Monkey on My Back (1957) User Reviews

Dope Addiction, a perpetually relevant story

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 25 January 2013]

Monkey On My Back tells the story of Barney Ross, former lightweight and welterweight champion who became a war hero with the US Marines and then after fighting the Japanese became a bigger hero fighting drug addiction. At that time films like this one, A Hatful Of Rain and The Man With The Golden Arm were making the American public get acquainted with the evils of drug addiction.

One of the key elements of Barney Ross's story that was left out was his religion. The man was an orthodox Jew who was the son of a Talmudic scholar whose father was shot to death in a holdup. Barney was born Dov Rosovsky and the Rosovsky had tough going after the death of the family patriarch. Ross rejected the formal religious teachings of his father, but of his heritage you could never make any kind of anti-Semitic crack in his presence. For reasons of a market in some ultra red state territory, that component of his story was eliminated, but it is key to understanding him.

He also worked his way out of poverty first by being a low level strong arm guy for Al Capone in Chicago. After that he decided to go legitimate in the use of his fists and graduated to boxing. The managing team of Sam Pian and Art Winch played here by Jack Albertson and Richard Benedict turned him into a champion of two divisions. That is where the film picks up Barney Ross's story.

Psychologists could best tell you why some folks have an addictive personality and what could and what will always addict people. Ross as is shown here was a free spender who loved to gamble and was constantly in hock. Considering how some fighters end up, he was almost lucky that World War II came along and he joined the Marines.

On Guadalcanal he became a hero and also caught the malaria which could only be treated as far as the pain with morphine. That part of the story is perpetually relevant because after every war we seem to breed a generation of dope addicts.

Cameron Mitchell got his career role in Barney Ross and could have contended for an Oscar if this independent film from United Artists had been properly publicized. Out the same year was A Hatful Of Rain that did have performances so nominated by Don Murray and Tony Franciosa. Mitchell's holds up every bit as well as those two. In fact 1957 was his career year as the highly acclaimed Christmas story All Mine To Give also came out with Mitchell. This should have led to bigger roles and bigger pictures, but Cameron Mitchell was off in a few years to Europe to do Peplum, spaghetti westerns, and other films, some of them pretty dreadful.

Dianne Foster does well as his loyal wife with Kathy Garver as her daughter who Mitchell adopts. And Paul Richards as the dope dealer Rico will make your skin crawl with his evil.

And this film is dedicated to Barney Ross, a champion in life as well as the ring.

Exceptional...especially for when it was made.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 20 February 2012]

This is the true-life story of a famous boxing champion, Barney Ross (Cameron Mitchell). The film picks up in his later years as a fighter--when he's at the top of his game. Barney should be a happy man--and he is. But there also is trouble brewing, as Barney is an inveterate gambler. Even when it costs him his wife because of this, he's slow to admit he's got a problem. Fortunately, he eventually kicks the habit and joins the armed services. The film doesn't show it, but he was used early in his military career to sell bonds--just like Joe Lewis and various celebrities. He is eventually sent to Guadalcanal--a hellish place and probably the worst battle of the Pacific, as it drug on for many months. In the process, he shows his heroism and earns a silver star--but he's also wounded and suffering from the effects of PTSD (they don't really talk about this too much in the film). As a result of this and his very addictive personality, he soon begins hooked on morphine. Much of the rest of the film is his horrible struggle to kick his addiction.

The film is very well done. Despite a lower budget, Cameron Mitchell turns in a nice performance as the boxer. And, like "A Hatful of Rain" (which also came out in 1957), it does a great job of showing the horrors of this sort of addicted life. Well worth seeing.

By the way, Barney Ross was a boxer during the late 20s and through the 30s--yet it looks like 1950s in the movie. A very minor gripe, but I did think this was kind of funny.

Barney Ross: Drug Addict!

