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Drama

Body and Soul

- All for you...

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 tempt the man with a number of vices. Charley finds himself faced with increasingly difficult choices.

Release Date : 1947-11-11

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Enterprise ProductionsUnited Artists

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

John Garfield

Character Name : Charley Davis

Original Name : John Garfield

Gender : Male

Lilli Palmer

Character Name : Peg Born

Original Name : Lilli Palmer

Gender : Female

Hazel Brooks

Character Name : Alice

Original Name : Hazel Brooks

Gender : Female

Anne Revere

Character Name : Anna Davis

Original Name : Anne Revere

Gender : Female

William Conrad

Character Name : Quinn

Original Name : William Conrad

Gender : Male

Joseph Pevney

Character Name : Shorty Polaski

Original Name : Joseph Pevney

Gender : Male

Lloyd Gough

Character Name : Roberts

Original Name : Lloyd Gough

Gender : Male

Canada Lee

Character Name : Ben Chaplin

Original Name : Canada Lee

Gender : Male

Larry Anzalone

Character Name : Fighter Being Knocked Out (uncredited)

Original Name : Larry Anzalone

Gender : Male

Al Bain

Character Name : Club Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Bain

Gender : Male

Steve Benton

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Steve Benton

Gender : Male

Eddie Borden

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Borden

Gender : Male

Paul Bradley

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Bradley

Gender : Male

James Burke

Character Name : Arnold (uncredited)

Original Name : James Burke

Gender : Male

George M. Carleton

Character Name : Prizefight Doctor (uncredited)

Original Name : George M. Carleton

Gender : Male

James Carlisle

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : James Carlisle

Gender : Male

Wheaton Chambers

Character Name : Ben's Doctor (uncredited)

Original Name : Wheaton Chambers

Gender : Male

Mary Currier

Character Name : Miss Tedder (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Currier

Gender : Female

Sayre Dearing

Character Name : Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : Sayre Dearing

Gender : Male

Joe Devlin

Character Name : Prince (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Devlin

Gender : Male

Artie Dorell

Character Name : Jack Marlow (uncredited)

Original Name : Artie Dorell

Gender : Male

Al Eben

Character Name : Taxi Driver (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Eben

Gender : Male

Caferino Garcia

Character Name : Boxer in Training Camp (uncredited)

Original Name : Caferino Garcia

Gender : Male

Herschel Graham

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Herschel Graham

Gender : Male

Joe Gray

Character Name : Cornerman (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Gray

Gender : Male

Virginia Gregg

Character Name : Irma (uncredited)

Original Name : Virginia Gregg

Gender : Female

Stuart Hall

Character Name : Observer at Scene (uncredited)

Original Name : Stuart Hall

Gender : Male

John Indrisano

Character Name : Davis-Marlowe Fight Referee (uncredited)

Original Name : John Indrisano

Gender : Male

Sheldon Jett

Character Name : Sam - Pool Hall Proprietor (uncredited)

Original Name : Sheldon Jett

Gender : Male

Milton Kibbee

Character Name : Dan - Marlowe's Manager (uncredited)

Original Name : Milton Kibbee

Gender : Male

Mike Lally

Character Name : Timekeeper (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Lally

Gender : Male

Glen Lee

Character Name : Marino (uncredited)

Original Name : Glen Lee

Gender : Male

Theodore Lorch

Character Name : Man at Weigh-in (uncredited)

Original Name : Theodore Lorch

Gender : Male

Wilbur Mack

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Wilbur Mack

Gender : Male

George Magrill

Character Name : Fight Stadium Cop (uncredited)

Original Name : George Magrill

Gender : Male

Pat McKee

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Pat McKee

Gender : Male

Sid Melton

Character Name : Prizefight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Sid Melton

Gender : Male

Harold Miller

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Harold Miller

Gender : Male

Forbes Murray

Character Name : Weigh-in Official (uncredited)

Original Name : Forbes Murray

Gender : Male

William H. O'Brien

Character Name : Bartender (uncredited)

Original Name : William H. O'Brien

Gender : Male

Charles Perry

Character Name : Cornerman (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Perry

Gender : Male

Paul Power

Character Name : Party Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Power

Gender : Male

Mike Ragan

Character Name : Ring Photographer (uncredited)

