Body and Soul (1947 film)
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| Body and Soul | |
|---|---|
 Body and Soul movie poster |
|
| Directed by | Robert Rossen |
| Produced by | Bob Roberts |
| Written by | Abraham Polonsky |
| Starring | John Garfield Lilli Palmer Hazel Brooks Anne Revere William Conrad |
| Music by | Hugo Friedhofer |
| Cinematography | James Wong Howe |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | August 22, 1947 (U.S. release) |
| Running time | 104 min |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
Body and Soul is a 1947 film noir which tells the story of a boxer who becomes involved with crooked promoters. It stars John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Hazel Brooks, Anne Revere and William Conrad.
The movie, written by Abraham Polonsky and directed by Robert Rossen, is considered the first great boxing picture; it's also cautionary tale about the lure of money—and how it can derail even a strong common man in his pursuit of success.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Charley Davis, against the wishes of his mother, becomes a boxer. As he becomes more successful the fighter becomes surrounded by shady characters, including an unethical promoter named Roberts, that tempt the man with a number of vices. Charley finds himself faced with increasingly difficult choices.
[edit] Reaction
The film received positive reviews when first released. Some modern film reviews finds the film's message heavy handed today but most reviewers continue to praise Garfield's performance. [1]
TV Guide's review notes "The fight sequences, in particular, brought a kind of realism to the genre that had never before existed (James Wong Howe wore skates and rolled around the ring shooting the fight scenes with a hand-held camera). A knockout on all levels." [2]
It's known for its fight scenes which influenced the Scorsese classic Raging Bull.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| John Garfield | Charlie Davis |
| Lilli Palmer | Peg Born |
| Hazel Brooks | Alice |
| Anne Revere | Anna Davis |
| William Conrad | Quinn |
| Joseph Pevney | Shorty Polaski |
| Lloyd Gough | Roberts |
| Canada Lee | Ben Chaplin |
| Art Smith | David Davis |
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
Not to be confused with the 1931 film featuring Humphrey Bogart in his third screen role.
[edit] Awards
It won the Academy Award for Film Editing and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role (John Garfield) and Best Writing, Original Screenplay.
