robert Loggia, unbilled, as other gang members), resulting in a prison stint, finally released just in time to be inducted into the service! His quick temper and natural boxing skills catch the attention of an Army boxing coach, but the undisciplined Barbella decides to go AWOL, using boxing (under the name Rocky Graziano) to pick up quick cash. Eventually, Graziano/Barbella gets his life straightened out, aided by the love of a good woman (Pier Angeli, James Dean's real-life girlfriend, and Newman's costar in THE SILVER CHALICE), and a sympathetic manager (Everett Sloane, in another of his many masterful performances), and Rocky begins a long, hard drive to become a champion.

The role of Graziano would be a showcase for any actor, and the Method-trained Newman plays it with an explosive physicality and intensity that is occasionally too theatrical, but is still mesmerizing. His performance foreshadows, to some extent, Robert De Niro's Jake La Motta, in RAGING BULL, without the abusiveness and ultimately self-destructive qualities. Just as La Motta, even in defeat to Sugar Ray Robinson, would proclaim "I never went down!", Graziano would not allow himself to accept defeat gracefully, resulting in a constant physical pummeling that would leave his face so battered that he'd even frighten his child!

SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME would influence a generation of young actors and film makers (including Sylvester Stallone, who would 'lift' characters and some story elements in his script for ROCKY). For Paul Newman, it opened doors, and although his next two projects would be a standard Warner Brothers musical biopic (THE HELEN MORGAN STORY) and soap opera (UNTIL THEY SAIL), MUCH better films would soon be on their way.

A new star had been born!

I really enjoyed this movie and every performance was amazing. Pier Angeli really showed range in this motion picture. Her performance was moving. I realized after seeing this film that Paul Newman was a gifted actor. I had a hard time taking my eyes of him in each scene he was in but was able to do so when Pier Angeli appeared. I didn't like his lack of effort in the Warner Brothers' motion picture The Silver Chalice but this helped change my mind about him as an actor.

Both Pier Angeli and Paul Newman should have been nominated for Academy Awards for their tremendous performances.

I know that James Dean was first chosen to portray Rocky Graziano but tragically he was killed in a devastating car accident. I know this from reading several of his biographies as well as the only biography that was written about Pier Angeli. I am sure Pier Angeli was thinking about James Dean in the role as she and Paul Newman were filming.

I am a Paul Newman's fan I think he is one of the best actors of the last four decades This movie reflects the life of a great boxer as no other. The fact that the movie has been filmed in black and white captures the essence of a decade where the values were more than money for the American society. All the performances are excellent, and the Perry Como's song Somebody up there likes me is a plus. I want to mention Everett Sloane and Sal Mineo performances because they really help to show the boxer's life. Although there are many good Paul Newman's movies this is a masterpiece to me.To summarize,this is one of the best movies about boxing that you can find and is also a biography

Boxer Rocky Graziano's biopic dealing with a selfish and violent boxer (Paul Newman in the title role playing one of his earliest characters as main star) who alienates the people around him , as his childhood friends (Steve McQueen, Sal Mineo) , his captivating wife (Pier Angeli) , his trainer (Everett Solane) , and other people , getting , eventually , redemption . Rocky Graziano is building a career in crime along with other young colleagues (Sal Mineo , Steve McQueen) , when he's finally caught and jailed . In prison , he continues being an obstinate rebel , always getting into trouble . Along the way he has several discussion and argument with his parents (Harold J. Stone and Eileen Heckart who was six years older than Newman) . When he gets out after many years he has decided to begin a new existence . However, he is immediately drafted to the army . But they can't keep him and he goes awol . Later on , Rocky discovers boxing as a way of earning quick money, and is subsequently discovered by a manager (Everett Solane) as a new talent . Punk Hoodlum! - Jailbird! - Alley Fighter! - He Brawled His Way From the Gutter All the Way to the Top! He Might Have Ended Up In "The Chair" - But For One Girl's Enduring Love! A Girl Can Lift A Fellow To The Skies! It's tougher than Blackboard Jungle!

M.G.M presents a most important motion picture , an interesting flick based on a screenplay by prestigious Ernest Lehman and based on Rocky Graziano autobiography , it is partially a noir drama about boxing world with an ambitious and usually angry starring , well personified by Paul Newman , and including ordinary issue about the boxing fixers . However , first was slated James Dean , but unfortunaly he died by an automobile accident , then was hired Newman . Being he first time Paul Newman and Steve McQueen showed on-screen , subsequently they would play various films get together . The violent boxing images shocked audiences of the 50s and still retains quite power nowadays . It's a grueling boxing tale with tough realism full of face-blistering , punch , knocks until ¨Raging Bull¨ by Martin Scorsese surpassed it years later . Top-notch acting by Paul Newman in Actor's Studio style , as an undisciplined , ruthless boxer in his usual hard-driving style and winning deservedly several prizes . Paul Newman is magnificently supported by a great support cast , plenty of known faces , such as Everett Sloane , Eileen Heckart, Harold J Stone , Sal Mineo , Robert Loggia's film debut , Steve McQueen , Dean Jones , Don Haggerty , Stanley Adams , the little girl Angela Cartwright in her debut feature and some of them uncredited .

