Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956) User Reviews

Excellent bio-pic with great acting

[alfiefamily · 8/10 · 8 July 2004]

This is the movie that made Paul Newman a star. And with good reason. Although James Dean was signed to play the great Rocky Graziano, his death in a car crash made the role available for Paul Newman to step into. Newman who up to this point had made only a handful of forgettable pictures,turns in a marvelous portrayal of a man who is so filled with rage that everything he touches turns into trouble.

Newman's performance is layered with anger, humor, and fear. Rocky Graziano was by means the brightest guy in the world, and Newman to his credit does not try to make this an endearing quality of Rocky's.

The story does a nice job of not glossing over Rocky's troublesome youth. It shows a lot of the trouble and bad decision's that he made that led to being thrown out of schools, reformatories, and later into prison. This is not a sanitized bio-style film that you would have seen in the thirties or forties.

The rest of the acting is also first rate. Especially from Eileen Heckart and Everett Sloane as his mother and trainer, respectively. Lots of actors making their film debuts in this movie also. Look for Robert Loggia, Steve McQueen, George C. Scott and Dean Jones.

Robert Wise has done a wonderful job of bringing NYC to life in this picture. Watching Newman walk down the street with all of the people jeering him at first, and then rooting for him as he starts to gain some fame is the work of a top notch director. Wise would later exploit the scenery of New York to better use a few years later in "West Side Story". He also did an excellent job with the fight sequences.

It's easy to see where Sylvester Stallone got his inspiration for his "Rocky". In fact, you might say that he not only borrowed the development of his character, but that of Adrian, as well.

"Somebody Up There Likes Me" is well worth a look.

9 out of 10

Somebody up there liked Paul Newman

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 14 January 2006]

Paul Newman stars as Rocky Graziano in the middleweight champion's life story, "Somebody Up There Likes Me," directed with spirit by Robert Wise. The film covers Rocky Barbella's young life on the mean streets of New York, made all the meaner by his juvenile delinquent presence and that of his friends. Totally out of control, Barbella steals, runs, and punches his way through his home life, reform school, and prison, including his army stint where he knocks out a corporal and goes AWOL, then assuming the name Graziano. It's not long before his talent is put to good use in the ring. The respectability and success he gains is short-lived, however, when he refuses to take a dive but then fails to report it to the boxing commission or identify the criminals.

The film covers Graziano's marriage to his wife of 47 years, Norma, and his historic fight with Tony Zale. Pier Angeli plays the petite but tough Norma, who knows just how to handle her husband; Eileen Heckert is marvelous as Rocky's mother. Harold Stone, as Rocky's disillusioned father, is very good in the difficult role of an unlikeable man with an uneasy relationship with his son. Sal Mineo is effective as Romolo, Rocky's friend from the neighborhood.

James Dean was to play Graziano but after his death, the role went to Paul Newman. Words are not really adequate to describe the young Newman's work in this film. He totally inhabits the character of Graziano and loses what one thinks of as "Paul Newman" in the bargain. One of the hardest accents to do without making it sound phony is a New York one, yet Newman pulls it off with no problem. Though Dean would have been excellent, Newman's portrayal is a treasure. He's angry, sympathetic, scrappy, vulnerable and caring - in short, a flawed human being. It's one of the finest performances on film.

Rocky, the original.

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 5 June 2005]

Robert Wise was a film editor before he became a director. Having edited some of Orson Welles films when he was starting out, made him a natural director. After all, Mr. Wise knows how to move his camera and how to capture great moments in film. "Somebody Up There Likes Me" is a rarity these days, in that it's seldom seen.

This is also a film that has a rich texture. The story, photographed using New York as a backdrop offers a rare view of how it looked in those years. We are taken to Brooklyn, downtown Manhattan and other natural locations that were an asset in the film. It helps that Mr. Wise had the inspiration to engage Joseph Ruttenberg as his cinematographer because of the excellence of his work in the films he photographed.

This is a story of Rocky Graziano, a boxing champion, who came from a poor family. The father, Nick Barbella, is seen at the beginning trying to show young Rocco to box. When he doesn't get the response he wants, he punches the boy squarely on his nose, making him bleed. Rocco would grow up to become a hoodlum doing petty crime and being sent to jail.

Rocco's story could have ended in tragedy, but didn't. It helped to have met good friends along the way like Irving Cohen who helped him with his boxing career. The love of Nora is another of the blessings this man was blessed with. In fact, yes, somebody up there must have liked Rocco Barbella, a man who is a legend in boxing circles.

The young Paul Newman was lucky to land this part. James Dean had been selected to play the role, but it went to Mr. Newman who took it and ran away with the film. This was his big break through in films. Paul Newman was formed at the famous Actor Studio. His technique is in sharp contrast with other, formally trained actors, but in a way, by making Rocky's character so complex, we get a detailed account of the man by an inspired young actor that went to become a legend in his own right.

