Rocky (documentary)
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''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and co-stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith. In the film,
Rocky Balboa Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name The Italian Stallion), is a fictional title character and the protagonist of the ''Rocky'' film series. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in all eigh ...
(Stallone), an uneducated, small-time club fighter and debt collector gets an unlikely shot at the world heavyweight championship held by Apollo Creed (Weathers). ''Rocky'' entered development in March 1975, after Stallone wrote the screenplay in three days. It entered a complicated production process after Stallone refused to allow the film to be made without him in the lead role; United Artists eventually agreed to cast Stallone after he rejected a six figure deal for the film rights. Principal photography began in January 1976, with filming primarily held in Philadelphia; several locations featured in the film, such as the Rocky Steps, are now considered cultural landmarks. With an estimated production budget of under $1 million, ''Rocky'' popularized the rags to riches and American Dream themes of sports dramas which preceded the film. ''Rocky'' was premiered in New York City on November 21, 1976, and was theatrically released in the United States by United Artists on December 3. Rocky became the highest-grossing film of 1976, earning approximately $225 million worldwide. The film received critical acclaim toward Stallone's writing, performance and the story; among other accolades, it received ten Academy Award nominations and won three, including Best Picture. It has been ranked by numerous publications as one of the greatest films of all time, as well as one of the most iconic sports film ever made. ''Rocky'' and its theme song have become a pop-cultural phenomenon and an important part of 1970s American popular culture spawning a film series as well as a series of video games and merchandise. In 2006, the Library of Congress selected ''Rocky'' for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".


Plot

In 1975, the
heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...
boxing world champion, Apollo Creed, announces plans to hold a
title bout In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
in Philadelphia during the upcoming United States Bicentennial. However, he is informed five weeks from the fight date that his scheduled opponent Mac Lee Green is unable to compete due to an injured hand. With all other potential replacements booked up or otherwise unavailable, Creed decides to spice things up by giving a local contender a chance to challenge him. Creed selects
Rocky Balboa Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name The Italian Stallion), is a fictional title character and the protagonist of the ''Rocky'' film series. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in all eigh ...
, an Italian American journeyman
southpaw Southpaw is another name for a left-handed individual, particularly in sports. Southpaw may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''The Southpaw'', a 1952 novel by Mark Harris * Southpaw (comics), a fictional character in the Marvel comic ''Sh ...
boxer who fights primarily in small gyms and works as a collector for a loan shark. Rocky meets with promoter George Jergens assuming that Creed is seeking local
sparring Sparring is a form of training common to many combat sports. Although the precise form varies, it is essentially relatively ' free-form' fighting, with enough rules, customs, or agreements to minimize injuries. By extension, argumentative debate ...
partners. Reluctant at first, Rocky eventually agrees to the fight which will pay him $150,000. Rocky undergoes several weeks of unorthodox training, such as using sides of beef as punching bags. Rocky is later approached by Mickey Goldmill, a former bantamweight fighter who turned trainer and whose gym Rocky frequents, about further training. Rocky is not willing initially, as Mickey has not shown much interest in helping him before and sees him as a wasted talent, but eventually Rocky accepts the offer. Rocky begins to build a romantic relationship with Adrian Pennino, who is working part-time at the J&M Tropical Fish pet shop. Adrian's brother and Rocky's best friend, Paulie, helps Rocky get a date with his sister and offers to work as a corner man with him for the fight. Paulie becomes jealous of Rocky's success, but Rocky placates him by agreeing to advertise the meat packing business where Paulie works as part of the upcoming fight. The night before the fight, a sleepless Rocky visits the Philadelphia Spectrum and begins to lose confidence. He confesses to Adrian that he does not believe he can win, but strives to go the distance against Creed, which no other fighter has done, to prove himself to everyone. On
New Year's Day New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
, the fight is held with Creed making a dramatic entrance dressed as
George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
and then Uncle Sam. Taking advantage of his overconfidence, Rocky knocks him down in the first round—the first time that Creed has ever been knocked down. Humbled and worried, Creed takes Rocky more seriously for the rest of the fight, though his ego never fully fades. The fight goes on for the full fifteen rounds, with both combatants sustaining various injuries. Rocky, with hits to the head and swollen eyes, requires his right eyelid to be cut to restore his vision. Apollo, with internal bleeding and a broken rib, struggles to breathe. As the fight concludes, Creed's superior skill is countered by Rocky's apparently unlimited ability to absorb punches and his dogged refusal to go down. As the final bell sounds, with both fighters embracing each other, they promise each other there will be no rematch. After the fight, the sportscasters and the audience go wild. Jergens announces over the loudspeaker that the fight was "the greatest exhibition of guts and stamina in the history of the ring", and Rocky calls out repeatedly for Adrian, who runs down and comes into the ring. As Jergens declares Creed the winner by virtue of a
split decision A split decision (SD) is a winning criterion in boxing, most commonly in full-contact combat sports, in which two of the three judges score one particular competitor as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other competitor. A split dec ...
, Rocky and Adrian embrace and profess their love for each other, not caring about the outcome of the fight.


