Rocky (1976)

Director:

John G. Avildsen

Writer:

Sylvester Stallone (written by)

Release Date:

3 December 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

You have a ringside seat for the bloodiest bicentennial in history!

Plot:

A small time boxer gets a once in a lifetime chance to fight the heavyweight champ in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Philadelphia | Boxing | Training | Dog

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	Rocky
Talia Shire	...	Adrian
Burt Young	...	Paulie
Carl Weathers	...	Apollo
Thayer David	...	Jergens
Joe Spinell	...	Gazzo
Jimmy Gambina	...	Mike
George Memmoli	...	Ice Rink Attendant
Bill Baldwin	...	Fight Announcer
Billy Sands	...	Club Fight Announcer
Don Sherman	...	Bartender
Shirley O'Hara	...	Secretary
Arnold Johnson
Tony Burton	...	Apollo's Trainer
Jodi Letizia	...	Marie
Burgess Meredith	...	Mickey
Al Silvani	...	Cut Man (as Al Salvani)
Diana Lewis	...	TV Commentator
George O'Hanlon	...	TV Commentator
Larry Carroll	...	TV Interviewer
Stan Shaw	...	Dipper
Pedro Lovell	...	Club Fighter
DeForest Covan	...	Apollo's Corner
Simmy Bow	...	Club Corner Man
Hank Rolike	...	Apollo Corner Man
Kathleen Parker	...	Paulie's Date
Frank Stallone	...	Timekeeper
Lloyd Kaufman	...	Drunk
Jane Marla Robbins	...	Owner of Pet Shop
Jack Hollander	...	Fats
Joe Sorbello	...	Bodyguard
Christopher Avildsen	...	Chiptooth
Frankie Van	...	Club Fight Referee
Lou Fillipo	...	Championship Fight Announcer
Paris Eagle	...	Fighter
Frank Stallone	...	Streetcorner Singer (as Frank Stallone Jr.)
Robert L. Tangrea	...	Streetcorner Singer
Peter Glassberg	...	Streetcorner Singer
William E. Ring	...	Streetcorner Singer
Joseph C. Giambelluc	...	Streetcorner Singer
Joe Frazier	...	Special Guest Appearance
Butkus Stallone	...	Dog
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bobby Cassidy	...	Ringside Police Officer (uncredited)
Michael Dorn	...	Apollo Creed's Bodyguard (uncredited)
Robert Leh	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Stu Nahan	...	Fight Commentator (uncredited)
Frank Pesce	...	Extra on Street (uncredited)
Lavelle Roby	...	Mary Anne Creed (uncredited)

Directed by
John G. Avildsen

Writing credits
Sylvester Stallone		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Chartoff	....	producer
Gene Kirkwood	....	executive producer
Irwin Winkler	....	producer

Original Music by
Bill Conti		(music by)

Cinematography by
James Crabe		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Scott Conrad
Richard Halsey

Casting by
Caro Jones

Production Design by
William J. Cassidy		(as Bill Cassidy)

Art Direction by
James H. Spencer

Set Decoration by
Ray Molyneaux		(as Raymond Molyneaux)

Makeup Department
Michael Westmore	....	makeup creator (as Mike Westmore)

Production Management
Hal W. Polaire	....	executive in charge of production (as Hal Polaire)
Ted Swanson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred T. Gallo	....	first assistant director (as Fred Gallo)
Steve Perry	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Mike Miner	....	props
David Nichols	....	visual consultant

Sound Department
Ray Alba	....	post-production sound
Gene Ashbrook	....	sound mixer (as B. Eugene Ashbrook)
John Farrell	....	looping editor
Bert Schoenfeld	....	post-production sound (as Burt Schoenfeld)
Harry W. Tetrick	....	sound
Bud Alper	....	sound (uncredited)
Lyle J. Burbridge	....	sound (uncredited)
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)
William L. McCaughey	....	sound (uncredited)
Donald C. Rogers	....	sound (uncredited)

