Body and Soul

Director: Robert Rossen Robert Rossen

Overview

Considered one of the greatest boxing film ever made, Body and Soul features the late-great John Garfield playing pugilist Joe Devlin in his desperate bid to become the world's greatest fighter. Unfortunately, the battle to the top causes him to leave his values and principles behind and though it leads him to success, ultimately it takes him on a tragic dive from which he never recovers. The story is pretty standard for the genre. What makes this tale stand tall above the others is Garfield's riveting performance and the realistic portrayal of the gritty world of professional boxing. The cinematography is also exceptional.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/31/2012
UPC:	0887090045100
Original Release:	1947
Rating:	NR
Source:	Olive
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[B&W]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:44:00
Sales rank:	21,085

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

John Garfield	Charley Davis
Lilli Palmer	Peg Born
Anne Revere	Anna Davis
Hazel Brooks	Alice
William Conrad	Quinn
Joseph Pevney	Shorty Polaski
Canada Lee	Ben
Lloyd Goff	Roberts
Art Smith	David Davis
James Burke	Arnold
Virginia Gregg	Irma
Peter Virgo	Drummer
Joe Devlin	Prince
Mary Currier	Miss Tedder
Milton Kibbee	Dan,Dan
Artie Dorrell	Jack Marlowe
Cyril Ring	Victor
Tim Ryan	Shelton
Lloyd Gough	Roberts
Wheaton Chambers	Doctor
John Indrisano	Referee
Shimen Ruskin	Grocer
Dan Tobey	Fight Announcer
Hugo Friedhofer	Composer
Edward Heyman	Composer
Frank Eyton	Composer
Johnny Green	Composer

Technical Credits

Abraham Polonsky

Abraham Polonsky	Screenwriter
Bob Roberts	Producer
Robert Rossen	Director
Gunther Von Fritsch	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

The boxing drama Body and Soul benefits from a riveting screenplay by Abraham Polonsky, intense editing from Francis D. Lyon and Robert Parrish, and innovative cinematography by the legendary James Wong Howe. Tying all of these elements together is director Robert Rossen, who coaxes a superb performance from John Garfield as the troubled boxer Charlie Davis. Rossen would explore similar themes of redemption in sports and gambling in 1961's The Hustler. Howe's tight shot composition would influence similar classics over the years, most notably Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull; the similarly influential work of Lyon and Parrish would garner the team an Oscar.