The supporting cast was excellent. Eileen Heckart is the suffering Ida Barbella, a woman who has been cheated out of everything by a husband that is a brute. Harold Stone is also good as Nick Barbella. Pier Angeli is sweet as Norma and Sal Mineo makes the best out of Romolo, the childhood friend. Everett Sloan plays the pivotal role of Irving Cohen.

In the film we see a lot of interesting young actors who went to have their own distinguished careers later on. Steve McQueen, Robert Loggia, George C. Scott, Frank Campanella, and other New York based theater actors are seen in the background without any credit.

This is a boxing film that was way ahead of the others because of the tight direction of Robert Wise.

Don't Knock This Rock

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 27 June 2006]

Way back in the day when I was a lad, I read Rocky Graziano's memoirs Somebody Up There Likes Me and enjoyed the book. Someone at MGM must have liked it even more than I did because a really fine film was made from it and a star was born.

Paul Newman's debut picture, The Silver Chalice, was a bomb. Had he not made good in this it's possible he might never have had a film career. But he perfectly captures Rocky Graziano's character and it certainly is the character I remember Rocky talking about in his memoirs.

Thomas Rocco Barbella grew up on the Lower East Side of New York City and his teen years were during The Great Depression. The bleak poverty of the period ground the soul out of many a family as you can see in the portrayals of Graziano's parents by Harold J. Stone and Eileen Heckart. There were no jobs period. I have an uncle who told me that he spent the late thirties after graduating high school doing absolutely nothing, looking for jobs when there were none to be had. What probably saved him from being a Graziano was a strong family structure which Rocky didn't have.

But he sure had dynamite in those fists. In between all kinds of crooked mayhem he was causing with friends, Rocky discovers boxing as a way out of the slums. It was a long process, it involved a few stretches in various penal institutions, including a year term in Leavenworth for going AWOL from the army.

Barbella was his given name, but he took the name Graziano which happened to be his mother's maiden name while fighting when he was AWOL. The year stretch didn't corrupt his fighting skills any.

Somebody Up There Likes Me saw some interesting people in bit roles. Steve McQueen is one of Rocky's punk friends, George C. Scott has a walk-on as a prisoner. And Robert Loggia makes an unforgettable film debut as a wiseguy who nearly derails Graziano's career. Dean Jones also makes his screen debut as well.

Boxing fans know Rocky best from those three classic fights with Tony Zale for the middleweight championship. Tony Zale won the first one in New York. And then Graziano was offered a bribe to throw a tune-up fight and backed out of the bout altogether. The rules of the New York State Athletic Commission say bribes have to be reported, taken or not. But Rocky's code of the street didn't allow for that. He lost his license in New York, but was allowed to fight in Chicago in a rematch with Zale. Of course he won it and while he lost the championship back to Zale the following year, he's in the books as a champion and one of the most popular.

Pier Angeli is Norma Unger the Jewish girl he falls for and marries and she radiates the positive goodness he needs in his life. One of Everett Sloane's finest roles is Irving Cohen, former garment worker and now fight manager. My parents met Irving Cohen years ago, they almost bought a house from him way back when I was a toddler. Sloane's portrayal rings very true.

Finally Sal Mineo as Romolo is very good and having read the book, I can say that Romolo was a real person and Mineo plays him as described in Graziano's memoirs. The last scene with Mineo and Newman together before the second Zale fight is very dramatic as Rocky sees exactly the turn his life could have taken.

Paul Newman fans have this as required viewing. For me it is one of the best boxing films ever made and one of the best inspirational films ever made as well.

One Of The Great Movies Of The 1950s

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 8 September 2006]

This was excellent! I think it is one of the most underrated and under-discussed movies of the 1950s. It was interesting from start-to-finish and had drama, humor, suspense, action, romance.....and it's all true. The story was approved by the man it was about: boxer Rocky Graziano. Thus, you know it's not "based on a true story" in which 90 percent of it turns out to be fiction, just for dramatic purposes. No, this was Graziano's story and Paul Newman - despite not looking Italian - did a superb job playing him. This movie put Newman "on the map" as an actor. He was fascinating in here and dominated most of the scenes.

The film's direction by Robert Wise and the cinematography also took center stage. Apparently, the "powers that be" agreed as this film won an Oscar for its photography.

Newfane's portrayal of the juvenile delinquent-turned-championship boxer may have dominated the story but all the characters left strong impressions, beginning with this parents played by the great character actors Harold Stone and Eileen Heckart . Pier Angeli is well- cast as Graziano's sweetheart-turned wife. Her Italian accent fits in perfectly as does her character as the soft and frail--but tough female complement to Rocky. Too bad we didn't see much of this actress in the USA.

