Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Ernest Lehman (screenplay)
Rocky Graziano (autobiography) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 July 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

A Girl Can Lift A Fellow To The Skies!

Plot:

Rocky Graziano is building a career in crime, when he's finally caught and arrested. In jail, he is undisciplined...

Plot Keywords:

Boxing | Army | Match Fixing | Juvenile Delinquent | Deserter

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Rocky Graziano
Pier Angeli	...	Norma Graziano
Everett Sloane	...	Irving Cohen
Eileen Heckart	...	Mrs. Ida '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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stanley Adams	...	Romolo's Attorney (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich	...	Ringside Photographer, Zale Fight (uncredited)
Walter Beaver	...	Sidekick (uncredited)
Michael Bookasta	...	Boy at Parade (uncredited)
William Boyett	...	Military Policeman Escort at Fight (uncredited)
Frank Campanella	...	Detective (uncredited)
Walter Cartier	...	Polack (uncredited)
Angela Cartwright	...	Audrey at age 3 (uncredited)
Russ Clark	...	Zale Fight Referee (uncredited)
Tom Coleman	...	Reporter at sparring session (uncredited)
Russ Conway	...	Capt. Grifton (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Capt. Lancheck (uncredited)
Matt Crowley	...	Lou Stillman (uncredited)
Michael Dante	...	Shorty the Greek (uncredited)
Ray Danton	...	Off-screen Reporter (voice) (uncredited)
Robert Duvall	...	MP (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Robert Easton	...	Cpl. Quinbury (uncredited)
John Eldredge	...	Reformatory Warden George Niles (uncredited)
Robert Gardett	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Tommy Garland	...	Referee (uncredited)
Jan Gillum	...	Yolanda at age 12 (uncredited)
Sam Gilman	...	Detective arresting Rocky (uncredited)
Pete Gonzales	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Charles Green	...	Curtis Hughtower - Fighter (uncredited)
Donna Jo Gribble	...	Yolanda Barbella (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Don Haggerty	...	Leavenworth Prison Guard (uncredited)
Bern Hoffman	...	Fat Man at Hijacking Attempt (uncredited)
Dynamite Jackson	...	Referee (uncredited)
Dean Jones	...	Private in Rocky's Tent at Army Base (uncredited)
Rodney Jones	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Jackie Kelk	...	George (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Fight Comissioner's Assistant (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Reformatory Guard (uncredited)
Jess Kirkpatrick	...	Chicago Reporter (uncredited)
Pat Lawless	...	Cop (uncredited)
David Leonard	...	Mr. Mueller (uncredited)
Len Lesser	...	Reporter at sparring session (uncredited)
Robert Loggia	...	Frankie Peppo (uncredited)
Jack Lomas	...	Reformatory Guard (uncredited)
Cy Malis	...	Referee (uncredited)
Gregg Martell	...	Guard (uncredited)
Joe McGuinn	...	Guard (uncredited)
Steve McQueen	...	Fidel (uncredited)
Tyler McVey	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Tony Michaels	...	Assistant Commissioner (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Counterman at Gym (uncredited)
Robin Morse	...	Reporter at Boxing Commission Hearing (uncredited)
Ben Moselle	...	Referee in Army Arena (uncredited)
Jimmy Murphy	...	Young guy at gym (uncredited)
Frank Nechero	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Ralph Neff	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Billy Nelson	...	Commissioner (uncredited)
James O'Rear	...	Judge (uncredited)
Jack Orrison	...	Detective (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Man in Bar (uncredited)
Judson Pratt	...	Johnny Hyland (uncredited)
Terry Rangno	...	Rocky at age 8 (uncredited)
Dick Rich	...	Geezer, Work Detail Guard (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan	...	One of Rocky's Friends (uncredited)
John Rosser	...	Detective (uncredited)
Benny Rubin	...	Fight Promoter (uncredited)
Willard Sage	...	Captain Earl Woodhope (uncredited)
Andy Savilla	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Sam Scar	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Leavenworth Prison Guard (uncredited)
Don Shelton	...	Captain at Court Martial (uncredited)
Court Shepard	...	Tony Zale (uncredited)
Buster Slaven	...	Sidekick (uncredited)
Ray Stricklyn	...	Bryson (uncredited)
Sam Taub	...	Himself (uncredited)
James Todd	...	Colonel at Court Martial (uncredited)
Ray Walker	...	Zale Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Paul Weber	...	Chicago Reporter (uncredited)
Harry Wismer	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Ernest Lehman		(screenplay)
Rocky Graziano		(autobiography) and
Rowland Barber		(autobiography)

