This previously published movie review appears courtesy of the Author and the Italian American Veterans Museum – iavmuseum.org

By Steve Corbo

“Somebody Up There Likes Me”

This 1956 movie, directed by Robert Wise, is based on the autobiography by boxer Rocky Graziano 다운로드. 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 다운로드. 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 다운로드. 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 지오메트리대쉬 컴퓨터 다운로드.

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 다운로드. 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.

Rocky embarked on a career as a pro boxer, but he was on the run and couldn’t fight under his own name. So, Thomas Rocco Barbella became Rocky Graziano. It wasn’t long before word got around about the dynamite-fisted middleweight. Rocky was soon arrested and turned over to military authorities. He was court-martialed for desertion, given a dishonorable discharge, and sentenced to prison at Leavenworth. Released from prison, he returns to New York and to the ring. He met his future wife, who believed in him and encouraged him when the whole world seemed against him. Bolstered by her love and his winning ways in the ring, he turned his life around, joined the “legit world” and was soon a top-rated fighter.

The movie takes us through his rise in the ring to his fight with “The Man of Steel” Tony Zale for the Middleweight Championship. In one of the most vicious fights in boxing history, Graziano gets knocked out by Zale in the 6th round. Undeterred, Rocky gets a rematch 10 months later, but not before an ex-con tries to blackmail him and destroy his career. The rematch took place in the Chicago Stadium and was recognized by Ring Magazine as the “Fight of The Year.” Rocky Graziano, the dead-end kid with a nowhere future, knocked out Zale in the 6th round to become Middleweight Champion of the World. The movie ends with a parade through the streets of the Lower East Side, welcoming home the conquering hero. Rocky looks up to the heavens and says, “Somebody up there likes me.” His wife adds, “somebody down here, too.”

The movie was a box office and critical hit, winning two of three Academy Award nominations (Best Cinematography, Black-and-White and Best Art Direction, Set Decoration, Black-and-White). It was also nominated by the American Film Institute as one of the top 10 sports films of all time. This movie is worth watching just to see the breakout performance of a young Paul Newman. Originally James Dean was cast to play Rocky, but his death resulted in Newman getting the part.

To view a trailer narrated by Jinx Falkenberg, click here.

To view a trailer with a soundtrack by David Bowie, click here.

To watch the movie for free, click here.To purchase the DVD, click here.

To purchase the book on which the movie is based, click here.