Original Name : Mike Ragan

Gender : Male

Bob Reeves

Character Name : Police Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Bob Reeves

Gender : Male

Frank Riggi

Character Name : Boxer in Training Camp (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Riggi

Gender : Male

Cyril Ring

Character Name : Victor - Butler (uncredited)

Original Name : Cyril Ring

Gender : Male

Shimen Ruskin

Character Name : Shimen, the Grocer (uncredited)

Original Name : Shimen Ruskin

Gender : Male

Tim Ryan

Character Name : Jack Shelton (uncredited)

Original Name : Tim Ryan

Gender : Male

Art Smith

Character Name : David Davis (uncredited)

Original Name : Art Smith

Gender : Male

Larry Steers

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Larry Steers

Gender : Male

Bert Stevens

Character Name : Party Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Bert Stevens

Gender : Male

Dan Tobey

Character Name : Fight Announcer (uncredited)

Original Name : Dan Tobey

Gender : Male

Sid Troy

Character Name : Party Guest (uncredited)

Original Name : Sid Troy

Gender : Male

George Tyne

Character Name : Charlie's Friend (uncredited)

Original Name : George Tyne

Gender : Male

Sailor Vincent

Character Name : Fight Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Sailor Vincent

Gender : Male

Peter Virgo

Character Name : Drummer (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Virgo

Gender : Male

John Wald

Character Name : Ringside Announcer (uncredited)

Original Name : John Wald

Gender : Male

Ulysses Williams

Character Name : Boxer Getting Knocked Out (uncredited)

Original Name : Ulysses Williams

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

He could've had the whole world. So he leaned over sideways and grabbed you. Body and Soul is directed by Robert Rossen and written by Abraham Polonsky. It stars John Garfield, Lilli Palmer, Hazel Brooks, Anne Revere and William Conrad. Music is by Hugo Friedhofer and cinematography by James Wong Howe. A talented boxer's career begins to spiral out of control when financial hunger, matters of the heart and a shady promoter begin to take a hold. Viewing it now, Body and Soul looks to be chock full of boxing movie clichés, which of course wasn't the case back in the 40s. Such as it is with the year of release, it has been honourably inserted into the film noir pantheon. If that's worthy - and many of the noir bible writers seem to think so - is up to the individual viewer to decide, what is apparent though is this is a fine piece of film making regardless of genre or style assignment. Charlie Davis' (Garfield in a worthy Oscar Nominated performance) descent down a crooked path is certainly noir in plot terms, and it makes for riveting viewing. The screenplay for the time is very choice and worthy, focusing as it does on corruption and violence within the sporting world. The look of the pic is that of realism, Rossen and Howe mixing elegiac beauty with fluent fight sequences (of which there aren't actually many), the monochrome sharp as a left hook. There's no sentimentality on show, this is stripped bare to show the dark that lurks beneath the cheering crowds and sensational advertisement posters. Pic pulses with the beat of the street, the sweat is from those trying to make a living, all while anti capitalism seeps from every frame. The finale drives home a point - consistent with Rossen in general - and even though pic has a very stage bound core, the craft from all involved ensures it never hurts the dramatic worth. 7.5/10

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-07-07

I always thought that John Garfield was one of the most under-rated of actors; he made some great films - and this is one of them. He is the down at heel, amateur boxer "Charley" who lives with his decent and upstanding mother "Anna" (Anne Revere) pretty much hand to mouth. When he wins an amateur bout, promoter "Quinn" (William Conrad) picks him up and starts him earning a little from his fights. Accompanied by his friend "Shorty" (Joseph Pevney) and his gal "Peg" (Lilli Palmer) he starts to attract attention, and when the big time looms he agrees a deal with "Roberts" (Lloyd Goff) and suddenly finds that his standards of morality and decency start to become compromised. His new found mentor is ruthless and his friends are gradually marginalised or ignored. Can a tragedy very close those to home open his eyes? This is a great story of grit and determination, of love, loyalty and manipulation and Robert Rossen keeps the pace moving really well. The cast is small, and the story tightly woven around some strong characters and a moral many can easily understand - money being the root of all evil, however well intentioned the earning of it. It's well scored and the production is photographed cleverly, at times intimately, making for a superior tale well worth watching.