[kapelusznik18 · 7/10 · 24 July 2014]

***SPOILERS*** True and heart lifting story of light and welterweight boxing champion Barney Ross, Cameron Mitchell, who's roller coaster life in and out of the ring is the stuff that legends are made of. We first get to see Barney broken and alone enter a federal or veterans hospital in Kentucky to get treated for his addiction to morphine that he devolved during WWII in the battle of Guadalcanal where he was both wounded and contracted malaria. The movie starts at the Polo Grounds in NYC with Barney winning a 15 round decision over welterweight champ Jimmy McLarnin who took the title from him the year before. Celebrating his victory at a local nightclub Barney meets his future wife single mom and show girl Cathy Holland, Dianne Forster, and he's off to the races, Belmont Aqueduct & Saratoga, with her and her six year old daughter Noreen, Kathy Garver, enjoying life to the fullest and gambling his money away. That's until three years later when in a title match he runs into the windmill like "Hammering Henry" Armstrong who takes his welterweight title from him in a brutal 15 round decision at the now defunct Madison Square Bowl in Long Island City.

Retiring from boxing Barney later does his patriotic duty at age 33 and joins the US Marine corps when he ended up in the fighting in the South Pacific. That ended up getting Barney addicted to morphine that destroyed his as well as his wife Cathy's life. It's then after Barny returns state side to a hero's welcome that the story of an all-American success story turns into an all-American nightmare. Craving for morphine and not getting it from the VA turns Barney into a down and out junkie who goes so far of raiding his 12 year old step daughter Noreen's piggy bank for money to buy the stuff. Getting involved with drug pushers like Rico, Paul Richards, doesn't help either. Rico like a monkey on Barney's back squeezes the poor man for every cent he has leaving him totally broke and unable to pay his bills as well as rent and food!

With Barney's wife Kathy threatening to leave him if he doesn't straighten his sorry life out Braney comes clean and turns himself over to the government, or government hospital, to get help before his addiction to morphine ends up killing him. With the love and support he gets from both Cathy and the hospital staff, as well as thousands of his fans and admirers, Barney kicks his morphine habit where in four month of going cold turkey he's completely drug-free. We see at the end of the film Barney leaving the hospital a free, drug free, man to start his life over again with Cathy waiting to greet him. With all the battles he had fought in the ring the one Barney had with drug addiction was the hardest he ever went through. And in the end he licked it even though the at the start the odds of him winning were greatly against him!

The Monkey Comes In Many Forms

[dougdoepke · 23 September 2018]

Gritty account of boxing champ Barney Ross's battle with morphine addiction following WWII war wounds. Those battle scenes on Guadalcanal have to be the ugliest on record. There's enough mud and rain to sink the Titanic. The firefight may not be very realistic since no shot seems to miss an enemy-- plus, reality speaking, rifles don't work too well in heavy rain. Nonetheless, Hollywood sets don't come any uglier, making the battle scene about as onerous as possible.

Fortunately, Mitchell delivers as boxer, soldier, family man, and addict. As I recall, the actor moved up the Hollywood ladder as a result. As I also recall, dealing with drug addiction was still a touchy movie topic in 1957. But thanks to Man With A Golden Arm (1955), the topic was no longer taboo for popular commercial releases. In that regard, I expect the film had a desired effect on dangers of drugs. Heck--after suffering along with Ross, I'm even worried about taking my aspirin!

Anyway, the movie's pretty realistic where it counts, even though the car-less, people-less, city street at night fairly shouts studio backlot. The deserted street may be atmospheric and symbolic of Ross's mental state, but a contrivance like this can remind viewers that this is a movie, after all.

Overall, the topic of pain-relieving drug addiction may no longer be cutting edge, still the message remains worthwhile for all ages, especially now with the growing problem of opioid addiction as a quick pain reliever. So I guess the sneaky monkey can come in many forms.

How curious Monkey + Hatful - same year

[gelashe · 6/10 · 22 November 2013]

After waiting years to see Hatful of Rain as they didn't show it on TCM until the 90's or so, I fell in love with the film.

Then I heard about the lesser shown "Monkey on My Back". Finally got to see it - wasn't disappointed. Similar story line. Men go into the service come back addicted to drugs.