Cast

*
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
as Robert "Rocky" Balboa * Talia Shire as Adriana "Adrian" Pennino * Burt Young as Paulie Pennino * Carl Weathers as Apollo Creed * Burgess Meredith as Michael "Mickey" Goldmill * Thayer David as George "Miles" Jergens * Joe Spinell as Tony Gazzo * Tony Burton as Tony "Duke" Evers *
Pedro Lovell Pedro Lovell (born June 8, 1945) is a retired Argentine heavyweight boxer, a knockout artist with a promising career in the 1970s. He is also known for his role as Spider Rico in the films ''Rocky'' (1976) and ''Rocky Balboa'' (2006). Life and c ...
as Spider Rico *
Stan Shaw Stan Shaw (born July 14, 1952) is an American actor. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois, he is the son of Bertha Shaw and saxophonist Eddie Shaw, and cousin of the late soul singers Sam Cooke and Tyrone Davis. His brother is Vaan Shaw, a ...
as "Big Dipper" Brown *
Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011), nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fi ...
as Himself


Production


Development and writing

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...
wrote the screenplay for ''Rocky'' in three and a half days, shortly after watching the championship match between
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
and Chuck Wepner that took place at Richfield Coliseum in Richfield, Ohio, on March 24, 1975. Wepner was TKO'd in the 15th round of the match by Ali, with few expecting him to last as long as he did. Despite the match motivating Stallone to begin work on ''Rocky'', he has denied Wepner provided any inspiration for the script. Other inspiration for the film may have included characteristics of real-life boxers Rocky Marciano and
Joe Frazier Joseph William Frazier (January 12, 1944November 7, 2011), nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He was known for his strength, durability, formidable left hand, and relentless pressure fi ...
, as well as Rocky Graziano's autobiography ''Somebody Up There Likes Me'' and the movie of the same name. Wepner sued Stallone, and eventually settled for an undisclosed amount.
Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE (born October 30, 1945), is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. After rising to fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the American television series ''Happy Days'', Winkler has ...
, Stallone's co-star in '' The Lords of Flatbush'' who then broke out as
Arthur Fonzarelli Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, better known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz", is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1974–1984). He was originally a secondary character, but was soon positioned as a lead ...
on ABC's '' Happy Days'', said he had taken the script to executives at the network. They expressed interest in turning it into a made-for-television movie and actually bought the script but insisted that someone else re-write it. Upon hearing the news, Stallone begged Winkler not to let ABC change writers, so Winkler went back to the executives and offered to return the money in exchange for the rights. While ABC refused at first, Winkler said he was able to use his status as one of its biggest stars at the time to convince them to sell the rights back. At the time, Film Artists Management Enterprises (FAME), a joint venture between Hollywood talent agents Craig T. Rumar and Larry Kubik, represented Stallone. He submitted his script to Rumar and Kubik, who immediately saw the potential for it to be made into a motion picture. They shopped the script to various producers and studios in Hollywood but were repeatedly rejected because Stallone insisted that he be cast in the lead role. Eventually, they secured a meeting with Winkler-Chartoff productions. After repeated negotiations with Rumar and Kubik, Winkler-Chartoff agreed to a contract for Stallone to be the writer and also star in the lead role for Rocky. United Artists liked Stallone's script and viewed it as a vehicle for a well-established star like
Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...
, Ryan O'Neal,
Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...
, or James Caan. Stallone's agents insisted that Stallone portray the title character, to the point of issuing an ultimatum. Stallone later said that he would never have forgiven himself had the film become a success with somebody else in the lead. He also knew that producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff's contract with the studio enabled them to "greenlight" a project if the budget was kept low enough. The producers also collateralized any possible losses with their big-budget entry, ''
New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Uni ...
'' (whose eventual losses were covered by ''Rocky'' success). The film's production budget ended up being $1,075,000, with a further $100,000 spent on producers' fees and $4.2 million on advertising costs.


