Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Ernest Lehman (screenplay)
Rocky Graziano (autobiography) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 July 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

A Girl Can Lift A Fellow To The Skies!

Plot:

Rocky Graziano is building a career in crime, when he's finally caught and arrested. In jail, he is undisciplined...

Plot Keywords:

Boxing | Army | Match Fixing | Juvenile Delinquent | Deserter

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Rocky Graziano
Pier Angeli	...	Norma Graziano
Everett Sloane	...	Irving Cohen
Eileen Heckart	...	Mrs. Ida 'Ma' Barbella
Sal Mineo	...	Romolo
Harold J. Stone	...	Nick Barbella
Joseph Buloff	...	Benny
Sammy White	...	Whitey Bimstein
Arch Johnson	...	Heldon
Robert P. Lieb	...	District Attorney Hogan (as Robert Lieb)
Theodore Newton	...	Athletic Commissioner Edward Eagan
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stanley Adams	...	Romolo's Attorney (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich	...	Ringside Photographer, Zale Fight (uncredited)
Walter Beaver	...	Sidekick (uncredited)
Michael Bookasta	...	Boy at Parade (uncredited)
William Boyett	...	Military Policeman Escort at Fight (uncredited)
Frank Campanella	...	Detective (uncredited)
Walter Cartier	...	Polack (uncredited)
Angela Cartwright	...	Audrey at age 3 (uncredited)
Russ Clark	...	Zale Fight Referee (uncredited)
Tom Coleman	...	Reporter at sparring session (uncredited)
Russ Conway	...	Capt. Grifton (uncredited)
Clancy Cooper	...	Capt. Lancheck (uncredited)
Matt Crowley	...	Lou Stillman (uncredited)
Michael Dante	...	Shorty the Greek (uncredited)
Ray Danton	...	Off-screen Reporter (voice) (uncredited)
Robert Duvall	...	MP (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Robert Easton	...	Cpl. Quinbury (uncredited)
John Eldredge	...	Reformatory Warden George Niles (uncredited)
Robert Gardett	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Tommy Garland	...	Referee (uncredited)
Jan Gillum	...	Yolanda at age 12 (uncredited)
Sam Gilman	...	Detective arresting Rocky (uncredited)
Pete Gonzales	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Charles Green	...	Curtis Hughtower - Fighter (uncredited)
Donna Jo Gribble	...	Yolanda Barbella (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Don Haggerty	...	Leavenworth Prison Guard (uncredited)
Bern Hoffman	...	Fat Man at Hijacking Attempt (uncredited)
Dynamite Jackson	...	Referee (uncredited)
Dean Jones	...	Private in Rocky's Tent at Army Base (uncredited)
Rodney Jones	...	Fighter (uncredited)
Jackie Kelk	...	George (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Fight Comissioner's Assistant (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Reformatory Guard (uncredited)
Jess Kirkpatrick	...	Chicago Reporter (uncredited)
Pat Lawless	...	Cop (uncredited)
David Leonard	...	Mr. Mueller (uncredited)
Len Lesser	...	Reporter at sparring session (uncredited)
Robert Loggia	...	Frankie Peppo (uncredited)
Jack Lomas	...	Reformatory Guard (uncredited)
Cy Malis	...	Referee (uncredited)
Gregg Martell	...	Guard (uncredited)
Joe McGuinn	...	Guard (uncredited)
Steve McQueen	...	Fidel (uncredited)
Tyler McVey	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Tony Michaels	...	Assistant Commissioner (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Counterman at Gym (uncredited)
Robin Morse	...	Reporter at Boxing Commission Hearing (uncredited)
Ben Moselle	...	Referee in Army Arena (uncredited)
Jimmy Murphy	...	Young guy at gym (uncredited)
Frank Nechero	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Ralph Neff	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Billy Nelson	...	Commissioner (uncredited)
James O'Rear	...	Judge (uncredited)
Jack Orrison	...	Detective (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Man in Bar (uncredited)
Judson Pratt	...	Johnny Hyland (uncredited)
Terry Rangno	...	Rocky at age 8 (uncredited)
Dick Rich	...	Geezer, Work Detail Guard (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan	...	One of Rocky's Friends (uncredited)
John Rosser	...	Detective (uncredited)
Benny Rubin	...	Fight Promoter (uncredited)
Willard Sage	...	Captain Earl Woodhope (uncredited)
Andy Savilla	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Sam Scar	...	Spectator (uncredited)
Jack Shea	...	Leavenworth Prison Guard (uncredited)
Don Shelton	...	Captain at Court Martial (uncredited)
Court Shepard	...	Tony Zale (uncredited)
Buster Slaven	...	Sidekick (uncredited)
Ray Stricklyn	...	Bryson (uncredited)
Sam Taub	...	Himself (uncredited)
James Todd	...	Colonel at Court Martial (uncredited)
Ray Walker	...	Zale Ring Announcer (uncredited)
Paul Weber	...	Chicago Reporter (uncredited)
Harry Wismer	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Ernest Lehman		(screenplay)
Rocky Graziano		(autobiography) and
Rowland Barber		(autobiography)

Produced by
James E. Newcom	....	associate producer
Charles Schnee	....	producer

Original Music by
Bronislau Kaper

Cinematography by
Joseph Ruttenberg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Albert Akst

Art Direction by
Malcolm Brown
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
F. Keogh Gleason		(as Keogh Gleason)
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Saunders	....	assistant director
Hank Moonjean	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Wesley C. Miller	....	recording supervisor (as Dr. Wesley C. Miller)
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Stunts
Lucky Kargo	....	stunts (uncredited)

Other crew
John Indrisano	....	technical advisor (as Johnny Indrisano)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema International Corporation (C.I.C.) (1956) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Towa (1963) (Japan) (theatrical) (revival)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1977) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1994) (Japan) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1973) (Finland) (TV) (1998) (TV2)

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Spain:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Norway:16 | USA:Approved (certificate #18008) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Sweden:15 | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1994)

Filming Locations:

Stillman's Gym - 8th Avenue between 54th & 55th Streets, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Film debut of Frank Campanella

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene where the manager comes to the house, passing all the news crews, the door of the house has three small windows in descending order. Once inside the house with Rocky's wife the door in the background has an arched window instead of three small windows.

Quotes:

Rocky Graziano: You know, I've been lucky. Somebody up there likes me.
Mrs. Norma Graziano: Somebody down here too.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Sound of Music: From Fact to Phenomenon (1994) (V)

Soundtrack:

Somebody Up There Likes Me

Incomplete biography of Graziano

Probably the director Robert Wise wanted to emphasize more on the behavior of young Graziano, his problems with his father, the time he spent in jail and his misdoing in the army, but some aspects of his final life as a boxer were not shown at all in the film, which ends with the rematch between Graziano and Tony Zale in Chicago in 1947, where Graziano did his best to knock out Zale. With this victory Graziano became world champion, something that did not last for long. Zale and Graziano met once again in 1948, and this time Zale finished his adversary with a knock out in the third round. Graziano wanted to come back in 1952 fighting against the famous Ray "Sugar" Robinson. In that fight, Graziano knocked down Robinson in the third round, but he recovered and finished with Graziano in the same third round. In any case, Graziano was a good boxer, and this bloody -violent sport put his life on the right track. Interesting to note that this was the first film (uncredited) in the career of the actor Steve McQueen. Sal Mineo again acted as a wrong young boy in New York. The actress Pier Angeli did a good work as Graziano's wife.