Robert Rossen directed Body and Soul a film noir sports drama, starring John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Hazel Brooks, Anne Revere, and William Conrad.
The screenplay by Abraham Polonsky is partly based on the 1939 film Golden Boy.
Assisted by cinematography by James Wong Howe, the film is considered by some to be one of the best films about boxing.
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Theatrical release poster
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The movie is also a cautionary tale about the lure of money—and how it can derail even a strong common man in his pursuit of success.
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, who tempts the man with a number of vices. Charley finds himself faced with increasingly difficult choices.
Cast
John Garfield as Charley Davis
Lilli Palmer as Peg Born
Hazel Brooks as Alice
Anne Revere as Anna Davis
William Conrad as Quinn
Joseph Pevney as Shorty Polaski
Lloyd Gough as Roberts
Canada Lee as Ben Chaplin
Art Smith as David Davis
Larry Steers as Fight Spectator (uncredited)
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).
Directed by Robert Rossen
Produced by Bob Roberts
Screenplay by Abraham Polonsky
Music by Hugo Friedhofer
Cinematography James Wong Howe
Edited by Francis Lyon, Robert Parrish
Production company: The Enterprise Studios
Distributed by United Artists
Release date: November 9, 1947
Running time: 104 minutes
Budget $1,800,000
Box office $4,700,000