• Source: Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956 film)

Somebody Up There Likes Me is a 1956 American drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Paul Newman and Pier Angeli, based on the life of middleweight boxing legend Rocky Graziano. The supporting cast features Everett Sloane, Eileen Heckart, Harold J. Stone, and Sal Mineo.
The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, and won two: Best Cinematography (Black and White) (Joseph Ruttenberg) and Best Art Direction (Black and White) (Cedric Gibbons, Malcolm Brown, Edwin B. Willis, F. Keogh Gleason). It lost its nomination for Best Film Editing to Around the World in 80 Days.




Plot


Rocky Graziano has a difficult childhood and is beaten by his father. He joins a street gang, and undergoes a long history of criminal activities. He is sent to prison, where he is rebellious to all authority figures. After his release, he is drafted by the U.S. Army, but runs away. Needing money, he becomes a boxer, and finds that he has natural talent and wins six fights in a row before the Army finds him and dishonorably discharges him. He serves a year in a United States Disciplinary Barracks, and resumes his career as a boxer as a result.
While working his way to the title, he is introduced to his sister's friend Norma, whom he falls in love with and later marries. Starting a new, clean life, he rises to the top, but loses a title fight with Tony Zale. A person he knew in prison finds him and blackmails him into throwing a fight over his dishonorable discharge. Rocky fakes an injury and avoids the fight altogether. When he is interrogated by the district attorney, he refuses to name the blackmailer and has his license suspended. His manager gets him a fight in Chicago to fight Zale, the middleweight champion, once more. Rocky wins the fight.




Cast






Production


The role of Rocky Graziano was originally to be played by James Dean, but he died before filming began, and Paul Newman was asked to take the part. Australian actor Rod Taylor was also considered for the part; although unsuccessful, his screen test impressed MGM enough for them to offer him a long term contract.
The film was also notable for being one of Paul Newman's first starring roles.




Soundtrack


Perry Como's version of the title song is played over the opening and closing credits.




Box office


According to MGM records, the film earned $1,915,000 in the US and Canada and $1,445,000 elsewhere, resulting in a profit of $609,000.




See also


List of American films of 1956
List of boxing films
List of hood films




References






External links


Somebody Up There Likes Me at IMDb
Somebody Up There Likes Me at Rotten Tomatoes
Somebody Up There Likes Me at AllMovie
Somebody Up There Likes Me at the TCM Movie Database
Somebody Up There Likes Me at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

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• Somebody Up There Likes Me (film 1956)
• Film dalam tahun 1956
• National Board of Review Awards 1956
• Filmografi Steve McQueen
• Clancy Cooper
• Steve McQueen
• Cedric Gibbons
• Academy Award untuk Penyuntingan Film Terbaik
• Paul Newman
• Directors Guild of America Award untuk Penyutradaraan Film Fitur Terbaik
• Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956 film)
• Somebody Up There Likes Me
• Young Americans
• Pier Angeli
• 1956 in film
• Steve McQueen filmography
• Rocky Graziano
• Angela Cartwright
• Paul Newman on screen and stage
• Frank Mills (American actor)