The rest of the supporting cast is top-notch, from Everett Sloane as the fight manager to '50s star/teen idol Sal Mineo as a neighborhood pal to Graziano. Also good was Robert Loggia as the bad- influence hood. This was Loggia's first role on screen. Speaking of first roles, did anyone catch Steve McQueen in here?? I did a double-take when they had a quick gang-fight rumble on top of a roof and there's McQueen! The camera put a closeup shot on him and there was no doubt it was him! He had no lines, unfortunately, but that apparently was his film debut.

This movie is finally going to be released on DVD sometime in November of 2006. I hope more people get the opportunity to discover this fantastic movie which, by the way, reminded me quite a bit of another fantastic film in this era: On The Waterfront.

James and Paul

[harry-76 · 4 January 2003]

It's interesting to note the career relationship of James Dean and Paul Newman.

Both were leading contenders for the starring role in "East of Eden." Dean's moving screen test landed him the part over Newman.

Then, upon Dean's sudden demise, Newman was awarded the role Dean was to play in "Somebody Up There Likes Me." Fortunately, Newman was up to the task.

His Rocky was most effectively limned, with Newman in top physical form as well as in the acting department. He assumed a "New York hood" accent, which enhanced his portrayal, and executed the challenging fight scenes with conviction.

Perhaps young Newman's burning ambition at the time to greatly succeed in his craft provided extra stamina to smash through this meaty part for a "knockout punch." Fresh from Actors Studio training, Mr. Newman was fortunate to be surrounded by a quartet of fine "method" artists.

Eileen Heckart was particularly fine as Mrs. Barbella, Everett Sloane as a concerned Manager, Sal Mineo as dependable pal Romolo, and Pier Angeli as sensitive Norma Graziano.

Rocky's hard-hitting life was given a realistic black and white production, doing justice to the middle weight champ's biography. Robert Wise directed with his usual skill and confidence.

Incomplete biography of Graziano

[esteban1747 · 6/10 · 27 January 2005]

Probably the director Robert Wise wanted to emphasize more on the behavior of young Graziano, his problems with his father, the time he spent in jail and his misdoing in the army, but some aspects of his final life as a boxer were not shown at all in the film, which ends with the rematch between Graziano and Tony Zale in Chicago in 1947, where Graziano did his best to knock out Zale. With this victory Graziano became world champion, something that did not last for long. Zale and Graziano met once again in 1948, and this time Zale finished his adversary with a knock out in the third round. Graziano wanted to come back in 1952 fighting against the famous Ray "Sugar" Robinson. In that fight, Graziano knocked down Robinson in the third round, but he recovered and finished with Graziano in the same third round. In any case, Graziano was a good boxer, and this bloody -violent sport put his life on the right track. Interesting to note that this was the first film (uncredited) in the career of the actor Steve McQueen. Sal Mineo again acted as a wrong young boy in New York. The actress Pier Angeli did a good work as Graziano's wife.

Paul Newman Wins It

[jimmylee-1 · 8/10 · 26 January 2006]

Up until now I've only seen Paul Newman in 1990's and later movies - but he's never been the actor that called me into a movie theater or made me change the channel. He always seemed to play the same type of part: easy going, calm, aware, well contained. Or maybe that's the way he made each part seem.

After seeing this movie, now I know why he's considered such a great actor. I only watched boxing when it was part of the Olympics - just don't enjoy the sport itself that much - and only know about Rocky Graziano from the newspapers. But Paul Newman was riveting. He made this character of a complete underdog, who apparently had no hope, no charm, and nothing to live for, into someone I cared about enough to stick with the movie for two hours.

I don't know how true-to-life the story was; Hollywood generally creates composite characters, cleans up reality and changes or outright ignores major events. Certainly the many fights Graziano had were a bit of a blur in the film and I'm sure several critical steps in his advancement towards middleweight championship were neglected. The reason for the violent relationship between Rocky and his father was unexplained. And his mother's mental state (the film alludes to her time in the hospital) is not fully developed.

These gaps do not overshadow in any way Paul Newman's performance. I always thought it was longevity, charitable works, and a long-lasting marriage to another actor (not to mention darn good spaghetti sauce) that gave him the aura he has - now I understand.

A Middleweight

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 11 May 2008]

The "Hollywood" version of boxer Rocky Graziano's autobiographical life story has Paul Newman (as Mr. Graziano, née Barbella) beaten by an abusive father, growing into criminal gangland activity, and rising up to succeed in the sport of boxing. This is, of course, the inspirational plot of the "boxing picture"; and, it was very much a part of the "American Dream". Graziano was one of the biggest boxing stars of his time - according to my grandfather, the era feathered several Muhammad Ali-caliber boxers (which must have been quite exciting). Grandfather saw Mr. Newman as a good casting choice; better, in fact, than the originally cast James Dean.

Mainly, "Somebody Up There Likes Me" falters under its increasingly implausible "based-on-fact" storyline. Director Robert Wise starts off well, foreshadowing his own "West Side Story" (1961). Soon, the stylization becomes hard to stomach; and, the movie, obviously, compares unfavorably with more realistic boxing films. The "love story" between Newman and Pier Angeli (as Norma) is particularly unrealistic; romantically, they act like a couple of 12-year-olds.

