FLASHBACK / This article originally was published on dmboxing website April 4, 2022
This previously published movie review appears courtesy of the Author and the Italian American Veterans Museum – iavmuseum.org – for viewing on www.dmboxing.com
By Steve Corbo

“Somebody Up There Likes Me”
This 1956 movie, directed by Robert Wise, is based on the autobiography by boxer Rocky Graziano . Starring Paul Newman as Rocky and Pier Angeli as his wife, it also features appearances by Sal Mineo and Steve McQueen.
Raised on New York’s Lower East Side, Rocky was a gang member and criminal by his early teens . As a child, his father made him fight for the entertainment of adults in the neighborhood. He soon developed a talent for knocking down anybody that stood in his way . In and out of reform schools, Rocky was on a fast track to the graveyard or the penitentiary. If you thought his stint in the Army might straighten him out, think again .
Despite his lengthy criminal record, he was drafted during WW II. The Army didn’t have a chance. He refused to train, was constantly in trouble and when push came to shove, he shoved back hard . He crossed the line when he beat up his commanding officer. Now in serious trouble, Rocky went AWOL back to the streets of New York. Hiding out and wanted by the authorities, he wandered into Stillman’s Gym hoping to make a couple of bucks as a sparring partner. As he prepared to climb into the ring to face a pro fighter, he’s told to make sure he has the protective cup all boxers wear. Unfamiliar with the world of pro boxing, Rocky replies, “I don’t need no cup, I’ll drink out of the bottle.” He then proceeds to knock the other fighter out with his sledgehammer right hand.
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