Another cracking fifties film from Robert Wise, told with a wonderful momentum by he and writer Ernest Lehman (North By Northwest, Sabrina), the story of NYC boxer Rocky Graziano. In only his second film role, Paul Newman gives it his all - amazingly ignored by the Academy. Great flavour of New York, good boxing scenes, with interesting subjective camera in places - editor Albert Akst (obviously with former editor Wise's supervision) was Oscar nominated. Joseph Ruttenberg won his third Oscar, perhaps for the way he does those really well balanced light and shade deep focus exterior shots. (Interestingly, I read here that early on in his career he rejected Toland's deep focus approach, preferring to bring the actors out to the front). Cedric Gibbons also won for Art Direction.
With Pier Angeli, Everett Sloane, Sal Mineo, Eileen Heckart, Harold J. Stone, Joseph Buloff (shop owner), Robert Loggia and Steve McQueen (both uncredited).
Score by Bronislau Kaper. An MGM release, which made Newman a star.
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| Young McQueen |
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| Young Newman has the sort of face Cocteau would draw |
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