Produced by
James E. Newcom	....	associate producer
Charles Schnee	....	producer

Original Music by
Bronislau Kaper

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Albert Akst

Art Direction by
Malcolm Brown
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
F. Keogh Gleason		(as Keogh Gleason)
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Saunders	....	assistant director
Hank Moonjean	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Wesley C. Miller	....	recording supervisor (as Dr. Wesley C. Miller)
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Stunts
Lucky Kargo	....	stunts (uncredited)

Other crew
John Indrisano	....	technical advisor (as Johnny Indrisano)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema International Corporation (C.I.C.) (1956) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Towa (1963) (Japan) (theatrical) (revival)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1977) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1994) (Japan) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1973) (Finland) (TV) (1998) (TV2)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Spain:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (certificate #18008) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Sweden:15 | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1994)

Filming Locations:

Stillman's Gym - 8th Avenue between 54th & 55th Streets, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Film debut of Steve McQueen.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene where the manager comes to the house, passing all the news crews, the door of the house has three small windows in descending order. Once inside the house with Rocky's wife the door in the background has an arched window instead of three small windows.

Quotes:

Rocky Graziano: [after hearing an actor in the movie say "i love you" on screen] You've been tellin' her for two hours ya creep!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Sound of Music: From Fact to Phenomenon (1994) (V)

Soundtrack:

Somebody Up There Likes Me

Rocky, the original.

Robert Wise was a film editor before he became a director. Having edited some of Orson Welles films when he was starting out, made him a natural director. After all, Mr. Wise knows how to move his camera and how to capture great moments in film. "Somebody Up There Likes Me" is a rarity these days, in that it's seldom seen.

This is also a film that has a rich texture. The story, photographed using New York as a backdrop offers a rare view of how it looked in those years. We are taken to Brooklyn, downtown Manhattan and other natural locations that were an asset in the film. It helps that Mr. Wise had the inspiration to engage Joseph Ruttenberg as his cinematographer because of the excellence of his work in the films he photographed.

This is a story of Rocky Graziano, a boxing champion, who came from a poor family. The father, Nick Barbella, is seen at the beginning trying to show young Rocco to box. When he doesn't get the response he wants, he punches the boy squarely on his nose, making him bleed. Rocco would grow up to become a hoodlum doing petty crime and being sent to jail.

Rocco's story could have ended in tragedy, but didn't. It helped to have met good friends along the way like Irving Cohen who helped him with his boxing career. The love of Nora is another of the blessings this man was blessed with. In fact, yes, somebody up there must have liked Rocco Barbella, a man who is a legend in boxing circles.

The young Paul Newman was lucky to land this part. James Dean had been selected to play the role, but it went to Mr. Newman who took it and ran away with the film. This was his big break through in films. Paul Newman was formed at the famous Actor Studio. His technique is in sharp contrast with other, formally trained actors, but in a way, by making Rocky's character so complex, we get a detailed account of the man by an inspired young actor that went to become a legend in his own right.

The supporting cast was excellent. Eileen Heckart is the suffering Ida Barbella, a woman who has been cheated out of everything by a husband that is a brute. Harold Stone is also good as Nick Barbella. Pier Angeli is sweet as Norma and Sal Mineo makes the best out of Romolo, the childhood friend. Everett Sloan plays the pivotal role of Irving Cohen.

In the film we see a lot of interesting young actors who went to have their own distinguished careers later on. Steve McQueen, Robert Loggia, George C. Scott, Frank Campanella, and other New York based theater actors are seen in the background without any credit.

This is a boxing film that was way ahead of the others because of the tight direction of Robert Wise.