It contains an adequate and evocative cinematography in black and white plenty of of lights and shades by Joseph Ruttenberger . Atmospheric and thrilling musical score by the classic composer Bronislau Kaper . The motion picture was well made by Robert Wise . The fine craftsman Wise was a good director who made films in all kinds of genres ; nowadays , some of them considered classic movies , such as : Musical : West side story , The sound of music ; SciF i: The day the Earth stood , Andromeda strain , Star Trek the motion picture ; Terror : The haunting , The body snatchers, , Audrey Rose , Curse of cat people ; Wartime : Run silent Run deep , The Desert Rats ; Historical : Helen of Troy ; Western : Tribute to a bad man ; Drama : I want to live , The Set-up , among others . Rating : better than average , 7.5/10 . The picture will appeal to Paul Newman fans .

Directed by Robert Wise. Starring Paul Newman, Pier Angeli, Everett Sloane, Harold J. Stone, Eileen Heckart, Robert Loggia, Sal Mineo, Joseph Buloff, Sammy White.

Sincere but simplistic biopic of the early life of boxer Rocky Graziano (Newman), running from his childhood, through his delinquent years as part of a street gang and his dishonorable discharge from the army, up to winning the middleweight championship belt in the late-1940s. Ernest Lehman's script hits all the predetermined marks with efficiency; Wise's direction only really comes to life during the climactic bout, where Albert Akst's editing and Joseph Ruttenberg's Oscar-winning photography set a new standard for boxing ring filmmaking. In one of three different roles he inherited after James Dean's passing, Newman struggles to convince as an Italian-American with a wobbly accent (he sorta sounds like Tony Curtis trying to do Marlon Brando from "Streetcar"), but his budding star presence couldn't be denied. Loggia's film debut; look for Steve McQueen in a bit part early on as a street tough wielding a knife.

65/100

Paul Newman as Rocky Graziano, the fighter who couldn't seem to get it right, starred in the 1956 biography "Somebody Up there Likes Me."

According to all our sociologists, Rocky Barbella was doomed before he started. Coming from a dysfunctional family and viewing the poverty and gangs of the local tough streets, Rocky is a hardened guy. He is full of anger. Newman is terrific displaying this anger in and out of the ring.

Involved in stealing and going AWOL while in the army, Newman received a dishonorable discharge and served one year at Leavenworth. It is there that he got good boxing training and when out, he begins to fight his way to the top. In the interim, he marries a Jewish girl, Pier Angeli, who is as much Jewish as Mama Leone. I still can't figure out what kind of accent she had. Yet, Angeli does convey the kind of plain girl who would stick by her man.

Veteran actor Everett Sloane portrayed his manager Irving Cohen. He is feisty and has the right temperament for the role.

Just as things are going well, Rocky is trapped into trying to throw a fight. When he loses his boxing license in N.Y.C., the papers print about his dishonorable discharge. So, it's off to fight for the championship in Chicago.

The ring scenes are quite authentic and provide plenty of punch. Newman does well playing a punchy fighter in a very common, yet effective performance.

Harold J. Stone, who died recently at 92, is effective, although briefly, as Rocky's alcoholic father-a man who could have fought to the title but did not. Eileen Heckart, a great supporting actress, is given little material to work with, but her facial expressions best depict the desperation faced by a downtrodden family.

The film does provide a knock out punch and it's well worth the effort.

and worth the time to watch. I only write this comment, because this movie has the worst, absolutely WORST, theme song. Perry Como does the Italian ballad thing, but his song is just awful. So much so, that while you watch the opening credits, you are very tempted to turn this movie off because any movie with such poor music may very well make other production decisions just as bad. Luckily, if you fight the urge, you will see a very good movie and hear no more music until the end credits.

Newman does the lost soul redeemed through woman role very well and all is believable.

Pier Angeli is a sad Hollywood story, and this movie is one of her best performances. She has that delicate fragile presence on screen that contrasts so well with the Newman boxing thug image. Beauty and the Beast themes always have the element that there is a threat of danger to beauty, but clearly in this movie,Pier's character is the leveling agent for this relationship, and she excels in this role.

Rocky Graziano is the American dream, work hard, channel your talents, trust on those who love you, and all that America has to offer is yours. Of course it helps if you're white and male, but what the heck, this isn't brain surgery or social comment, it's a movie, and not a bad one at that.

My low mark is based on two things:

The film, as I say in my summary, gives a very incomplete account of Graziano's boxing career. It appears to suggest that, after winning the world middle-weight championship, he lived "happy ever after". whereas in reality he was beaten by Zale in the return contest as well as by Sugar Ray Robinson (by which time he was past his best). He was never a great boxer but an extremely courageous one and well deserved to be champ.

Secondly, Paul Newman is dreadful all the way through. His performance is just an imitation of Brando (facial tics and all) to the extent that the film becomes boring for long stretches. His character seems to have been lifted from "I was a fugitive from a chain gang" (scenes of hard labour, etc) and resemble sparring sessions rather more than prison terms.

PS Pier Angeli, as the wife, is just an animated cliché of the bad guy's soulmate, rescuing him from himself. Her own performance is alas unrescuable