Somebody Up There Likes Me

"A Girl Can Lift A Fellow To The Skies!"

1956 1h 53m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 190

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story of boxer Rocky Graziano's rise from juvenile delinquent to world champ.

“A Girl Can Lift A Fellow To The Skies!”

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Cast

Paul Newman
Rocky Graziano
Pier Angeli
Norma Graziano
Everett Sloane
Irving Cohen
Eileen Heckart
Ma Barbella
Sal Mineo
Romolo
Harold J. Stone
Nick Barbella
Joseph Buloff
Benny
Arch Johnson
Heldon

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Wise
Writers: Ernest Lehman
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.9M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

70 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Wise, shot by Joseph Ruttenberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bronislau Kaper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Albert Akst shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Paul Newman and Pier Angeli and Everett Sloane carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A Girl Can Lift A Fellow To The Skies!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0049778 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Wise directs. Joseph Ruttenberg behind the camera. Bronislau Kaper scores. Albert Akst cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.9M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
270 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Robert Wise, shot by Joseph Ruttenberg. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Bronislau Kaper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Albert Akst shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Paul Newman and Pier Angeli and Everett Sloane carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A Girl Can Lift A Fellow To The Skies!".
8IMDB entry: tt0049778 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 12 themes, including "new york city", "army", "parent child relationship", "abusive father".

The technical file

Cinematography: Joseph Ruttenberg
Original score: Bronislau Kaper
Editing: Albert Akst
Makeup / hair: John Truwe
Runtime: 113 min · 1h 53m
Status: Released
Budget: $1,920,000
Box office: $3,360,000
Return: 175% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Art Direction, Black and White
Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Robert Wise

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-04-23
★ 9/10
Ma, I tried to turn the leaf but I can't make it. It's something inside me. I try but I can't make it. Directed by multi genre supremo Robert Wise, the screenplay is adapted by Ernest Lehman from the Rocky Graziano biography of the same name. Music is by Bronislau Kaper and cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg. It stars Paul Newman, Pier Angeli, Everett Sloane, Eileen Heckart and Sal Mineo. This film really hits the spot to me as a portent of just what a great career Paul Newman was to have, not only that but it stands up as one of the better sports biographies I have seen. Fine story as we follow Rocky Graziano (Newman) from his wild youth into a man on the verge of destroying his life and then on to becoming the World Middleweight Champion (the final fight with Tony Zale is superbly choreographed). It's weird because during Graziano's wild antics one can't help but like the guy because Newman makes the character so charming. The time he spent with the real Graziano pays off in spades as he captures his mannerisms and style impressively. One has to wonder what sort of performance original choice James Dean would have done with the role?. A big shout up to Pier Angeli as the main Female lead as she turns in a wonderful performance in view of Newman's barn storming show. Ruttenberg won the Academy Award for his pin sharp Black-and-White cinematography, the art department won for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White, while a certain Steve McQueen can be seen as one of Rocky's gang members - Fidel a knife wielding thug. 9/10

Production companies