Body and Soul (1947)

Charley Davis wins an amateur boxing match and is taken on by promoter Quinn. Charley's mother doesn't want him to fight, but when Charley's father is accidentally killed, Charley sets up a... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writer:

Abraham Polonsky (original screenplay)

Stars:

John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Hazel Brooks

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Garfield	...	Charley Davis
Lilli Palmer	...	Peg Born
Hazel Brooks	...	Alice
Anne Revere	...	Anna Davis
William Conrad	...	Quinn
Joseph Pevney	...	Shorty Polaski
Lloyd Gough	...	Roberts (as Lloyd Goff)
Canada Lee	...	Ben Chaplin

Storyline

Charley Davis wins an amateur boxing match and is taken on by promoter Quinn. Charley's mother doesn't want him to fight, but when Charley's father is accidentally killed, Charley sets up a fight for money. His career blooms as he wins fight after fight, but soon an unethical promoter named Roberts begins to show an interest in Charley, and Charley finds himself faced with increasingly difficult choices.

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Plot Keywords:

boxing | cult film | social worker | boxing film

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Taglines:

The story of a guy that women go for!

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Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir | Sport

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 November 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

An Affair of the Heart

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enterprise Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A remarkable eight members of the cast and crew went on to become directors: actors William Conrad and Joseph Pevney, writer Abraham Polonsky, cinematographer James Wong Howe, editor Robert Parrish, art director Nathan Juran, assistant director Robert Aldrich and script supervisor Don Weis. Additionally, set decorator Edward Boyle directed a film in the silent era.

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Goofs

In the first dressing room scene, there's a close-up of Quinn leaning against the wall. In the very next shot, he's standing a few feet in front of the wall, then backs up and leans against it again.

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Quotes

Charlie Davis: Get yourself a new boy. I retire.
Roberts: What makes you think you can get away with this?
Charlie Davis: What are you gonna do? Kill me? Everybody dies.

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Connections

Referenced in The Exorcist (1973)

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Soundtracks

"Body and Soul"
Music by Johnny Green
Lyrics by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton

User Reviews

The usual tale, told well

In many ways, 'Body and Soul' is a very typical Hollywood story. It has the 'local boy makes it big', the 'vamp and the virgin', the 'corrupt businessmen' and of course the final moral fight. However, James Wong Howe's brilliant cinematography and John Garfield's solid acting lift this movie above the norm. Every emotion is heart-felt, and the tension at the end is perfectly presented. One of the best boxing movies.