Body and Soul (1947)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writer:

Abraham Polonsky (writer)

Release Date:

9 November 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Sport

Tagline:

The story of a guy that women go for!

Plot:

Charley Davis wins an amateur boxing match and is taken on by promoter Quinn. Charley's mother doesn't want him to fight...

Plot Keywords:

Boxing | Cult Favorite | Social Worker | Boxing Film

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

John Garfield	...	Charlie 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
Art Smith	...	David Davis
James Burke	...	Arnold
Virginia Gregg	...	Irma
Peter Virgo	...	Drummer, Roberts' Bodyguard
Joe Devlin	...	Prince
Shimen Ruskin	...	Shimen, the Grocer (as Shimen Rushkin)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Larry Anzalone	...	Fighter being knockedout (uncredited)
Holly Bane	...	Ring Photographer (uncredited)
Ed Begley	...	Party leader (uncredited)
Eddie Borden	...	Fight Crowd Extra (uncredited)
George M. Carleton	...	Prizefight Doctor (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Doctor attending to Ben (uncredited)
Mary Currier	...	Miss Tedder (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Artie Dorrell	...	Jack Marlowe (uncredited)
Al Eben	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Ceferino García	...	Boxer in training camp (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Cornerman (uncredited)
John Indrisano	...	Referee for Davis / Marlowe Fight (uncredited)
Sheldon Jett	...	Sam, Pool Hall Proprietor (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Dan, Marlowe's Manager (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	The Timekeeper (uncredited)
Glen Lee	...	Marino (uncredited)
Theodore Lorch	...	Man at Weigh-in (uncredited)
George Magrill	...	Fight Stadium Cop (uncredited)
Pat McKee	...	Fight Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Sid Melton	...	Ringsider (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Fight Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Weigh-in Official (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Frank Riggi	...	Boxer in training camp (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Victor, the Butler (uncredited)
Tim Ryan	...	Jack Shelton (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Fight Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	Party Extra (uncredited)
Dan Tobey	...	Fight Announcer (uncredited)
George Tyne	...	Charlie's Friend (uncredited)
Sailor Vincent	...	Fight Crowd Extra (uncredited)
John Wald	...	Ringside Announcer (uncredited)
Ulysses Williams	...	Boxer getting knockedout (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Rossen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Abraham Polonsky		writer

Produced by
Bob Roberts	....	producer

Original Music by
Hugo Friedhofer

Cinematography by
James Wong Howe

Film Editing by
Robert Parrish

Art Direction by
Nathan Juran

Set Decoration by
Edward G. Boyle

Makeup Department
Gustaf Norin	....	makeup supervisor (as Gustaf M. Norin)

Production Management
Joseph C. Gilpin	....	executive production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Aldrich	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Frank Webster	....	sound engineer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marion Herwood Keyes	....	wardrobe designer

Editorial Department
Francis D. Lyon	....	supervising editor

Music Department
Emil Newman	....	conductor
Rudolph Polk	....	musical director
Stan Getz	....	musician: sax, theme title (uncredited)
Jerome Moross	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Gunther von Fritsch	....	montages director (as Gunther V. Fritsch)

Production Companies

• Enterprise Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anglo-Amalgamated Film Distributors (1950) (UK) (theatrical)
• Favorite Films (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Artisan Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Wild Side Vidéo (2003) (France) (DVD)
• Iris-Film (1962) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Republic Pictures (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Sound Services  sound recording

Also Known As:

An Affair of the Heart

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #12435) | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-16

Company:

Enterprise Productions

Trivia:

The poem quoted by Peg Born (Lilli Palmer) is "The Tiger" by William Blake, an English poet and artist.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Charley Davis's fiancee, Peg, leaves him a note and misspells his name, "Charlie."

Quotes:

Quinn: [to Alice] He could've had the whole world. So he leaned over sideways and grabbed you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Odd Couple: I Do, I Don't (#1.7)" (1970)

Soundtrack:

Body and Soul

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.