The film opens with Graziano's father, Nick Barbella, taunting and bullying his son in a pair of boxing gloves, a scene that establishes Rocky's insecurities for the rest of the film. Bright scenic lighting casts shadows across the families' apartment as Nick punches his young son and a group of neighborhood men laugh.
Rocky grows older and joins other thugs, including his best friend Romolo, played by Sal Mineo, in robbing fur coat trucks and stealing wheels off of cars on the streets of Manhattan. His life becomes a revolving door in-and-out of prison where he is nabbed for stealing, taken to military prison for punching an army captain and continually refers to himself as "on the lam."
Rocky changes his last name from Barbella to Graziano, also the name of an Italian wine, a decision that transforms his identity from ex-inmate to promising boxer, while psychologically forming an identity separate from Nick Barbella.
The only person who continues to care for Rocky through his criminal indiscretions is his mother, whom he calls Ma. Eileen Heckart plays Ma Barbella, who is torn between supporting her husband in his own failed boxing career and Rocky who spent the majority of his early life in prison. "I'm the only one in the world who cares if you live or die," she says to Rocky in prison.
Destitute and spiritless, he decides to train to be a boxer in prison to use his pugilistic spirit to gain respect and a source of income, although Rocky learns he has to conquer his own undisciplined manner to become a succesful fighter. Many of the training sequences are actually shot on location at the famous Stillman's Gym in Manhattan.
The story also follows Rocky meeting his wife Norma, an innocent Jewish girl who begins their relationship hating boxing and violence, but later serves as his main source of courage and inspiration as she listens to his matches on the radio. In fact, his manager points out that becoming a husband and father focuses him towards making something out of himself.
Start of Newman's Career
The role of Rocky was given to Newman after the untimely death of James Dean, originally slated to play Graziano. Besides resembling the former middleweight champion, Newman also altered his accent, diction and wore face altering make-up to give his face the look of a hardened fighter. His performance as Graziano is credited with starting his career that spanned over six decades.
Somebody Up There Likes Me, a classic film noir, was directed by Robert Wise who also directed The Sound of Music and West Side Story. It won two Academy Awards for Best Set or Art Decoration and Best Cinematography for a black-and-white film.
The Real Graziano
The film's script was adapted from Rocky's autobiography with the same name. As a boxer he wasn't known for his style but instead a mean right hand and an even meaner disposition in the ring. He first turned professional in March 31, 1942 in Brooklyn and he retired in 1952 with a record of 67-10-6 with 52 knockouts.
Boxing fans saw Rocky as an unstoppable force until 1946 when Tony Zale knocked him out, although one year later he knocked out Zale in a rematch to take the middleweight championship. After retirement Graziano wrote Somebody Up There Likes Me and became a television host and celebrity in the 1950s.
Rocky grows older and joins other thugs, including his best friend Romolo, played by Sal Mineo, in robbing fur coat trucks and stealing wheels off of cars on the streets of Manhattan. His life becomes a revolving door in-and-out of prison where he is nabbed for stealing, taken to military prison for punching an army captain and continually refers to himself as "on the lam."
Rocky changes his last name from Barbella to Graziano, also the name of an Italian wine, a decision that transforms his identity from ex-inmate to promising boxer, while psychologically forming an identity separate from Nick Barbella.
The only person who continues to care for Rocky through his criminal indiscretions is his mother, whom he calls Ma. Eileen Heckart plays Ma Barbella, who is torn between supporting her husband in his own failed boxing career and Rocky who spent the majority of his early life in prison. "I'm the only one in the world who cares if you live or die," she says to Rocky in prison.
Destitute and spiritless, he decides to train to be a boxer in prison to use his pugilistic spirit to gain respect and a source of income, although Rocky learns he has to conquer his own undisciplined manner to become a succesful fighter. Many of the training sequences are actually shot on location at the famous Stillman's Gym in Manhattan.
The story also follows Rocky meeting his wife Norma, an innocent Jewish girl who begins their relationship hating boxing and violence, but later serves as his main source of courage and inspiration as she listens to his matches on the radio. In fact, his manager points out that becoming a husband and father focuses him towards making something out of himself.
Start of Newman's Career
The role of Rocky was given to Newman after the untimely death of James Dean, originally slated to play Graziano. Besides resembling the former middleweight champion, Newman also altered his accent, diction and wore face altering make-up to give his face the look of a hardened fighter. His performance as Graziano is credited with starting his career that spanned over six decades.
Somebody Up There Likes Me, a classic film noir, was directed by Robert Wise who also directed The Sound of Music and West Side Story. It won two Academy Awards for Best Set or Art Decoration and Best Cinematography for a black-and-white film.
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The Real Graziano
The film's script was adapted from Rocky's autobiography with the same name. As a boxer he wasn't known for his style but instead a mean right hand and an even meaner disposition in the ring. He first turned professional in March 31, 1942 in Brooklyn and he retired in 1952 with a record of 67-10-6 with 52 knockouts.
Boxing fans saw Rocky as an unstoppable force until 1946 when Tony Zale knocked him out, although one year later he knocked out Zale in a rematch to take the middleweight championship. After retirement Graziano wrote Somebody Up There Likes Me and became a television host and celebrity in the 1950s.