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Cinderella Man
With boxing enjoying a national upsurge in interest due to the May 2 mega-million-dollar-fight for the welterweight title between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, it’s worth recalling some of the great, gritty movies about The Sweet Science.
Many such fight films pulled no punches in presenting the seamy, slice-of-life reality of the ugly world of big-time and small-time pugilism. Following are my Top 10 in no particular order:
1. Raging Bull (1980)
Oscar winner Robert De Niro physically transformed himself in Martin Scorsese’s homage to middleweight champ Jake LaMotta. Joe Pesci was great as De Niro’s brother and Scorsese included lots of memorable doo-wop music.
2. Body and Soul (1947)
The climactic fight scene was filmed on roller skates by James Wong Howe, as the crowd goes silent. Canada Lee was outstanding as an aging, black ex-boxer who dies training Charley Davis (John Garfield) at the peak of his career.
3. “Rocky Marciano” (1999)
Jon Favreau sensitively channels the undefeated (49-0) heavyweight king. Tony Lo Bianco is spot-on as gangster Frankie Carbo and Duane Davis brings tears to viewers’ eyes as the great Joe Louis—who Marciano knocked out.
4. Champion (1949)
Kirk Douglas, Ruth Roman and Arthur Kennedy were astounding in this film classic. Nominated for six Academy Awards, Champion stars Douglas as doomed middleweight champ Midge Kelly and Kennedy as his faithful brother.
5. The Set-Up (1949)
Inspired by Joseph Moncure March’s narrative poem and filmed in real-time, The Set-Up exposes the fight game’s sleazy underbelly. Robert Ryan plays a washed-up fighter who refuses to take a dive. Audrey Totter and James Edwards excel in supporting roles.
6. The Harder They Fall (1956)
Corruption reigned in Budd Schulberg’s take on Primo Carnera’s phony rise to heavyweight prominence in the 1930s—and his merciless beating by Max Baer, who plays himself. Humphrey Bogart plays an ex-sportswriter hyping the hoax, Rod Steiger a smarmy promoter and ex-champ Jersey Joe Walcott a trainer.
7. Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
Anthony Quinn took the gritty role created by Jack Palance on live TV’s “Playhouse 90.” Also starring Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney, Julie Harris and a young Cassius Clay, later to become Muhammad Ali.
8. The Great White Hope (1970)
The sensational race-based story of controversial black heavyweight champ Jack Johnson (called Jack Jefferson in the movie). Bravura work by James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander earned Oscar nominations for each.
9. Fat City (1972)
John Huston’s look into the seedy world of second-rate boxers stars Stacy Keach as a broken-down pug. Wonderful support is provided by a young Jeff Bridges, Oscar-nominated Susan Tyrrell and boxers Curtis Cokes and Sixto Rodriguez.
10. Cinderella Man (2005)
The brooding Russell Crowe is fine as late-blooming 1930s heavyweight champ James J. Braddock—a struggling dock worker during the Depression. He is supported by Paul Giamatti as his trainer-manager and love interest Renée Zellweger.
