Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) (DVD) (*)

~~$25.99~~ $19.97

Screened, competed or awarded at:
Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain
Oscar Academy Awards
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Italian ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
Italian ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Italy ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
109 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (2.35:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 1956 and produced in:
United States ( USA, Canada )

Directed By:
Robert Wise

Written By:
Ernest Lehman
Rocky Graziano

Actors:
Paul Newman ..... Rocky
Pier Angeli ..... Norma
Everett Sloane ..... Irving Cohen
Eileen Heckart ..... Ma Barbella
Sal Mineo ..... Romolo
Harold J. Stone ..... Nick Barbella
Joseph Buloff ..... Benny
Sammy White ..... Whitey Bimstein
Arch Johnson ..... Heldon
Robert P. Lieb ..... District Attorney Hogan (as Robert Lieb)
Theodore Newton ..... Athletic Commissioner Edward Eagan

Synopsis:

Rocky Graziano is building a career in crime, when he's finally caught and arrested. In jail, he is undisciplined, always getting into trouble. When he gets out after many years he has decided to start a new life. However, he is immediately drafted to the army. But they can't keep him and he goes AWOL. Rocky discovers boxing as a way of earning quick money, and is discovered as a new talent.

Once you get past the fact that handsome Paul Newman could never pass for plug-ugly boxer Rocky Graziano in real life, you will be able to accept Somebody Up There Likes Me as one of the more accomplished movie biopics of the 1950s. Based on Graziano's autobiography (co-written with Rowland Barber), the film accurately depicts the teen-aged Rocky as an unregenerate punk, evidently doomed by his slum environment, and his own lousy attitude, to a life of petty crime. Determining that the only way he'll make a living is with his fists, Rocky becomes a boxer, at first willing to participate in a series of fixed fights. Eventually, Rocky develops a conscience and sense of self-respect, no small thanks to his sweetheart (and later wife) Norma (Pier Angeli). The film ends on an optimistic note after Rocky wins a 'clean' bout with Tony Zale (playing himself). Training extensively with Graziano prior to and during production, Newman is quite impressive in his first worthwhile film role (this was only his third film, following the execrable The Silver Chalice and the forgettable outing The Rack). The title song in Somebody Up There Likes Me was written by Bronislau Kaper and Sammy Cahn, and performed by Perry Como.

Boxer Rocky Graziano's biopic, based on his autobiography, from childhood to his World Middleweight Championship title win at age 28 in 1947.

This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 12 July, 2020.