Sal Mineo (as Romolo) heads up an enjoyable supporting cast, as Newman's friend from childhood. Certainly the film's "Best Supporting Actor", Mr. Mineo provides Newman with a warm bed, and cheers on his career. Pool-hustling Steve McQueen (as Fidel) and Michael Dante (as Shorty) are two other interesting members of Mineo's gang. Mr. McQueen is quite charismatic; and, Mr. Dante's enviable prowess with women is depicted very effectively. A slew of other notables appear; including impressionable Everett Sloane (as Irving Cohen). Eileen Heckart and Harold J. Stone are a little strange, as Rocky's parents.

The photography (Joseph Ruttenberg) and writing (Ernest Lehman) are strengths. Listen up for Newman telling a smiling Mineo, "I need to get some shut-eye before the bed cools"; and, wisecracking Sloane's observation, "I should have never left the lingerie business; I was the happiest man in ladies underwear." You will have no problem reading the credit identifying PERRY COMO as the mawkish title song singer; at the time, he was probably the biggest name associated with the film.

****** Somebody Up There Likes Me (7/3/56) Robert Wise ~ Paul Newman, Pier Angeli, Sal Mineo, Everett Sloane

Pretty good--and a lot closer to the truth than I expected.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 8 February 2012]

Rocky Graziano was a very, very flawed guy to say the least. To be more blunt, until he settled into a career in boxing, he was an antisocial jerk--a blight on society. However, as was the case with most older bio-pics (such as "The Birdman of Alcatraz" and "The Sound of Music"), in order to make a more marketable flick, the truth was often very, very malleable--as the writers took such huge liberties with the facts that the original of the film was hardly recognizable. And, since Rocky was not a very likable guy, I expected a whitewash with this film. Fortunately, the writers stuck reasonably close to the truth and Paul Newman puts in his first excellent performance (after his disaster in "The Silver Chalice").

The film begins with a lovely man (Harold Stone) forcing his young boy to fight. He slaps the little kid around horribly--and it was obvious the father was a complete jerk. From this sort of upbringing, it's understandable why the kid grew up angry (in reality, the father would bit his two sons against each other in boxing matches for his friends to watch--and Rocky's older brother usually beat the snot out of him). This portion of the film shows the many stupid and self-defeating things Rocky did before switching to a life in boxing. Stealing, violence, prison and a stint in military prison--all make up this sordid portion of the movie. To see just how Rocky manages to pull it all together, watch the film.

Overall, well-written and with a very likable performance from Newman. This isn't exactly "Raging Bull" but it is well worth seeing.

Paul Newman shows even now some sixty (60) years later than he can still pack a punch

[Ed-Shullivan · 6/10 · 21 April 2022]

This film is some sixty (60+) plus years old and it still holds up as a legitimate biography of the late great boxing champion Rocky Graziano. There was a lot of history to try and cover of this professional boxers real life story in less than the two (2) hours of run time but the producer/writer and director did an admirable job of illustrating that Rocky's upbringing from his childhood days through to his monogamous marriage and family man persona were all covered.

The fight scenes in the filmed seemed to reflect the lack of effort that Rocky himself expressed about having to train hard for a fight, and his record of 67 wins, 10 losses and 6 draws is reflective of a former champion who lost his focus on more than one night even with becoming the middleweight champion.

This is a decent sports boxing themed biographical film on the life of Rocky Graziano well worth watching for the stellar performance of a great cast which includes a young Paul Newman. I give it a solid 6 out of 10 IMDb rating.

The story is in the tradition of a number of fifties movies about delinquency and rebellion

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 8/10 · 23 June 2005]

The film follows Graziano's impoverished childhood in New York's East Side slums, where he grows up in the streets, among hoodlums and gangs… His father (Harold Stone), a disappointed, third-rate ex-boxer, takes out his frustrations by drinking and by beating up Rocky; his mother (Eileen Heckart), is an unhappy, nervous wreck…

As a result, Rocky becomes a brutal delinquent, spending most of his youth in reformatories and prisons… Defiant, impulsive, striking out with his fists at anyone, he is seemingly incorrigible… Even the Army can't tame him—he punches an officer, goes AWOL and is sentenced to hard labor—but in prison he learns that he can turn his hatred into a living: instead of fighting the world he can punch one man at a time in the ring… He becomes a successful fighter, marries a devoted woman, Norma (Pier Angeli), and eventually makes it in the world, becoming middleweight champion…

The story is in the tradition of a number of fifties movies about delinquency and rebellion… Newman's portrayal of Rocky as an inarticulate teenager is similar to Brando's motorcyclist in "The Wild One," who also rebels against anything convenient and practical… But unlike the Brando character, Rocky develops from a causeless rebel into someone with a clear goal—to become a respected member of society—and this strong ambition allies him with many of Newman's subsequent characters…

In "The Rack," Newman says he's "half my father's disappointment—half' my mother's hope," and the situation here is the same… Alienated from his vicious father, he runs out "to be something," and strikes back at the world… Their final confrontation, in which each recognizes his responsibility toward, and need for, the other, is a powerful moment; and the two reaching awkwardly for each other recalls the car scene in "The Rack."

