Somebody Up There Likes Me is a 1956 American biographical sports drama film directed by Robert Wise, adapted by Ernest Lehman from the 1955 autobiography of middleweight boxing legend Rocky Graziano. It stars Paul Newman as Graziano, along with Pier Angeli, Everett Sloane, Eileen Heckart, Harold J. Stone, and Sal Mineo.
The film was released by MGM on July 3, 1956. It received positive reviews from critics and was a commercial success. At the 29th Academy Awards, the film won Oscars for Best Cinematography (Black and White) and Best Art Direction (Black and White).
Plot
Rocky Graziano 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 over his dishonorable discharge. 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.
Cast
Production
Casting
The film is notable for being one of Paul Newman's first starring roles. This also marked the film debuts of Eileen Heckart (as Graziano's mother, Ida), Dean Jones, George C. Scott, Robert Loggia, Frank Campanella, and Angela Cartwright. It was also the second-ever film role of Steve McQueen. 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. Dewey Martin and Dean Martin had both also been considered.
Reception
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.
| rowspan="3" |1956
|Best Cinematography (Black and White)
|Joseph Ruttenberg
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|Best Film Editing
|Albert Akst
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|Best Art Direction (Black and White)
|Cedric Gibbons, Malcolm Brown, Edwin B. Willis, F. Keogh Gleason
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|Circle of Cinematographic Writers
|1962
|Best Foreign Actor
|Paul Newman
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|Directors Guild of America
|1957
|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film
|Robert Wise
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|National Board of Review
|1956
|Top Ten Films
|
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|New York Film Critics Circle
|1956
|Best Screenplay
|Ernest Lehman
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|Photoplay
|1956
|Favorite Picture of the Year
|
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|Writers Guild of America
|1957
|Best Written American Drama
|Ernest Lehman
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|}
See also
- List of American films of 1956
- List of boxing films
- List of hood films