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

To get a more fluid camera movement in the boxing ring, cinematographer James Wong Howe filmed the fight while holding the camera and being pushed by an assistant as he wore roller skates.

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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: You sold me out, you rat. Sold out, like Ben.

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Connections

Remade as The DuPont Show of the Month: Body and Soul (1959)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

The Best Film of its Genre

When considering the factors that contributed to making this movie one of truly great cinema classics, such as the story, the direction, the dialogue, the pathos, the conflicts, the supporting cast, the one factor that most directly contributed to making this movie great was that of it's star, John Garfield. Here, Garfield plays Charlie Davis, a brooding, moody, cynical, angry young man traumatized by his father's untimely and violent death and determined to literally fight his way out of poverty, no matter what it takes. Yet, Charlie Davis is likable, for despite the hardened exterior, he is still fundamentally a good man who is struggling to do what is right despite the pressure to cave in to those who merely want to use him. And although Charlie weakens, he never breaks, and when put to the test, his basic honesty and strength shine through, which makes him a hero and which transforms this movie from just another boxing movie into a true cinematic classic.