Newman effectively portrays Rocky's sincere but clumsy attempts at tenderness with Norma; in subsequent films he would play many men who have difficulty being tender… Rocky is made even more sympathetic by his genuine concern for a fellow hoodlum (Sal Mineo), whose idolatry of Rocky as a father-figure evokes the similar relationship between Mineo and James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause."

Rocky Graziano biography with a tour-de-force acting of Paul Newman as a boxer desperately fights his way to the success.

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 28 February 2020]

Boxer Rocky Graziano's biopic dealing with a selfish and violent boxer (Paul Newman in the title role playing one of his earliest characters as main star) who alienates the people around him , as his childhood friends (Steve McQueen, Sal Mineo) , his captivating wife (Pier Angeli) , his trainer (Everett Solane) , and other people , getting , eventually , redemption . Rocky Graziano is building a career in crime along with other young colleagues (Sal Mineo , Steve McQueen) , when he's finally caught and jailed . In prison , he continues being an obstinate rebel , always getting into trouble . Along the way he has several discussion and argument with his parents (Harold J. Stone and Eileen Heckart who was six years older than Newman) . When he gets out after many years he has decided to begin a new existence . However, he is immediately drafted to the army . But they can't keep him and he goes awol . Later on , Rocky discovers boxing as a way of earning quick money, and is subsequently discovered by a manager (Everett Solane) as a new talent . Punk Hoodlum! - Jailbird! - Alley Fighter! - He Brawled His Way From the Gutter All the Way to the Top! He Might Have Ended Up In "The Chair" - But For One Girl's Enduring Love! A Girl Can Lift A Fellow To The Skies! It's tougher than Blackboard Jungle!

M.G.M presents a most important motion picture , an interesting flick based on a screenplay by prestigious Ernest Lehman and based on Rocky Graziano autobiography , it is partially a noir drama about boxing world with an ambitious and usually angry starring , well personified by Paul Newman , and including ordinary issue about the boxing fixers . However , first was slated James Dean , but unfortunaly he died by an automobile accident , then was hired Newman . Being he first time Paul Newman and Steve McQueen showed on-screen , subsequently they would play various films get together . The violent boxing images shocked audiences of the 50s and still retains quite power nowadays . It's a grueling boxing tale with tough realism full of face-blistering , punch , knocks until ¨Raging Bull¨ by Martin Scorsese surpassed it years later . Top-notch acting by Paul Newman in Actor's Studio style , as an undisciplined , ruthless boxer in his usual hard-driving style and winning deservedly several prizes . Paul Newman is magnificently supported by a great support cast , plenty of known faces , such as Everett Sloane , Eileen Heckart, Harold J Stone , Sal Mineo , Robert Loggia's film debut , Steve McQueen , Dean Jones , Don Haggerty , Stanley Adams , the little girl Angela Cartwright in her debut feature and some of them uncredited .

It contains an adequate and evocative cinematography in black and white plenty of of lights and shades by Joseph Ruttenberger . Atmospheric and thrilling musical score by the classic composer Bronislau Kaper . The motion picture was well made by Robert Wise . The fine craftsman Wise was a good director who made films in all kinds of genres ; nowadays , some of them considered classic movies , such as : Musical : West side story , The sound of music ; SciF i: The day the Earth stood , Andromeda strain , Star Trek the motion picture ; Terror : The haunting , The body snatchers, , Audrey Rose , Curse of cat people ; Wartime : Run silent Run deep , The Desert Rats ; Historical : Helen of Troy ; Western : Tribute to a bad man ; Drama : I want to live , The Set-up , among others . Rating : better than average , 7.5/10 . The picture will appeal to Paul Newman fans .

Not Newman's Best Work

[drew-15194 · 3/10 · 18 March 2023]

I'm a big admirer of much of Newman's later work. But this film is so corny, and Newman's performance is so insincere, it is hard to watch. He's still 'learning his craft' here, but relying too much on mannerisms that reek of falsehood. His performance never allows the audience to forget that he's acting. When compared with his controlled and nuanced work as the gay sports hero turned self hating lush in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, opposite the equally nuanced and naturalistic Elizabeth Taylor yearning for answers, and one can see how far he has progressed in just a few years. And compared to a great boxing tragedy like Rocco and His Brothers, where every actor is completely immersed in their character, and the naturalistic realism of the performances is genuinely heart breaking, one can see that this film is sub par.

Fast-Paced, Excellent Wise/Newman Biopic...