Stunts
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunt coordinator (as Jim Nickerson)
Glory Fioramonti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gray Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gene LeBell	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie Moore	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Garrett Brown	....	special camera effects
Richard J. Edesa	....	first assistant camera (as Dick Edessa)
Gene Kearney	....	key grip
Ross A. Maehl	....	electrical gaffer (as Ross Maehl)
Elliott Marks	....	still photographer
Jack Willoughby	....	camera operator
Lou Angeli	....	dolly grip (uncredited)
Ralf D. Bode	....	director of photography: second unit (uncredited)
Mike Chevalier	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Aristides Pappidas	....	gaffer: second unit (uncredited)
Serge Poupis	....	first assistant camera: additional camera (uncredited)
Kit Whitmore	....	focus puller: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Cambel	....	costumer
Joanne Hutchinson	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Janice Hampton	....	assistant film editor
Geoffrey Rowland	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Joe Tuley	....	music editor (as Joseph Tuley Jr.)
Bill Conti	....	conductor (uncredited)
Bill Conti	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Ami Hadani	....	music engineer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Mike Grover	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Joan Arnold	....	production secretary
Dale Benson	....	location manager
Janet Crosby	....	assistant to producer (as Janet Crosy)
Jimmy Gambina	....	technical advisor
Gloria Gonzales	....	assistant to producer
Lloyd Kaufman	....	pre-production supervisor
David Kramer	....	publicist
Joseph Letizia	....	liaison: Philadelphia (as Joe Letizia)
Bonnie Prendergast	....	script supervisor
Carol Rosenstein	....	assistant to director
Marge Rowland	....	location auditor
Sylvester Stallone	....	boxing choreographer
Jeff Kanew	....	trailer (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Steve Sayre	....	assistant fight choreographer (uncredited)

Thanks
Jane Oliver	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Chartoff-Winkler Productions (as a Robert Chartoff - Irwin Winkler production)
• United Artists

Distributors

• United Artists (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1979) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• United Artists (1977) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Video (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2000) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2000) (UK) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (Europe) (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (France) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (France) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2000) (Italy) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (The Undisputed Collection)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Magnetic Video (1979) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1994) (Germany) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (199?) (Germany) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• F & B Ceco of California  photographic equipment (as F & B/Ceco)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals (as MGM)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Alberta) (re-rating) (1999) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | UK:A (original rating) | Iceland:12 | Mexico:A | Australia:M (TV rating) | Brazil:12 | Peru:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Italy:T | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1977) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG (PCA #24646) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

1818 East Tusculum Street, Kensington, North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Chartoff-Winkler Productions

Trivia:

Arnold Johnson is credited as a cast member in the opening credits, but is omitted in the more comprehensive end credits. Therefore, the opening credits are listed first in the IMDb cast list and rest of cast list is filled in from the end credits, as required by IMDb rules.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Rocky sees Marie and asks her if her brother knew she was hanging out with those "coconuts", he's smoking a cigarette. When he grabs her, the cigarette disappears.

Quotes:

Paulie: I want you outta here instamatically.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Krusty Gets Kancelled (#4.22)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

The First Noel

A great Sylvester Stallone film

If you think Sylvester Stallone has made nothing but stinkers you just have to see 'Rocky'. This is a brilliant film, based on Stallone's own screenplay, where he plays a complex character in such a terrific way it is not strange people thought this was going to be a great actor. Compare it to another great film about a boxer, 'Raging Bull', and 'Rocky' will be better at some points. It goes without saying that it's quite an achievement.

The story is about Rocky Balboa (Stallone), a boxer who once had a glorious future, but now fights for little money in gyms. Then, out of the blue, he gets the chance to fight the heavyweight champ Apollo (Carl Weathers), a stunt from his side. Although Rocky seems to have no chance he starts his training to make the best of it, although at first he is too proud to accept any help. The scene where he finally accepts the help from his old trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith) is one of the best scenes in the film. Rocky also starts dating the very shy girl Adrian (Talia Shire), sister of his friend Paulie (Burt Young).

'Rocky' is a terrific film in every aspect. The acting is what amazed me the most. Stallone gives such an impressive performance it is very hard to believe he is also the star of films like 'Over the Top', 'Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot' and 'Judge Dredd', and from the other 'Rocky'-films for that matter. Not only Stallone is impressive, Shire, Young and Meredith find perfect notes for their characters as well. Every little thing that happens seems natural through their acting and of course Stallone's screenplay does a great job here. Director John G. Avildsen serves this material the way he should. Of course he is no Martin Scorsese, 'Raging Bull' stays the better directed film, but he knows how to tell this story.

I do not like boxing very much, so a boxing-film is not something I would enjoy. But this is not a boxing-film, it is a film about a boxer. It tells about a character who happens to be a boxer running for a title. This is probably one of the points where the other four 'Rocky'-films fail and where films like this one and 'Raging Bull' and Clint Eastwood's 'Million Dollar Baby' succeed.