Cameron Mitchell's portrayal of an addict is believable. A man that is afraid of nothing, lives life each day for the moment and doesn't worry about the future. Spends and lives lavishly but falls in love whole heartedly.

Unfortunately his love/need for drugs exceeds his love for his girlfriend/wife. You feel for him and his family but know the end result.

Great Movies

[chicbuc · 10/10 · 5 October 2006]

I saw this movie when I was a little Boy I'm now a pensioner and this movie has stayed with me my whole life As I was so young it set me on course with my life.

I promised myself that I would never go near drugs as it kind of scared the hell out of me being so young it left a big impression on me. I came across your site and just for fun typed Monkey On My Back And there it was wow memories ........How great but so sad they are.

It was a long time ago. Only one other movie made such a impression On me called Home Of the Brave it taught me to see a person for who he is And not the color of their skin I lived by this and it was because I was so young that these two movies made me the way I am I will take them to my final resting place

Spectacularly heartfelt performance by Cameron Mitchell

[the_old_roman · 9/10 · 27 August 2001]

WW II Vet and professional boxer Barney Ross became addicted to morphine. This stark but well-told tale takes us into his inner psyche and allows us to share his inner torments as he struggles to overcome his addictions and rebuild his self-image. The low-budget supporting cast is nonetheless well selected and conveys the overall tone and mood perfectly. Watch this before renting Raging Bull again and contrast an underrated and natural rendering of the true heart and soul of troubled blue color boxer with Scorsese's highly stylized filming of DeNiro's technically brilliant but utterly soulless portrayal of Jake LaMotta.

Daring For Its Day But A Disappointment

[Handlinghandel · 5/10 · 18 December 2004]

This could have been a powerful movie. As it is, it's a precursor to heartwarming TV movies of the week. It's about a boxer and it has no punch.

The protagonist was a real person and this is his story. Maybe it had to be toned down. But, though Cameron Mitchell seems to be doing his best in the lead role, it is never convincing.

Diane Foster is wooden and very much of her time. She's like a sitcom mom, not the wife of an ex-boxer, returned war hero turned junkie.

Very little rings true. The seamy streets where Mitchell goes to get his fixes have a very obvious backlot look. The prosties he passes are kind of fun: They are straight from Police Gazette covers.

The other lowlifes, though, are like comic book exaggerations. It's interesting to note the low billing given the actor who plays his drug dealer. The good guys get the high billing. But this character, though not one of the plum roles if one were an actor reading the script, is pivotal.

Morphing Into a Monster

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 28 November 2012]

Cameron Mitchell plays a war hero and prize fighting champion who becomes addicted to the strong painkiller morphine and literally becomes a Jekyll and Hyde. Happily married with a stepdaughter he adores, Miotchell can't escape the memory of the pains he suffered in Korea and the morphine treatments he used to counteract those pains. Told by his doctor that he was addicted, Mitchell manages to live life without it-for a while. But all of a sudden, he begins having withdrawal symptoms, the hideous aches start all over again, and he ends up in the most downtrodden of urban neighborhoods looking for a fix. Like Ray Milland in "The Lost Weekend" and Kirk Douglas in "Young Man With a Horn", he descends into near madness as he deals with withdrawal, envisioning the ceiling of his hospital room caving in on him and ocean waves pouring into his windowless room. Mitchell,best known for playing a good guy in "Love Me or Leave Me" and a bad guy in "Carousel", intertwines the two of these characterizations and is excellent, while Dianne Foster is wonderful as his long-suffering wife. She stands out in a scene where she discovers Mitchell raiding their daughter's piggy bank. In the supporting cast, Jack Albertson is instantly recognizable as one of his old cronies from his prizefighting days. The war battle scenes are extremely intense, and Mitchell's withdrawal comes off as horrific. While the film avoids becoming preachy about the risks of drug abuse, it does have a sort of a drive-in movie feel to it, but the leads help it rise above the lack of quality of most exploitation "B" movies of the late 1950's.