[cariart · 21 March 2004]

After the critical and commercial fiasco of THE SILVER CHALICE, Paul Newman decided that the move to Hollywood had been a mistake, and returned to Broadway, to star in "The Desperate Hours" (later filmed with Humphrey Bogart in Newman's role). Warner Brothers, not amused by Newman's departure, tacked an additional two years onto his film contract, and brought the young actor back for a so-so war drama on loan to MGM, THE RACK. Then lightning struck!

Boxer/Entrepreneur Rocky Graziano's entertaining autobiography, SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME (ghosted by Rowland Barber) had been planned with James Dean in the lead, but the 24-year old star's untimely death, after completing GIANT, left the WB without a loan-out actor for the MGM production. The studio decided to use Newman, and at last the young actor had a role he could really "sink his teeth into".

Masterfully directed by the legendary Robert Wise, the fast-paced, gritty comedy/drama follows young Rocco Barbella (Newman), from his early gang days (with Sal Mineo in a small role, and young Steve McQueen and Robert Loggia, unbilled, as other gang members), resulting in a prison stint, finally released just in time to be inducted into the service! His quick temper and natural boxing skills catch the attention of an Army boxing coach, but the undisciplined Barbella decides to go AWOL, using boxing (under the name Rocky Graziano) to pick up quick cash. Eventually, Graziano/Barbella gets his life straightened out, aided by the love of a good woman (Pier Angeli, James Dean's real-life girlfriend, and Newman's costar in THE SILVER CHALICE), and a sympathetic manager (Everett Sloane, in another of his many masterful performances), and Rocky begins a long, hard drive to become a champion.

The role of Graziano would be a showcase for any actor, and the Method-trained Newman plays it with an explosive physicality and intensity that is occasionally too theatrical, but is still mesmerizing. His performance foreshadows, to some extent, Robert De Niro's Jake La Motta, in RAGING BULL, without the abusiveness and ultimately self-destructive qualities. Just as La Motta, even in defeat to Sugar Ray Robinson, would proclaim "I never went down!", Graziano would not allow himself to accept defeat gracefully, resulting in a constant physical pummeling that would leave his face so battered that he'd even frighten his child!

SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME would influence a generation of young actors and film makers (including Sylvester Stallone, who would 'lift' characters and some story elements in his script for ROCKY). For Paul Newman, it opened doors, and although his next two projects would be a standard Warner Brothers musical biopic (THE HELEN MORGAN STORY) and soap opera (UNTIL THEY SAIL), MUCH better films would soon be on their way.

A new star had been born!

Even if you're not a fight fan, you'll love this film.

[roisinmoriarty · 10/10 · 23 May 2001]

This is Paul Newman at his best. It's also Sal Mineo at his best (although pitifully under-used) and the rest of the supporting cast are on top form too. It's a beautifully shot movie, intense and moody but with sudden bursts of humour that catch you off guard. Although there is no doubt a certain schmaltz factor in the Hollywood re-telling of Graziano's true story, there's no attempt to put a gloss on the proceedings or over-play the undeniable bleakness of the New York slums in which the young Rocco Barbella was raised.

Those who are familiar with the ins and outs of boxing will appreciate this picture on so many levels but if, like me, you've always been a bit warey of the "noble" art of pugilism, please don't be put off by the violent subject matter. This is a story about a man who grew up with nothing and, like so many others before and since, had no other way of succeeding other than through the speed and ferocity he could put behind a right hook. It's about human emotions, a man's basic fragility but unbreakable spirit (and goodness knows, those in authority did everything possible to break Rocky's). It's also about the people who love him, his mother, wife, manager, even his brutal father, and the tough but waif-like street urchin Romolo.

A word or two on Romolo (and a possible minor spoiler). He's a kid who's never had the opportunity to be anything but be bad but in Sal Mineo's beautiful and sensitive portrayal you can't help but grow fond of him and care about what happens to him. He doesn't feature at all in a large chunk of the film and I found myself fretting about what had happened to him. It's a credit to Mineo's performance that I found myself smiling with relief when I spotted him in the closing scene.

If you're not familiar with Graziano's story then the brilliantly choreographed climactic fight scene will prove all the more exciting. If it was pure fiction you could be certain that Rocky would win against all the odds but as it's based on fact you can never be sure. I found myself willing him on, sitting on the edge of my seat, the fact that I was watching actors go through the motions of a fight completely lost on me.

This is a movie that everyone involved with can be thoroughly proud of, especially Paul Newman. Why he or the film were never even nominated for Oscars is beyond me. But at least Joseph Ruttenberg's Academy award for best cinematography is some consolation.

I haven't got "Somebody Up There Likes Me" on video yet but I'm hoping that, to quote Romolo, that's just a "temporary situation".

