Rocky II (1979)

Director:

Sylvester Stallone

Writer:

Sylvester Stallone (written by)

Release Date:

15 June 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

He was one punch away from the heavyweight championship of the world. Now he's one heartbeat away from losing the woman he loves.

Plot:

Rocky struggles in family life after his bout with Apollo Creed, while the embarrassed champ insistently goads him to accept a challenge for a rematch.

Plot Keywords:

Fight | Rematch | Training | Boxer | Coma

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Sylvester Stallone	...	Rocky Balboa
Talia Shire	...	Adrian
Burt Young	...	Paulie
Carl Weathers	...	Apollo Creed
Burgess Meredith	...	Mickey Goldmill
Tony Burton	...	Duke (Apollo's Trainer)
Joe Spinell	...	Tony Gazzo
Leonard Gaines	...	Agent
Sylvia Meals	...	Mary Anne Creed
Frank McRae	...	Meat Foreman
Al Silvani	...	Cutter
John Pleshette	...	Director
Stu Nahan	...	Announcer
Bill Baldwin	...	Commentator
Jerry Ziesmer	...	Salesman
Paul Micale	...	Father Carmine (as Paul J. Micale)
Earl Montgomery	...	Employment Manager
Herb Nanas	...	Employment Manager
Stuart K. Robinson	...	Johnny (as Stuart Robinson)
Frank Stallone	...	Singer
Charles 'Honi' Coles	...	Singer (as Charles Coles)
Doug Flor	...	Singer
Robert Kondyra	...	Singer
James Zazzarino	...	Singer
Eddie 'El Annimal' Lopez	...	Fighter (as Eddie Lopez)
Taurean Blacque	...	Lawyer
James J. Casino	...	Chink's Manager (as James Casino)
Shaka Cumbuka	...	Cornerman
Samuel Davis	...	Apollo's Bodyguard
Roberto Durán	...	Fighter (as Roberto Duran)
Lou Fillipo	...	Referee (as Lou Filippo)
Ruth Ann Flynn	...	Jewelry Sales Lady
Linda Grey	...	Agent
Grainger Hines	...	Emergency Room Aide
Garrie Kelly	...	White Hunter
Ava Lazar	...	White Hunter
Joseph Letizia	...	Car Salesman
René Le Vant	...	Young Lugger (as Rene Le Vant)
Tawny Little	...	Reporter
Paul McCrane	...	Young Patient
Sonny Melendrez	...	Reporter
Tony Munafo	...	Boxer
Brent Musburger	...	Himself
Ed Ness	...	Timekeeper
Fred Pinkard	...	Lawyer
Jane Marla Robbins	...	Gloria
Hank Rolike	...	Cornerman
David L. Ross	...	Reporter (as David Ross)
Fran Ryan	...	Adrian's Nurse
Whitney Rydbeck	...	Sound Man
Shepherd Sanders	...	Employment Manager (as Sheperd Sanders)
Jeff Temkin	...	Ring Announcer
Allan Warnick	...	Makeup Man
Charles Winkler	...	Camera Assistant
James Zaza	...	Emergency Room Reporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rutanya Alda	...	Doctor Cooper (uncredited)
Ted Braverman	...	Extra (uncredited)
Tom Lawrence	...	Ringside Color Announcer (uncredited)
Taaffe O'Connell	...	Ring Girl (uncredited)
Velvet Rhodes	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Hank Robinson	...	White-Haired Reporter (uncredited)
Brenda Siemer Scheider	...	Ring Girl #2 (uncredited)
Butkus Stallone	...	Dog (uncredited)
Seargeoh Stallone	...	Robert 'Rocky' Balboa Jr. (uncredited)

Directed by
Sylvester Stallone

Writing credits
Sylvester Stallone		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Chartoff	....	producer
Arthur Chobanian	....	associate producer
Irwin Winkler	....	producer