Pre-production

Although Chartoff and Winkler were enthusiastic about the script and the idea of Stallone playing the lead character, they were hesitant about having an unknown headline the film. The producers also had trouble casting other major characters in the story, with Apollo Creed and Adrian cast unusually late by production standards. Real-life boxer
Ken Norton Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. (August 9, 1943 – September 18, 2013) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1967 to 1981, and held the WBC world heavyweight championship in 1978. He is best known for his fights with Muhammad Ali, i ...
was initially sought for the role of Apollo Creed, but he pulled out and the role was ultimately given to Carl Weathers. Norton, upon whom Creed was loosely based, fought Muhammad Ali three times. According to ''The Rocky Scrapbook'',
Carrie Snodgress Caroline Louise Snodgress (October 27, 1945 – April 1, 2004) was an American actress. She is best remembered for her role in the film ''Diary of a Mad Housewife'' (1970), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award as w ...
was originally chosen to play Adrian, but a money dispute forced the producers to look elsewhere. Susan Sarandon auditioned for the role but was deemed too pretty for the character. After Talia Shire's ensuing audition, Chartoff and Winkler, and director
John Avildsen John Guilbert Avildsen (December 21, 1935 – June 16, 2017) was an American film director. He is perhaps best known for directing ''Rocky'' (1976), which earned him the Academy Award for Best Director, and the first three ''The Karate Kid'' fil ...
, insisted that she play the part. Boxer Joe Frazier has a cameo appearance in the film. Outspoken boxer Muhammad Ali, who fought Frazier three times, influenced the character of Apollo Creed. During the
49th Academy Awards The 49th Academy Awards were presented Monday, March 28, 1977, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The ceremonies were presided over by Richard Pryor, Ellen Burstyn, Jane Fonda, and Warren Beatty. ''Network'' and ''All ...
ceremony in 1977, Ali and Stallone staged a brief comic confrontation to show the film did not offend Ali. Some of the plot's most memorable moments—Rocky's carcass-punching scenes and Rocky running up the steps of the
Philadelphia Museum of Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Fr ...
as part of his training regimen—are taken from the real-life exploits of Joe Frazier, for which he received no credit. Because of the film's comparatively low budget, members of Stallone's family played minor roles. His father rings the bell to signal the start and end of a round; his brother Frank plays a street corner singer, and his first wife, Sasha, was
stills photographer A unit still photographer, or simply a still photographer, is a person who creates film stills, still photographic images specifically intended for use in the marketing and publicity of feature films in the motion picture industry and network tele ...
. Other cameos include former Philadelphia and then Los Angeles television sportscaster Stu Nahan playing himself, alongside radio and TV broadcaster Bill Baldwin; and Lloyd Kaufman, founder of the independent film company Troma, appearing as a drunk. Diana Lewis, then a news anchor in Los Angeles and later in Detroit, has a minor scene as a TV news reporter. Tony Burton appears as Apollo Creed's trainer, Tony "Duke" Evers, a role he would reprise throughout the entire ''Rocky'' series, though the character is not named until ''Rocky II''. Michael Dorn, who would later gain fame as the
Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...
Worf in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and ''
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (abbreviated as ''DS9'') is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from ...
'', made his acting debut, albeit uncredited, as Creed's bodyguard.


Filming

Principal photography for ''Rocky'' began on January 9, 1976. Filming took place primarily throughout Philadelphia, with a few scenes being shot in Los Angeles. Inventor Garrett Brown's new Steadicam was used to accomplish smooth photography while running alongside Rocky during the film's Philadelphia street training sequences and the run up the Art Museum's flight of stairs, now colloquially known as the Rocky Steps. It was also used for some shots in the fight scenes and can be seen at the ringside during some wide shots of the final fight. ''Rocky'' is often erroneously cited as the first film to use the Steadicam, although it was actually the third, after '' Bound for Glory'' and '' Marathon Man''. Certain elements of the story were altered during filming. The original script had a darker tone: Mickey was portrayed as
racist Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
, and the script ended with Rocky throwing the fight after realizing he did not want to be part of the
professional boxing Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse bid, purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regula ...
world after all. Both Stallone and Weathers suffered injuries during the shooting of the final fight; Stallone suffered bruised ribs and Weathers suffered a damaged nose, the opposite injuries of what their characters had. The first date between Rocky and Adrian, in which Rocky bribes a janitor to allow them to skate after closing hours on a deserted ice skating rink, was shot that way only because of budgetary pressures. This scene was originally scheduled to be shot in a skating rink during regular business hours. However, the producers decided they could not afford to hire the hundreds of extras that would have been necessary for that scene. The poster seen above the ring before Rocky fights Apollo Creed shows Rocky wearing red shorts with a white stripe when he actually wears white shorts with a red stripe. When Rocky points this out, he is told that "it doesn't really matter, does it?" According to director Avildsen's DVD commentary, this was an actual mistake made by the props department that they could not afford to rectify, so Stallone wrote the brief scene to ensure the audience did not see it as a goof. Conversely, Stallone has said he was indeed supposed to wear red shorts with a white stripe as Rocky, but changed to the opposite colors "at the last moment". Similarly, when Rocky's robe arrived far too baggy on the day it was needed for filming, Stallone wrote in dialogue where Rocky points this out.