One of the best movies about boxing

[ragrelo · 10/10 · 25 January 2006]

I am a Paul Newman's fan I think he is one of the best actors of the last four decades This movie reflects the life of a great boxer as no other. The fact that the movie has been filmed in black and white captures the essence of a decade where the values were more than money for the American society. All the performances are excellent, and the Perry Como's song Somebody up there likes me is a plus. I want to mention Everett Sloane and Sal Mineo performances because they really help to show the boxer's life. Although there are many good Paul Newman's movies this is a masterpiece to me.To summarize,this is one of the best movies about boxing that you can find and is also a biography

And a left, and a right, and a cliché!

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 14 March 2007]

Let me get the bad stuff out of the way quickly because the movie is worth watching.

I didn't believe the pop psychology for a minute. An Italian father who is a wino? Eileen Heckart as an Italian mother? Hatred for authority because Rocky was beaten up by his drunken father? Rocky Barbella too shy around girls to date them? Nope.

This is a pretty dated movie, all things considered, especially considering the insipid inspirational title song by Perry Como. A gang tough from New York City gets into all kinds of trouble with the police and the army and the boxing commission and finally rises to the top by clobbering Tony Zale and winning the middleweight championship. Local boy makes good.

The fight scenes -- and there aren't that many -- are about standard for Hollywood. When a fight begins they come out swinging. Like -- right away. Nobody feels anybody else out. Nobody dances around and thinks. And every punch either misses by a mile or lands smack on target. THUMP THUMP THUMP. Any one of those blows would stun an elephant but the bout consists of nothing but these sledgehammers. WHOMP, and the recipient shrugs it off.

Some of the supporting parts are pretty bad. Eileen Heckart has done some nice work -- elsewhere, not here. Sal Mineo is the person Rocky could have become without his talent for pugilism. Pier Angeli may not be much of an actress but she fits the part very well physically, with her big sad eyes and her fragile figure -- vulnerable all around, unfortunately, in her off screen life.

There are good things about the film too. The neighborhood streets deserted at night because everyone is inside listening to the Graziano-Zale fight on the radio, the populace spilling onto the sidewalks in celebration after Rocky wins. And the guy playing Tony Zale really LOOKS like Tony Zale. Newman gives it his best shot but as the character is written it doesn't amount to much except Rocky pacing around, bobbing his head, and looking either puzzled or angry.

This is however a familiar trajectory in sports movies. Ignorant guy works his way up from the streets, has moments of self doubt, then overcomes them and wins. We are, at least, spared here the manager in the corner shouting, "Use your right! Use your RIGHT!" Or the floored or canvassed protagonist finally sighting his girl friend in the audience and hauling his bloody mess to his feet for a final knockout of the nasty opponent.

It's been overtaken by more recent movies about boxing, especially "Rocky" and "Raging Bull," both of which are better than this film. Of course Graziano was around during the filming and we can't have a true reprobate as the central figure. What he does that's wrong, and there are several things, he must do out of naiveté or ignorance or conflicting principles. The most interesting scenes involve the "bad" things that Graziano is shown doing. I mean -- clobbering an Army Captain with a sucker punch during wartime? Is it worth seeing? Definitely.

Pier Angeli and Paul Newman were terrific in this film!

[sandibiaso · 10/10 · 15 March 2006]

I really enjoyed this movie and every performance was amazing. Pier Angeli really showed range in this motion picture. Her performance was moving. I realized after seeing this film that Paul Newman was a gifted actor. I had a hard time taking my eyes of him in each scene he was in but was able to do so when Pier Angeli appeared. I didn't like his lack of effort in the Warner Brothers' motion picture The Silver Chalice but this helped change my mind about him as an actor.

Both Pier Angeli and Paul Newman should have been nominated for Academy Awards for their tremendous performances.

I know that James Dean was first chosen to portray Rocky Graziano but tragically he was killed in a devastating car accident. I know this from reading several of his biographies as well as the only biography that was written about Pier Angeli. I am sure Pier Angeli was thinking about James Dean in the role as she and Paul Newman were filming.

Enjoyable, fun to watch

[Steve-281 · 7/10 · 2 January 1999]

How many chances do we get to watch Paul Newman overact? His over-the-top performance as an Italian-American boxing champ from New York City is lots of fun to watch. He turn Graziano into a poor man's Terry Malloy. Nice, albeit brief, performance by Sal Mineo as well, as Rocky's running buddy. Worth a look!

Some Critic Out Here Likes You ***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 26 January 2006]

Paul Newman as Rocky Graziano, the fighter who couldn't seem to get it right, starred in the 1956 biography "Somebody Up there Likes Me."

According to all our sociologists, Rocky Barbella was doomed before he started. Coming from a dysfunctional family and viewing the poverty and gangs of the local tough streets, Rocky is a hardened guy. He is full of anger. Newman is terrific displaying this anger in and out of the ring.

