Rocky (1976)

A small-time boxer gets a supremely rare chance to fight a heavyweight champion in a bout in which he strives to go the distance for his self-respect.

Director:

John G. Avildsen

Writer:

Sylvester Stallone

Stars:

Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young

Top Rated Movies #231 | Won 3 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sylvester Stallone	...	Rocky
Talia Shire	...	Adrian
Burt Young	...	Paulie
Carl Weathers	...	Apollo
Burgess Meredith	...	Mickey
Thayer David	...	Jergens
Joe Spinell	...	Gazzo
Jimmy Gambina	...	Mike
Bill Baldwin	...	Fight Announcer
Al Silvani	...	Cut Man (as Al Salvani)
George Memmoli	...	Ice Rink Attendant
Jodi Letizia	...	Marie
Diana Lewis	...	TV Commentator
George O'Hanlon	...	TV Commentator
Larry Carroll	...	TV Interviewer

Storyline

Rocky Balboa is a struggling boxer trying to make the big time, working as a debt collector for a pittance. When heavyweight champion Apollo Creed visits Philadelphia, his managers want to set up an exhibition match between Creed and a struggling boxer, touting the fight as a chance for a "nobody" to become a "somebody". The match is supposed to be easily won by Creed, but someone forgot to tell Rocky, who sees this as his only shot at the big time.

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Plot Keywords:

1970s | boxer | fistfight | boxing | training | 

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Taglines:

A true hero goes all the way!

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Genres:

Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

When he agreed to make the film, John G. Avildsen had never watched a professional boxing match, nor had he ever seen a boxing movie.

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Goofs

Rocky fights Apollo at the Spectrum Stadium in Philadelphia. As Adrian comes out to watch the fight, a Los Angeles police officer is standing behind her in the corridor.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Club fight attendee: Come on, Spider!

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Crazy Credits

Butkus the dog is credited as "Butkus Stallone".

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Alternate Versions

A different ending was originally filmed for this movie. In the original ending, Rocky walked out of the ring and met Adrian in the tunnel to the stadium. They walked down the tunnel, hand in hand, and the last shot was from behind of Rocky and Adrian walking down the tunnel. Test audiences said the end was too depressing and it was reshot with Adrian's now classic run to the ring while Rocky screams her name.

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Connections

Referenced in Monk: Mr. Monk Is on the Air (2007)

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Soundtracks

Take Me Back
Music & Lyrics by Frank Stallone
Performed by Valentine

User Reviews

One of the greatest movies of all time.

I don't remember exactly when I first saw this film, but for a long time I thought that the second of the series was my favorite. Well, I recently bought the DVD box-set and after I watched the first movie again I knew that it was definitely the best in the series, and also one of the best movies ever made. Rocky is very much more than just a boxing movie. It's a movie about the unbreakable human spirit, determination, and the will to "go the distance." Rocky(Sylvester Stallone) is a second rate club-fighter and a debt collector for a loan shark(Joe Spinnell). He becomes involved with a shy girl working in a petshop named Adrian(Talia Shire), and also becomes friends with her brother Paulie(Burt Young). Rocky's life really isn't anything of interest - until the World Heavyweight Champion Apollo Creed(Carl Weathers) gives him an unexpected shot at the title. An old boxer-turned-trainer named Mick(Burgess Meredith) offers to be Rocky's manager. Although the whole film is outstanding, what follows are some of the greatest and most memorable movie moments of all time. Rocky striving to go the distance in the training scene, the final fight, and the closing moments of the film are so emotional and inspiring that they perfectly demonstrate the human spirit and can bring out the will to win in anybody. Add to this an excellent music score and you have a classic and unforgettable movie. Without a doubt deserved the Best Picture award in 1976. Exceptional performances by all the cast members, notably Burgess Meredith and Sylvester Stallone. **** out of ****

Details

Official Sites:

Instagram MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rocky

Filming Locations:

2822-2824 Rosehill St, Philadelphia, Pensylvannia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$960,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$117,235,147

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$117,250,382

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chartoff-Winkler Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 145 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1