Body and Soul (1947)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writer:

Abraham Polonsky (writer)

Release Date:

9 November 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Sport

Tagline:

The story of a guy that women go for!

Plot:

Charley Davis wins an amateur boxing match and is taken on by promoter Quinn. Charley's mother doesn't want him to fight...

Plot Keywords:

Boxing | Cult Favorite | Social Worker | Boxing Film

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

John Garfield	...	Charlie Davis
Lilli Palmer	...	Peg Born
Hazel Brooks	...	Alice
Anne Revere	...	Anna Davis
William Conrad	...	Quinn
Joseph Pevney	...	Shorty Polaski
Lloyd Gough	...	Roberts (as Lloyd Goff)
Canada Lee	...	Ben Chaplin
Art Smith	...	David Davis
James Burke	...	Arnold
Virginia Gregg	...	Irma
Peter Virgo	...	Drummer, Roberts' Bodyguard
Joe Devlin	...	Prince
Shimen Ruskin	...	Shimen, the Grocer (as Shimen Rushkin)

Also Known As:

An Affair of the Heart

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #12435) | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-16

Company:

Enterprise Productions

Trivia:

An extremely large number of the cast and crew on the film - writer Abraham Polonsky, actors John Garfield, Anne Revere, Lloyd Gough, Canada Lee, Art Smith, Shimen Ruskin, producer Bob Roberts and even, albeit to a lesser extent, cinematographer James Wong Howe - found themselves either blacklisted or greylisted during the HUAC witch hunts of the 1950s, while director Robert Rossen only avoided that fate by naming names.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Charley Davis's fiancee, Peg, leaves him a note and misspells his name, "Charlie."

Quotes:

Charlie Davis: I don't want any handouts. Do you think I like waiting around for the whole world to make up its mind what to do with me? My mother don't understand.
Peg Born: What is it you want to do?
Charlie Davis: There's only one thing I know how to do, fight.
Peg Born: Well if you want to fight, fight.
Charlie Davis: And it's all right with you?
Peg Born: Anything you want is all right with me. I love you, Charley.
Charlie Davis: [makes a fist] It'll be quick.
Peg Born: Tiger, tiger.
Charlie Davis: Yeah, that's right. I got claws. But not for you Peg. Not for you.
[kisses her]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Odd Couple: I Do, I Don't (#1.7)" (1970)

Soundtrack:

Body and Soul

The usual tale, told well

In many ways, 'Body and Soul' is a very typical Hollywood story. It has the 'local boy makes it big', the 'vamp and the virgin', the 'corrupt businessmen' and of course the final moral fight. However, James Wong Howe's brilliant cinematography and John Garfield's solid acting lift this movie above the norm. Every emotion is heart-felt, and the tension at the end is perfectly presented. One of the best boxing movies.