Original Music by
Bill Conti

Cinematography by
Bill Butler

Film Editing by
Stanford C. Allen
Janice Hampton

Casting by
Michael McLean

Art Direction by
Richard Berger

Set Decoration by
Ed Baer

Makeup Department
Philip Goldblat	....	makeup artist (as Phil Goldblatt)
Jean Burt Reilly	....	hair stylist
Michael Westmore	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Elie Cohn	....	second assistant director
Ira H. Gallen	....	second assistant director (as Ira Gallen)
Robert Odom	....	dga trainee
Jerry Ziesmer	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Kevin Chambers	....	swing gang
Bill Dietz	....	property master
Floyd Farrington	....	assistant property master
Bill Gay	....	lead man (as William Gay)
Claude F. Powell	....	construction coordinator (as Claude Powell)
Lambert Powell	....	construction foreman
Peter R. Romero	....	assistant art director (as Peter Romero)
Vernon Yeager	....	stand-by painter
Fred Lucky	....	storyboard illustrator (uncredited)
Eugene J. Reed	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
John S. Coffey	....	cable person (as John Coffey)
Gordon Davidson	....	sound effects editorial staff
Rebecca Einfeld	....	sound effects editorial staff
Gary S. Gerlich	....	sound effects editorial staff (as Gary Gerlich)
Rick Kline	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Richard Kline)
Bobbe Kurtz	....	loop editor
Jimmy Ling	....	sound effects editorial staff (as James B. Ling)
Victoria Martin	....	sound effects editorial staff
Bob Minkler	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Robert Minkler)
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Robert A. Reich	....	sound effects editorial staff (as Robert Arnold Reich)
William A. Sawyer	....	sound effects editorial staff (as William Sawyer)
Kenneth Schwarz	....	boom operator (as Ken Schwarz)
Frank E. Warner	....	supervising sound effects editor (as Frank Warner)
Charles M. Wilborn	....	sound mixer (as Chuck Wilborn)
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Jimmy Nickerson	....	stunt coordinator
Freddie Hice	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bennie Moore	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Martin G. Beazell	....	second assistant camera (as G. Martin Beazell)
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator
Jim Brown	....	camera operator
Colin J. Campbell	....	gaffer (as Colin Campbell)
Earl L. Clark	....	first assistant camera (as Earl Lynn Clark)
William Coleman	....	first assistant camera (as Bill Coleman)
James R. Connell	....	camera operator (as Jim Connell)
Bob Greene	....	still photographer
Randy Hart	....	best boy
George Hill	....	key grip
Christine M. Loss	....	still photographer (as Christine Loss)
Barry Oiffer	....	second assistant camera
James M. Sheppherd	....	dolly grip (as Jim Shepherd)
George Staubs	....	second grip
Orlando Suero	....	still photographer
Mike Chevalier	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Joy Todd	....	casting: Philadelphia
Cash Oshman	....	crowd casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sandy Berke Jordan	....	costumes: women (as Sandra Berke)
Tom Bronson	....	costumes: men (as Thomas Bronson)

Editorial Department
Ross Albert	....	assistant editor
Donah Bassett	....	negative cutter
James D. Brubaker	....	post-production coordinator (as James Brubaker)
Gregory M. Gerlich	....	assistant editor (as Greg Gerlich)
Danford B. Greene	....	supervising editor
Jerelyn J. Harding	....	assistant editor (as Jerelyn Golding)
Christopher Holmes	....	editor: fight scenes (as Christopher V. Holmes)
James Mitchell	....	editor: fight scenes (as James D. Mitchell)
Janice Parker	....	assistant editor
Nancy Sales	....	assistant editor
James R. Symons	....	editor: fight and training montages
Jan Wesley	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Allison Caine	....	vocal effects advisor
Dennis S. Sands	....	scoring mixer (as Dennis Sands)
Joe Tuley	....	music editor
Denise Bradley	....	singer: theme music (uncredited)
Bill Conti	....	conductor (uncredited)
Bill Conti	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Peter T. Myers	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Gloria O'Brien	....	singer: theme music (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Russell McEntyre	....	transportation coordinator
Dan Riportella	....	transportation co-captain (as Daniel Riportella)

Other crew
Dale Benson	....	location manager
Stanley Brossette	....	publicist
Louis Chirco	....	craft service
Janet Crosby	....	assistant to producers
Pen Densham	....	supervisor: fight and training montages
Chip Fowler	....	production office coordinator
Michael S. Glick	....	production executive
Vince Heileson	....	paymaster
Bruce Hoffman	....	additional photographic credit
Linda Horner	....	assistant: Mr. Stallone
Lori Imbler	....	assistant to producers
Patrice J. Klinger	....	production assistant (as Patrice Klinger)
Larry Kramer	....	production assistant
Joseph Letizia	....	company representative (as Joe Letizia)
Chris Raphael	....	promotional appearances
Marge Rowland	....	production accountant
Ellen Shire	....	location coordinator
Al Silvani	....	technical advisor
Marie Sorell	....	nurse
Sylvester Stallone	....	boxing choreographer
John Watson	....	supervisor: fight and training montages
Marshall J. Wolins	....	script supervisor (as Marshall Wolins)
Raechel Donahue	....	voice talent (uncredited)
Donna Smith	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Michael E. Uslan	....	production attorney (uncredited)

