Rocky (1976)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

John G. Avildsen

Writer:

Sylvester Stallone (written by)

Release Date:

3 December 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

His whole life was a million-to-one shot.

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 Balboa
Talia Shire	...	Adrianna 'Adrian' Pennino
Burt Young	...	Paulie Pennino
Carl Weathers	...	Apollo Creed
Burgess Meredith	...	Mickey Goldmill
Thayer David	...	Jergens
Joe Spinell	...	Tony Gazzo
Jimmy Gambina	...	Mike
Bill Baldwin	...	Fight Announcer
Al Silvani	...	Cut Man (as Al Salvani)
George Memmoli	...	Ice Rink Attendant
Jodi Letizia	...	Marie
Diana Lewis	...	TV Commentator
George O'Hanlon	...	TV Commentator
Larry Carroll	...	TV Interviewer
Stan Shaw	...	Dipper
Don Sherman	...	Bartender
Billy Sands	...	Club Fight Announcer
Pedro Lovell	...	Spider Rico
DeForest Covan	...	Apollo's Corner
Simmy Bow	...	Club Corner Man
Tony Burton	...	Apollo's Trainer
Hank Rolike	...	Apollo Corner Man
Shirley O'Hara	...	Secretary
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	...	Himself
Butkus Stallone	...	Dog
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bobby Cassidy	...	Ringside Police Officer (uncredited)
Michael Dorn	...	Apollo Creed's bodyguard (uncredited)
Arnold Johnson	...	Extra (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 (in alphabetical order)
Sylvester Stallone		written by

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

Original Music by
Bill Conti

Cinematography by
James Crabe

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 designer (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)
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.)

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)

Production Companies

• Chartoff-Winkler Productions

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/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
• MGM Titles  titles and opticals

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (Alberta) (re-rating) (1999) | 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 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Chartoff-Winkler Productions

Trivia:

Adrian's last name was Klein in the original script.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the big fight, the arena is clearly empty at times. This is because only 50 extras could be afforded for the scenes, and despite cinematographer James Crabe's best efforts to hide this fact, occasional, if one looks hard enough, one can see most of the arena is empty.

Quotes:

Rocky: Hey, yo, Mike, whose lock is this? Whose stuff is this in my locker?
Mike: It's Dipper's stuff. It ain't your locker no more.
Rocky: Whatta ya talkin' about it ain't my locker no more? It's been my locker for six years. Where's my gear?
Mike: Mickey told me to bag it. Hang it.
Rocky: You put my stuff on skid row? I been in that locker six years; you put my stuff in a bag on skid row?
Mike: Mickey tells me what to do. I gotta do it, right, Rock?
Rocky: Where is he?
Mike: Working with Dipper. He's in a baaad mood.
Rocky: So am I.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Angry Video Game Nerd: Chronologically Confused About Sequel Titles (#1.15)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Gonna Fly

His whole life was a million-to-one shot...

When I was a kid there were only three major things in my life: food, wrestling and `Rocky'. My brother and I followed the numerous Rocky Balboa struggles religiously, and even today, there is no exception. Although the latest efforts of Stallone have been pitiful, the movie that made his career is the 1977 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture, `Rocky'. On top of that, `Rocky' also earned two more Academy Awards for Best Film-Editing and Best Director (John G. Avildsen).

This movie is unlike any other ever put on film. It's films like this that remind us of the beauty that is going to the cinema, and if only I was around during that year when such films as `Close Encounters of the Third Kind', `Jaws', `Saturday Night Fever' and `Network' were all playing in cinemas. The storyline takes place in Philadelphia, where Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) struggles to make a living as both a small-time boxer, and the brawn of a loan shark. Until one day, a sudden opportunity is handed to Rocky to compete for the World Heavy-Weight Title against the champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), a charismatic and flamboyant fighter labelled as `The King of Sting' and `The Master Of Disaster'. Attracted to Rocky's reputation as "The Italian Stallion", a match between Creed and the unknown boxer is set, which is subsequently advertised as a fight where a "nobody" can become a "somebody". Mickey (Burgess Meredith), is the owner of the gym where Rocky trains and later becomes Rocky's manager. Mickey is passionate about the world of boxing, and believes that Rocky has the potential to go the distance, instead of being `a cheap second rate loan-shark'. However, the central character in Rocky's life is Adrian (Talia Shire), a shy pet-store clerk, who acts awkwardly when Rocky even breathes in her direction. However, these almost completely distant outcasts are strangely drawn to each other. While one `didn't have much of a brain', the other `didn't have much of a body', so they worked on their opposites, only to end up together. The legend of this film when it was first released in the mid-70's was: `His whole life was a-million-to-one shot', but what Stallone did was prove to the world that `Rocky' is one-in-a-million.

Seeing `Rocky' is both a cinematic experience and a religious experience. When first released, the film appealed to the widest audience, and all felt the emotion and intense passion which passed from the film, to them. The film's possession of realistic acting, superb dialogue and the most phenomenal music score by Bill Conti to date, indeed transformed the face of cinema. Stallone's wholesome performance of his own screenplay is electrifying as the film celebrates of the underdog battling to beat the odds. Fans of cinema aren't manipulated into thinking that the inevitable will happen as it does in every other tedious hero drama.

Over 25 years on, `Rocky' still manages to let the audience's emotions explode; Rocky's blossoming relationship with Adrian, the seedy worlds of Mickey and Adrian's alcoholic brother, Paulie (Burt Young), and the affirmation of Rocky's inability to overcome Creed. And who could forget the excruciatingly compelling Balboa / Creed confrontation? Rocky's determination overturns the boxing fraternity, and supplies cinemaphiles with one of the greatest moments in cinematic history, as a body of spectators both on-screen and off applaud and chant for Rocky in unison. The following four Rocky sequels attempted to deliver the same magic as the original, however failed to convey it's message. `Rocky' illustrates how life itself is stifling and perplexing, but sometimes when you lose your way as well as your original intentions, you may just find something better.

Simply put, if anyone has a free Friday / Saturday night, this is the film to go out and borrow from the local video store. It's unbelievable that this film was only voted in at #78 on the AFI Top 100 films of all time, and worse yet, was voted in at the SECOND best sports film of all time (the first went to `Hoosiers', starring Gene Hackman). C'mon people, be you black or white or brown or any other skin colour we have yet to discover, get out there and be inspired by Stallone's masterpiece, `Rocky'.