Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956 film)

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Somebody Up There Likes Me is a 1956 American drama film based on the life of middleweight boxing legend Rocky Graziano.[3][4] Joseph Ruttenberg was awarded a 1956 Oscar in the category of Best Cinematography (Black and White). The film also won the Oscar for Best Art Direction (Cedric Gibbons, Malcolm F. Brown, Edwin B. Willis, F. Keogh Gleason).[5] It was directed by Robert Wise.
Contents 
1 Story
2 Main cast
3 Production
4 Box Office
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
==Story==
Rocky Graziano (Paul Newman) has a difficult childhood and is beaten by his father. He joins a street gang, and undergoes a long history of criminal activities. He is sent to prison, where he is rebellious to all authority figures. After his release, he is drafted by the U.S. Army, but runs away. Needing money, he becomes a boxer, and finds that he has natural talent and wins six fights in a row before the Army finds him and dishonorably discharges him. He serves a year in a United States Disciplinary Barracks, and resumes his career as a boxer as a result.
While working his way to the title, he is introduced to his sister's friend Norma, whom he falls in love with and later marries. Starting a new, clean life, he rises to the top, but loses a title fight with Tony Zale. A person he knew in prison finds him and blackmails him into throwing a fight. Rocky fakes an injury and avoids the fight altogether. When he is interrogated by the district attorney, he refuses to name the blackmailer and has his license suspended. His manager gets him a fight in Chicago to fight Zale the middleweight champion, once more. Rocky wins the fight.
==Main cast==
Paul Newman as Rocky Graziano
Pier Angeli as Norma Graziano
Everett Sloane as Irving Cohen
Eileen Heckart as Ma Barbella
Harold J. Stone as Nick Barbella
Sal Mineo as Romolo
Ray Stricklyn as Bryson
Robert Loggia as Frankie Peppo
Steve McQueen as Fidel (uncredited)
Angela Cartwright as Rocky's daughter (uncredited)
==Production==
The role of Rocky Graziano was originally to be played by James Dean, but he died before filming began, and Paul Newman was asked to take the part.[6] Australian actor Rod Taylor was also considered for the part; although unsuccessful, his screen test impressed MGM enough for them to offer him a long term contract.[7]
The film was also notable for being one of Paul Newman's first starring roles and for being one of the first films in which Steve McQueen appeared. It also marked the film debuts of Frank Campanella, Robert Loggia, Angela Cartwright, and Dean Jones, all in uncredited bit parts.
Perry Como's version of the song, Somebody Up there Likes Me is played over the opening and closing credits.[8]
==Box Office==
According to MGM records the film earned $1,915,000 in the US and Canada and $1,445,000 elsewhere resulting in a profit of $609,000.[1]
==See also==
List of American films of 1956
==References==
1.^ Jump up to: a b c The Eddie Mannix Ledger, Los Angeles: Margaret Herrick Library, Center for Motion Picture Study.
2.Jump up ^ Domestic take - see 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1956', Variety Weekly, January 2, 1957
3.Jump up ^ Variety film review; July 4, 1956, page 6.
4.Jump up ^ Harrison's Reports film review; July 7, 1956, page 106.
5.Jump up ^ "NY Times: Somebody Up There Likes Me". NY Times. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
6.Jump up ^ Wise, Robert, (2006). - Somebody Up There Likes Me Commentary. - Turner Entertainment.
7.Jump up ^ Stephen Vagg, Rod Taylor: An Aussie in Hollywood, Bear Manor Media, 2010 p 51
8.Jump up ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049778/soundtrack?ref_=tt_trv_snd
==External links==
Somebody Up There Likes Me at the Internet Movie Database
Somebody Up There Likes Me at AllMovie
Somebody Up There Likes Me at the TCM Movie Database
Somebody Up There Likes Me at the American Film Institute Catalog
Category:1956 films
Category:English-language films
Category:1950s biographical films
Category:1950s drama films
Category:1950s sports films
Category:American biographical films
Category:American films
Category:American sports films
Category:Biographical films about sportspeople
Category:American black-and-white films
Category:Boxing films
Category:Films directed by Robert Wise
Category:Films whose art director won the Best Art Direction Academy Award
Category:Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography Academy Award
Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Category:Sports films based on actual events