Thanks
Jane Oliver	....	dedicatee

Distributors

• United Artists (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (The Undisputed Collection)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Argentina Video Home (1995) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1986) (Greece) (VHS)
• Blu Shine (2010) (Argentina) (video) (Blu-ray)
• Gativideo (2007) (Argentina) (DVD) (6-disc Rocky Anthology)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (The Undisputed Collection)
• Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (2011) (Argentina) (DVD) (6-disc Rocky: The Complete Saga)

Other Companies

• Group IV Recording  music recorded at
• Mclean/Ebbins/Mansour Casting Co.  casting
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles
• Pacific Title  opticals

Also Known As:

"Rocky 2" - Japan (English title)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta) (re-rating) (1999) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Iceland:12 | Canada:14A (Ontario - 2006) | Mexico:A | South Korea:12 | Brazil:12 | Peru:14 | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

1818 East Tusculum Street, Kensington, North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Trivia:

When Rocky is training for the fight, he is sparring with a smaller quicker fighter. The sparring partner is played by real life Champion Roberto Durán.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the 15th round, Rocky is punching Apollo in the red corner. The camera turns to Mickey for a period of two or three punches; it turns back and suddenly Rocky and Apollo are in the black corner.

Quotes:

Mickey:Hey Rock. It's three in the morning. I went up to your house there and they told me you was here. It's 3am, kid. You know that Adrian, she's a good girl. Me, you know I'm sorry for both of ya. There's nothing I can do about it. Except, uh, I wanna tell you this once and then...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Lemon of Troy (#6.24)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

TWO KINDS OF LOVE

Same Story, Both Continued AND Re-told

I'm old enough to remember the thrill of seeing each of the "Rocky" films during their original, theatrical runs. The magical component that Stallone achieved was to tell nearly the exact same story, twice in a row, with the same characters... and yet, he gives us a one-two punch that hits just solidly as the first.

It's truly a remarkable feat. Differences? We've already met all the characters. Gone is the sense of discovery, the sense of learning who these people are. We already know, don't we? Yet, Stallone's characters are sufficiently interesting enough for us to want to spend more time with them, seeing them in a world most of us don't know, living a life few of us would really want. While the sense of discovery about these characters is gone, our joy of being a voyeur into their world is not.

It's a toss up which movie, "Rocky" or "Rocky II," asks us to suspend disbelief more. In "Rocky," we have to accept that a nobody, unrated, club fighter could a) get the chance to fight the world champion. B) He could possibly defy all odds and go the distance. That's a huge stretch only possible in Hollywood movies, classifying the first movie as a fairy tale along the lines of Cinderella.

Soap opera-esquire is not a bad way to characterize "Rocky II" because of the emotional ride, but I don't find it as trite as a soap opera. Rocky's actions are very believable, from his earnings feeling like a fortune to him (when they were obviously not), to his illiteracy and his unsophisticated, "punch drunk" boxer. The ramifications of his past are believable. He fritters away the money and is unable to capitalize on his 15 minutes of fame. Hey, it happens all the time. Very believable.

With a pregnant wife, no job, and no way to pay his bills, he's backed into a corner. What's a fighter to do? (And in this case, I mean "a fighter" in its most literal sense.) He's willing to risk his health and even his marriage to do what any man should do: provide for his family.

Adrian's bit of drama is the single "problem" with the movie, but it's also the heart of the movie. It's not a movie about losing it all and coming back again, it's much more than that. It's about a simple man who's trying to do the best he can with the only tools he has. And when Adrian is first to go down for the count, it puts it all in jeopardy.

It's not until his wife is ready to accept him as he is, for what he is, that he can continue his quest, one more fight, for his family, for himself.

The story arc feels so similar to the first movie that this one is often tossed to the side, yet it truly is amazing how Stallone managed to re-imagine all the magic of the first movie and, better still, give us a second helping of it that's just as sweet. Enjoy!