Body and Soul (1947 film)

Last updated

Body and Soul
Body and Soul 1947 movie poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Robert Rossen
Written by Abraham Polonsky
Produced byBob Roberts
Starring John Garfield
Lilli Palmer
Hazel Brooks
Anne Revere
William Conrad
Cinematography James Wong Howe
Edited by Robert Parrish
Francis Lyon (supervising)
Music by Hugo Friedhofer
Production
company
Distributed by United Artists (United States and Canada)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer [1] (International)
Release date
  • November 9, 1947 (1947-11-09)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,800,000 [2] [3]
Box office$3,250,000 (US rentals) [4]
$4,700,000 (total) [2]

Body and Soul is a 1947 American film noir sports drama directed by Robert Rossen and starring John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Hazel Brooks, Anne Revere, and William Conrad. [5] The screenplay by Abraham Polonsky is partly based on the 1939 film Golden Boy . [6] With cinematography by James Wong Howe, the film is considered by some to be one of the best films about boxing. [7] [8] It 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. The film uses the song Body and Soul for the main musical theme and underscoring throughout.

Contents

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, who tempts the man with a number of vices. Charley finds himself faced with increasingly difficult choices.

When talented fighter Ben Chaplin finds himself blacklisted from a title shot because of his race, Davis hires him as a well-paid sparring partner. Davis begins to have a moral awakening when Chaplin has a seizure and dies in the training camp ring.

Davis finds the moral courage to win a title fight that he was supposed to throw and shrugs off Roberts' post-fight threats.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

When the film was released, critic Bosley Crowther praised the film, writing, "Body and Soul has up and done it, with interest and excitement to spare, and we heartily recommend it in its present exhibition at the Globe ... Still [Abraham Polonsky has] written his story with such flavor and such slashing fidelity to the cold and greedy nature of the fight game, and Robert Rossen has directed it with such an honest regard for human feelings and with such a searching and seeing camera, that any possible resemblance to other fight yarns, living or dead, may be gratefully allowed." [9]

Film critic Dennis Schwartz discussed that the film had a definite sociopolitical point of view and praised Garfield's work. He, wrote, "Robert Rossen's Body and Soul becomes more than a boxing and film noir tale, as screenwriter Abraham Polonsky makes this into a socialist morality drama where the pursuit of money becomes the focus that derails the common man in his quest for success ... Garfield is seen as a victim of the ruthless capitalistic system that fixes everything including athletic events, as the little guy is always at the mercy of the big operator. It's the kind of liberalism that was common in the dramas made in the 1930s. It's more a film about corruption and the presence of violence everywhere in America rather than a straight boxing film ... Body and Soul viewed at this late date lacks much relevancy and now only seems gripping because of Garfield's gritty performance, and not because of the intense script that once made waves in powerful circles. [10]

TV Guide comments: "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." [11]

Accolades

AwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
Academy Awards Best Actor John Garfield Nominated [12]
Best Original Screenplay Abraham Polonsky Nominated
Best Film Editing Francis D. Lyon and Robert Parrish Won
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actor John GarfieldNominated
Saturn Awards Best DVD or Blu-ray Collection Body and Soul [lower-alpha 1] Nominated [13]

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

See also

Notes

  1. As part of the Pioneers of African-American Cinema collection.

Related Research Articles

<i>Gentlemans Agreement</i> 1947 film by Elia Kazan

Gentleman's Agreement is a 1947 American drama film based on Laura Z. Hobson's best-selling 1947 novel of the same title. The film is about a journalist who pretends to be Jewish to research an exposé on the widespread antisemitism in New York City and the affluent communities of New Canaan and Darien, Connecticut. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director.

<i>Force of Evil</i> 1948 film by Abraham Polonsky

Force of Evil is a 1948 American film noir starring John Garfield and Beatrice Pearson and directed by Abraham Polonsky. It was adapted by Polonsky and Ira Wolfert from Wolfert's novel Tucker's People. Polonsky had been a screenwriter for the boxing film Body and Soul (1947), in which Garfield had also played the male lead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory Peck</span> American actor (1916–2003)

Eldred Gregory Peck was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood Cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Garfield</span> American actor (1913–1952)

John Garfield was an American actor who played brooding, rebellious, working-class characters. He grew up in poverty in New York City. In the early 1930s, he became a member of the Group Theatre. In 1937, he moved to Hollywood, eventually becoming one of Warner Bros.' stars. He received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Four Daughters (1938) and Body and Soul (1947).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Rossen</span> American screenwriter, film director (1908–1966)

Robert Rossen was an American screenwriter, film director, and producer whose film career spanned almost three decades.

<i>Odds Against Tomorrow</i> 1959 film by Robert Wise

Odds Against Tomorrow is a 1959 American film noir produced and directed by Robert Wise and starring Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan and Ed Begley. Belafonte selected Abraham Polonsky to write the script, which is based on a novel of the same name by William P. McGivern. Blacklisted in those years, Polonsky had to use a front and John O. Killens was credited. Polonsky's screenwriting credit was restored in 1996 in his own name.

Abraham Lincoln Polonsky was an American film director, screenwriter, essayist and novelist. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Body and Soul but in the early 1950s was blacklisted by Hollywood movie studios after refusing to testify at congressional hearings of the House Un-American Activities Committee in the midst of the McCarthy era.

Champion is a 1949 American sports drama film noir directed by Mark Robson with a screenplay written by Carl Foreman based on a short story by Ring Lardner. The film stars Kirk Douglas, Marilyn Maxwell, Arthur Kennedy, Paul Stewart, Ruth Roman and Lola Albright. The story recounts the struggles of boxer "Midge" Kelly fighting his own demons while working to achieve success in the ring.