Involved in stealing and going AWOL while in the army, Newman received a dishonorable discharge and served one year at Leavenworth. It is there that he got good boxing training and when out, he begins to fight his way to the top. In the interim, he marries a Jewish girl, Pier Angeli, who is as much Jewish as Mama Leone. I still can't figure out what kind of accent she had. Yet, Angeli does convey the kind of plain girl who would stick by her man.

Veteran actor Everett Sloane portrayed his manager Irving Cohen. He is feisty and has the right temperament for the role.

Just as things are going well, Rocky is trapped into trying to throw a fight. When he loses his boxing license in N.Y.C., the papers print about his dishonorable discharge. So, it's off to fight for the championship in Chicago.

The ring scenes are quite authentic and provide plenty of punch. Newman does well playing a punchy fighter in a very common, yet effective performance.

Harold J. Stone, who died recently at 92, is effective, although briefly, as Rocky's alcoholic father-a man who could have fought to the title but did not. Eileen Heckart, a great supporting actress, is given little material to work with, but her facial expressions best depict the desperation faced by a downtrodden family.

The film does provide a knock out punch and it's well worth the effort.

Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

[fntstcplnt · 6/10 · 2 March 2020]

Directed by Robert Wise. Starring Paul Newman, Pier Angeli, Everett Sloane, Harold J. Stone, Eileen Heckart, Robert Loggia, Sal Mineo, Joseph Buloff, Sammy White.

Sincere but simplistic biopic of the early life of boxer Rocky Graziano (Newman), running from his childhood, through his delinquent years as part of a street gang and his dishonorable discharge from the army, up to winning the middleweight championship belt in the late-1940s. Ernest Lehman's script hits all the predetermined marks with efficiency; Wise's direction only really comes to life during the climactic bout, where Albert Akst's editing and Joseph Ruttenberg's Oscar-winning photography set a new standard for boxing ring filmmaking. In one of three different roles he inherited after James Dean's passing, Newman struggles to convince as an Italian-American with a wobbly accent (he sorta sounds like Tony Curtis trying to do Marlon Brando from "Streetcar"), but his budding star presence couldn't be denied. Loggia's film debut; look for Steve McQueen in a bit part early on as a street tough wielding a knife.

65/100

Newman is an unthrottled powerhouse. Brilliant.

[michaelRokeefe · 8/10 · 30 July 2007]

Robert Wise directs probably one of the best boxing movies ever. Paul Newman is combustible as Rocky Graziano, who is considered by many as one of the greatest knockout artists in the history of boxing. His rough youth in the back streets of New York and brushes with crime made Graziano a fearsome force to reckon with. A world champion known for that "one punch knockout" ability and matched with Tony Zale in one of the ring's most storied rivalries ever; somebody up there really liked the volatile undisciplined fighter. Newman is electrifying and faultless. Also starring are: Pier Angeli, Everette Sloan, Eileen Heckart, Harold J. Stone, Sammy White and Sal Mineo.

Pretty good, but not great, boxing pic

[Groverdox · 7/10 · 8 September 2022]

"Somebody Up There Likes Me" is a pretty good boxing movie. It's fairly entertaining for most of its run-time. None of the performances really stood out for me, though. I didn't think Paul Newman was all that believable as an Italian-American from Brooklyn. Sometimes the voice he affected made me think of Andrew Dice Clay.

I expected a boxing movie from 1956 to be tame, but it isn't, really. Of course, this is no "Raging Bull", with spurting noses and gut-wrenching sound effects, but it does a decent job of showing the sport.

Overall I thought it was pretty good, and I appreciate a movie that mostly holds my attention. But I still think Newman was miscast.

"Kill The Bum!"

[strong-122-478885 · 4/10 · 30 May 2014]

Question: Is there such a thing as a boxing movie that isn't just a total cliché from start to finish? 'Cause if there is, then I'd sure like to know about it. I really would.

With that said, you have my personal guarantee that 1956's Somebody Up There Likes Me is such a predictable cliché-of-a-boxing-movie that, at times, it's almost too painful to endure.

On top of having this one major strike against it, this film also lost itself some significant points for its gross miscasting of Paul Newman in the lead role.

Not only did Newman never, ever come anywhere near to being at all convincing as a full-blooded American/Italian, but his goofy performance as boxing champ, Rocky Graziano, was, by far, one of the most absurd and annoying examples of copy-catting Marlon Brando's quirky mannerisms that I've ever seen.

Believe me, Newman's ridiculous portrayal was absolutely laughable to watch at times.

Filmed in stark b&w, Somebody Up There Likes Me's story (which was set in NYC during the 1930s & 40s) was based on the autobiography written by real-life, middleweight, boxing champ, Rocky Graziano (whose birth-name was Rocco Barbella).

Of all the many boxing films that I've seen over the years this dud has certainly proved to be one of the weakest and most unsatisfactory, by far.

By the end of the movie I literally loathed Newman's Graziano character right to the very bone. My only wish was to see one of his opponents really clean his clock, but good. But, unfortunately, this never happened. So I was left totally unsatisfied.