Tell me about your favorite boxing films

Say what you will and I like Max Baer and everything, but I'm pretty much a complete sucker for Cinderella Man. I know, I know. I can't help it. They played me like a violin with that movie. I'm pathetic maybe but I ate everything up. ''Welcome to New York.''

 

I didn't think that Canada Lee got an Oscar nomination for 'Body and Soul', although I could be wrong. Excellent actor though, he was memorable in 'Cry the Beloved Country' and was a noted stage thesp too. IIRC he was being lined up to play Othello at the time of his death. Body and Soul is a good film btw, well made all around and one of Garfield's best performances imo. Influenced the masterwork that is Raging Bull too in terms of the fight scenes.

'The Setup' is a great call, as is 'The Harder They Fall'; Steiger really reigned himself in for that one and the character was a right piece of work. It was supposedly a big influence on Michael Mann and his crew when it came to developing the dynamic between Pacino and DeNiro in 'Heat'.

'Fat City' is my personal favourite though.

And while I respect everyone's varying preferences and refuse to criticize them, I will say that if you liked 'The Hurricane' or 'Cinderella Man', you're a ****.

 

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Canada Lee not only got a nomination, TR, he won the Oscar for best supporting actor for the performance.

 

lol:

 

Raging Bull
The Boxer - starring Daniel Day Lewis. Lewis as usual becomes the character he portrays better than just about anybody.

 

Hm, you sure on that one John? Can't find anything on the Academy database for him or in my film/movie guides. They say that Edmund Gwenn won the award that year for 'Miracle on 34th Street' - another great film incidentally, way better than the shite remake with Attenborough. Sorry, I'm being a pedantic ******* over this.

Forgot about The Boxer, nat, good shout. Day-Lewis was just as good as DeNiro in RB, if not better imho. Trained nearly every day for 3 years with Barry McGuigan, I think Barry said in an interview that Day-Lewis scared the **** out of him with how serious he took the training and that he could have fought as a top level pro if he was younger.

 

The Set Up is great, Ryan was a college boxer.:good

 

As no one has mentioned it yet ,I say Requiem For A Heavyweight ,starring Anthony Quinn

 

I'm glad someone mentioned Resurrecting the Champ. Criminally underrated that movie is.

And I'm also glad The Boxer (1997) was also mentioned. It has probably the most realistic boxing scenes I've ever seen in a movie!

 

You're dead right, TR. Got carried away with Canada Lee's brilliant performance. JG did get a nomination for Best Actor,'n I think B&S did win for screenplay 'n editing.

 

Yes ex fighter Jack Palance did the original T V play as Harlan Mountain McClintock. Serling won an Emmy for it.

Quinn became the latin version , in the film.Mountain Rivera.Cassius Clay ,[as he then was,] is shown beating the **** out of Mountain early in the film.
It was done for Uk T V too, with original James Bond , Sean Connery , in the title role, Connery received £35 for the part.
Totally agree about Ryan, fine actor.:good

 

I worked on PLAYHOUSE 90 in N.Y. when REQUIEM was done live with Palance.