Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Best movie ever!

The acting in this movie is really good.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Paul Newman spent his first five years of acting in episodes of various TV series – none of which were noteworthy. His first big screen role was in "The Silver Chalice," a 1954 film that bombed at the box office. Interestingly, Newman won the Golden Globe award that year as the most promising male newcomer. The next year in his life was spent back in the TV dramas. Then came a break with his role as Rocky Graziano (nee, Thomas Rocco Barbella) in this 1956 biopic. The movie is based on Graziano's autobiography by the same title, "Somebody Up There Likes Me." Newman gives a superb performance. I agree with a couple of other reviewers, that this is one of the best boxing movies ever made. Newman showed his acting talents in playing the complex character of the troubled Barbella, growing up during the depression years in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He nailed the accent perfectly. The movie was a smash hit, and all the cast did superbly well in their roles. Pier Angeli played his wife, Norma Unger, daughter of Jewish German immigrants. Eileen Heckart played his mother and Harold Stone played Nick, his dad. Other notable roles were Everett Soane as his trainer, Irving Cohen; and Sal Mineo as a friend from the streets, Romolo. The fight scenes seem realistic. The film, like the book, pulls no punches (what better pun considering the subject?) in portraying Rocky's rocky (oops, another natural, no?) background. The supporting cast all are very good. I don't know how much Graziano gave to this in his book, but it would have been nice to see a little more with Army Sgt. John Hyland at Leavenworth military prison. Rocky actually spent nine months there and was dishonorably discharged from the Army for going AWOL after he punched and knocked out a captain. In the movie, Hyland took Rocky under wing to condition him for a fighting career when he got out. But nothing is shown of this. During Rocky's 1947 World Middleweight title fight toward the end of the film, the camera switches to scenes of family and other folks listening in on the radio. In a few scenes, the camera shows Hyland in civilian clothing listening in a bar with other men. This man likely played a more important role in Graziano's life (and depicted thus in his autobiography) than the movie shows. Apparently, Tony Zale was originally cast to play himself in this film. But when Newman got rough while sparring with him before the filming began, Zale knocked Newman out. So, Court Shepard replaced Zale for the film's final fight scene.Graziano's life had a happy ending, as does the movie. He lost the title the very next year to Zale (1948), but continued boxing for four more years. He won 20 of his next 21 fights, most by knockouts or TKOs, and had one draw. Then, on April 16, 1952, he again fought for the Middleweight title, but was knocked out halfway through the third round by Sugar Ray Robinson. I'm pretty sure I watched that fight on TV with my dad when we lived at Ft. Riley, Kansas, where he was serving in the Army.Graziano had one more fight five months later and he lost the 10-round bout in a unanimous decision. After that, he hung up his gloves. In 1971, he was elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame. He was a very popular celebrity and appeared as a guest on various TV programs and shows. He made TV commercials and built a local pizza chain In New York – Rocky Graziano's Pizza Ring. Rocky and Norma were married nearly 47 years when he died at age 71 on May 22, 1990. His funeral Mass took place in St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. This is an excellent film about a troubled kid from the streets of New York who used his fists inside the ring to turn his life around. The movie won two Oscars and was nominated for a third.

..................AT THE INTERSECTING film genres of the Fight Film and the Biopic............THERE WAS A fine, major motion picture called SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME.YES, WE TEND to give this movie, a sort of multi-classified production, one that was truly difficult to pigeon-hole. It has a certain economy of celluloid story telling that wastes not any valuable footage. Yet rather than this frugal approach's to footage usage viewed as being somehow "cheap", it was rather a testimony to the total professionalism of its Director, the mow legendary Robert Wise (1914-2005).IN CONSIDERING THIS film's being a story of a recently still active fighter, it was virtually a contemporary story. The years covered are from Rocky's home-life in the mid and late 1930's through his disgraced record in the WWII Army and up to his career in the Prize Ring (1940-52). All of that would be considered current and recent, not in any way even near being a period piece. (Contrast Cinderella MAN; which was made 60 years after the fact).WHILE THE STORY is certainly not a Pollyanna story, it is based in fact and probably was worse in real life. The movie does seem to have a definite morally anchored theme. In effect, it is a success story. "Inner City Slum Kid Beats Odds-Succeeds In Life!:, would be a proper headline in its description.IN EVALUATING THE film's value as a story with a moral and one of entertainment value, we are immediately reminded of Martin Scorscasce's RAGING BULL. This is a great comparison; inasmuch as the two men were contemporaries in life, as well as in their Ring careers.THE FIRST OBVIOUS deviation is that whereas our reviewee today was a film of recent happenings and RAGING BULL was made some 40 years after Jake La Motta's days in the Squared Circle. Other than that, we find that the two movies are Polar opposites in many respects.WHERE THE CENTRAL theme of our Graziano story is how Rocky's Boxing career was his salvation, in the La Motta story, we see how the years in the Ring wore him down; much as an intensively accelerated life of working ages and ultimately puts the finishing touches on anyone's life.WE MUST COMMENT on how the uncontrollable events of life altered MGM's plans for this picture. As we all know, The lead was slated as a starring role for James Dean. He was killed in a car accident prior to the start of the production. This immediately altered plans for the amenities of its mounting. It was immediately reduced from a Technicolor production to glorious Black & White. Extensive location shooting was replaced with in-studio, sound stage filming.THE BUSINESS ABOUT going to B & W over Color can be debated; as to whether or not it really hampered the story's impact. One need only contrast various Fight Pictures, which were most effective and satisfying in either case. Just think of and compare RAGING BULL (B&W) with ROCKY and/or Cinderella MAN (Color).AS FOR THE selection of Paul Newman as the lead, we cannot and do not have any complaint. Mr. Newman was always the consummate film actor and could thespiate with the best of 'em. It would have been very interesting to have seen the tragically doomed young James Dean in the role, but it just wasn't in the cards! WE MUST SAY just a little about the picture's theme song; which was "Somebody Up There Likes Me!". It was sung by Perry Como.WELL, THAT SHOULD be quite enough about Perry's gig, Schultz!

Much of the Success that can be Found in this Biopic of Hoodlum Turned Middleweight Champ Rocky Graziano, must go to Director Robert Wise. His Decision to Film only the Night Scenes at the Studio and the Daytime Scenes on Location, add a Noirish Look and Enhances the Films Success.Paul Newman is OK Playing the Larger than Life Boxer and Manages to keep just a Heartbeat from Caricature. The Outstanding Supporting Cast is Highlighted by Pierre Angeli and Everett Sloane with Good Work from everyone else, contribute to the overall Verismillitude, Dramatized Sure, but Not too Much.The Fight Scenes are Great and Work just Fine and the Editing throughout the Picture is Excellent Moving things along at a Stunning Pace. Everything Comes Together to make this a Fine Fight Film.Made Paul Newman a Star. It Set the Box-Office Champ on a Career and He Never Looked Back. The whole Production Team seems to be On the Same Card and They Made this an Above Average Boxing Movie and a Very Good Movie Overall.

Robert Wise directed this biographical account of Rocky Graziano, from his troubled youth as petty thief and hoodlum that led to his imprisonment, to his later release, where his big plans were intercepted by his prompt drafting into the army, where he proves just as undisciplined, and goes AWOL. He later uses his fighting skills in the boxing ring, where he finally finds the long sought-after success he has wanted, even finding love with a woman named Norma(Pier Angeli) Until one day when Rocky's past comes back to threaten him, and jeopardize his career...Paul Newman is fine as Rocky, with solid direction and interesting story of a not always likable lead character.