Body and Soul (1947) (1947)
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100% of critics liked it
(10 reviews) -
88% of users liked it
(633 ratings)
This riveting 1947 drama, regarded by many as the greatest boxing movie of all time, centers on a former pugilist who looks back on his life in and out of the ring and realizes that self-respect is a more important prize than winning. John Garfield is Charlie Davis, a former boxing champion who… More This riveting 1947 drama, regarded by many as the greatest boxing movie of all time, centers on a former pugilist who looks back on his life in and out of the ring and realizes that self-respect is a more important prize than winning. John Garfield is Charlie Davis, a former boxing champion who began fighting in order to save himself and his mother from poverty after his father was killed in a mob-related bombing. William Conrad plays Quinn, a veteran boxer-turned-trainer who discovers that Davis has the potential to be a professional fighter. Eager to take on all contenders, Davis eventually defeats the world champion, but winning has cost him more than he bargained for. He falls in with the mob and takes to a life of easy women and plentiful booze, winning easy bouts with second-rate opponents. In the end, Davis realizes the error of his ways -- but is it too late? With all the odds against him, and knowing that the fight has already been fixed, Davis is forced to make the choice between what's expected of him and what he expects of himself. The fight sequences were filmed on roller skates with a hand-held camera, adding a realism that strengthens the film's verisimilitude. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi
- Directed By
- Robert Rosen, Robert Rossen
- Written By
- Abraham Polonsky
- Genres
- Drama, Classics
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1947 Wide
Critic Reviews
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Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Trite is hardly the word for the plot, which was already wheezy by the time this minor classic was made in 1947, but Abraham Polonsky's script brings such tight, painful focus to the moral choices that it seems fresh and real.
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, Time Out
Garfield's bullish performance saves the movie from its stagy moments and episodic script.
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Bosley Crowther, New York Times
Altogether this Enterprise picture rolls up a round-by-round triumph on points until it comes through with a climactic knockout that hits the all-time high in throat-catching fight films.
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
If the movie works today, it's probably because of Abraham Polonsky's beautiful screenplay, a rich desert plate filled with glorious, lowdown street and sports prose.
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Jaime N. Christley, Slant Magazine
For a film that's almost been toppled over by its extra-cinematic legacy, a few supplements wouldn't have killed Olive Films' Body and Soul's Blu-ray. But it's a knockout on points, at least, with a strong transfer and a meaty mono track.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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John Garfield
as Charlie Davis
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Lilli Palmer
as Peg Born
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James Burke
as Arnold
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Anne Revere
as Anna Davis
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Canada Lee
as Ben Chaplin
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Mary Currier
as Miss Teddy
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Joe Devlin
as Prince
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Hazel Brooks
as Alice
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William Conrad
as Quinn
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Tim Ryan
as Shelton
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Lloyd Gough
as Roberts
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Wheaton Chambers
as Doctor
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Virginia Gregg
as Irma
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John Indrisano
as Referee
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Milt Kibbee
as Dan
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Joseph Pevney
as Shorty Polaski
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Cyril Ring
as Victor
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Shimen Ruskin
as Grocer
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Art Smith
as David Davis
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Dan Tobey
as Fight Announcer
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Peter Virgo
as Drummer