<i>The Harder They Fall</i> (1956 film) American boxing film noir by Mark Robson

The Harder They Fall is a 1956 American boxing film noir directed by Mark Robson, produced and written by Philip Yordan, based on Budd Schulberg's 1947 novel. It was Humphrey Bogart's final film role. It received an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, Black and White, for Burnett Guffey at the 29th Academy Awards.

<i>The Sound of Fury</i> (film) 1950 film by Cy Endfield

The Sound of Fury is a 1950 American crime film noir directed by Cy Endfield and starring Frank Lovejoy, Kathleen Ryan, Richard Carlson. The film is based on the 1947 novel The Condemned by Jo Pagano, who also wrote the screenplay.

<i>He Ran All the Way</i> 1951 film by John Berry

He Ran All the Way is a 1951 American crime drama and film noir directed by John Berry and starring John Garfield and Shelley Winters. Distributed by United Artists, it was produced independently by Roberts Pictures, a company named for Garfield's manager and business partner, Bob Roberts, and bankrolled by Garfield. It would be Garfield's last film before his death in 1952 at the age of 39.

<i>The Breaking Point</i> (1950 film) 1950 film by Michael Curtiz

The Breaking Point is a 1950 American film noir crime drama directed by Michael Curtiz and the second film adaptation of the 1937 Ernest Hemingway novel To Have and Have Not, the first one having featured Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. It stars John Garfield in his penultimate film role and Patricia Neal.

<i>The Devil Thumbs a Ride</i> 1947 film by Felix E. Feist

The Devil Thumbs a Ride is a 1947 American film noir directed by Felix E. Feist and featuring Lawrence Tierney, Ted North, Nan Leslie and Betty Lawford. It was produced and distributed by RKO Pictures.

<i>Thank Your Lucky Stars</i> (film) 1943 film by David Butler

Thank Your Lucky Stars is a 1943 American musical comedy film made by Warner Brothers as a World War II fundraiser, with a slim plot involving theater producers. The stars donated their salaries to the Hollywood Canteen, which was founded by John Garfield and Bette Davis, who appear in this film. It was directed by David Butler and stars Eddie Cantor, Dennis Morgan, Joan Leslie, Edward Everett Horton and S.Z. Sakall.

<i>The Velvet Touch</i> 1948 film by Jack Gage

The Velvet Touch is a 1948 American film noir drama directed by Jack Gage and starring Rosalind Russell, Leon Ames, Leo Genn and Claire Trevor.

<i>Out of the Fog</i> (1941 film) 1941 film by Anatole Litvak

Out of the Fog is a 1941 American film noir crime drama directed by Anatole Litvak and starring John Garfield, Ida Lupino and Thomas Mitchell. The film was based on the play The Gentle People by Irwin Shaw. It was made and released by Warner Brothers.

<i>The Macomber Affair</i> 1947 film by Zoltan Korda

The Macomber Affair is a 1947 American adventure drama film starring Gregory Peck, Joan Bennett, and Robert Preston. Directed by Zoltan Korda and distributed by United Artists, it portrays a fatal love triangle set in British East Africa between a frustrated wife, a weak husband, and the professional hunter who comes between them.

<i>The Mark of the Whistler</i> 1944 film by William Castle

The Mark of the Whistler, is a 1944 American mystery film noir based on the radio drama The Whistler. Directed by William Castle, the production features Richard Dix, Porter Hall and Janis Carter. It is the second of Columbia Pictures' eight "Whistler" films produced in the 1940s, all but the last starring Dix.

Enterprise Productions, Inc. was an independent production company co-founded by actor John Garfield alongside producers David L. Loew and Charles Einfeld in 1946, right after Garfield's contract with Warner Bros. had expired. Having recently turned freelance, the idea was Garfield's outlet in obtaining creative control over his own projects, as well as encouraging fellow filmmakers to pursue their own humanistic advocacies through their work.

<i>Hollywood Story</i> 1951 film by William Castle

Hollywood Story is a 1951 American mystery film directed by William Castle and starring Richard Conte and Julie Adams. The supporting cast features Richard Egan, Henry Hull, Fred Clark and Jim Backus.

References

  1. "Body and Soul (1947)". BBFC . Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Variety (July 1948)". New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company. February 2, 1948 via Internet Archive.
  3. "Inside Stuff - Pictures". Variety. November 10, 1948. p. 22.
  4. "Variety (January 1948)". New York, NY: Variety Publishing Company. February 2, 1948 via Internet Archive.
  5. Body and Soul at the TCM Movie Database.
  6. Boddy, Kasia (2013). Boxing: A Cultural History. Reaktion Books. p. 88. ISBN   9781861897022.
  7. "The 50 Best Boxing Movies of All Time". pastemagazine.com. March 24, 2017.
  8. "The 25 Best Boxing Movies Ever - Page 3 of 5". theplaylist.net.
  9. Crowther, Bosley. The New York Times , film review, "Exciting Story of Prizefighting, Starring John Garfield, at Globe", November 10, 1947. Accessed: July 16, 2013.
  10. Schwartz, Dennis Schwartz Archived May 8, 2008, at the Wayback Machine . Ozus' World Movie Reviews, film review, March 23, 2004. Access: July 16, 2013.
  11. TV Guide Archived September 10, 2014, at the Wayback Machine . Staff, film review. Access: July 16, 2013.
  12. "The 20th Academy Awards (1948) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
  13. Siegel, Lucas (June 29, 2017). "Marvel, Star Wars, The Walking Dead win big at 2017 Saturn Awards". Syfy Wire . Archived from the original on June 22, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  14. Fristoe, Roger (January 19, 2021). "John Garfield - Tuesdays in February". www.tcm.com. Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  15. "AFI's 10 Top 10 Nominees" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2016.