Music


Soundtrack

Bill Conti composed the musical score for ''Rocky''. He had composed a score for director John G. Avildsen's '' W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings'' (1975) that the studio ultimately rejected. David Shire (then-husband of Talia Shire) was the first to be offered the chance to compose the music for ''Rocky'' but had to turn it down because of prior commitments. Avildsen reached out to Conti without any studio help because of the film's relatively low budget. Avildsen said, "The budget for the music was 25 grand. And that was for everything: The composer's fee, that was to pay the musicians, that was to rent the studio, that was to buy the tape that it was going to be recorded on." The main theme song, " Gonna Fly Now", made it to number one on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine's
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
list for one week (from July 2 to July 8, 1977) and the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...
placed it 58th on its AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs. United Artists Records released the soundtrack album on November 12, 1976. EMI re-released the album on CD and cassette. Frank Stallone's song "Take It Back" is also on the soundtrack, and he also sings the song in the movie with other friends around a trash can fire.


Release


Theatrical

The movie was released on Sunday, November 21, 1976, by United Artists at Cinema II in New York City.


Home media

* 1980 UK video release by Intervision
Betamax Betamax (also known as Beta, as in its logo) is a consumer-level analog recording and cassette format of magnetic tape for video, commonly known as a video cassette recorder. It was developed by Sony and was released in Japan on May 10, 1975, ...
, VHS (Rental Only) * 1982 – CED Videodisc,
Betamax Betamax (also known as Beta, as in its logo) is a consumer-level analog recording and cassette format of magnetic tape for video, commonly known as a video cassette recorder. It was developed by Sony and was released in Japan on May 10, 1975, ...
and VHS; VHS release is rental only; 20th Century Fox Video release, Warner Home Video has rest of the World rights * October 27, 1990 ( VHS and
LaserDisc The LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium, initially licensed, sold and marketed as DiscoVision, MCA DiscoVision (also known simply as "DiscoVision") in the United States in 1978. Its diam ...
) * April 16, 1996 (VHS and LaserDisc) * March 24, 1997 ( DVD) * April 24, 2001 (DVD, also packed with the Five-Disc Boxed Set) * 2001 (VHS, 25th anniversary edition) * December 14, 2004 (DVD, also packed with the Rocky Anthology box set) * February 8, 2005 (DVD, also packed with the Rocky Anthology box set) * December 5, 2006 (DVD and
Blu-ray Disc The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and c ...
– 2-Disc Collector's Edition, the DVD was the first version released by Fox and was also packed with the ''Rocky'' Anthology box set and the Blu-ray was the first version released by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) * December 4, 2007 (DVD box set – ''Rocky'' The Complete Saga. This new set contains the new ''Rocky Balboa'', but does not include the recent 2 disc ''Rocky''. There are still no special features for ''Rocky II'' through ''Rocky V'', although ''Rocky Balboa''s DVD special features are all intact.) * November 3, 2009 (Blu-ray box set – ''Rocky'' The Undisputed Collection. This release included six films in a box set. Previously, only the first film and ''Rocky Balboa'' were available on the format. Those two discs are identical to their individual releases, and the set also contains a disc of bonus material, new and old alike.) *May 6, 2014 - Blu-ray re-release with an all new 4K remaster and the previous special features of the old release. * October 13, 2015 – Blu-ray box set, ''Rocky'' Heavyweight Collection 40th Anniversary Edition. All six films plus over three hours of bonus material, including the 4K remaster of the first film.


Reception


Box office

''Rocky'' grossed $5,488 on its opening day at Cinema II, a house record. When it was released nationally, it grossed $5 million during its first wide weekend and consistently performed well for eight months and eventually reached $117 million at the North American box office. Adjusted for inflation in 2018, the film earned over $500 million in North America alone. Overseas, ''Rocky'' grossed $107 million, for a worldwide box office total of $225 million. With its production budget of just under $1 million, ''Rocky'' is notable for its worldwide percentage return of over 11,000 percent. It was the highest-grossing film released in 1976 in the United States and Canada and the second highest-grossing film of 1977, behind ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
''.


Critical response

''Rocky'' received positive reviews at the time of its release.
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
of the '' Chicago Sun-Times'' gave it 4 out of 4 stars and said that Stallone reminded him of "the young
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
." ''Box Office Magazine'' claimed audiences would be "touting Sylvester 'Sly' Stallone as a new star". Frank Rich liked the film, calling it "almost 100 per cent schmaltz", but favoring it over the cynicism that was prevalent in movies at that time, although he referred to the plot as "gimmicky" and the script "heavy-handed". Several reviews, including Richard Eder's (as well as Canby's negative review), compared the work to that of
Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...
. The film, however, did not escape criticism. Vincent Canby, of '' The New York Times'', called it "pure '30s make believe" and dismissed both Stallone's acting and Avildsen's directing, calling the latter "none too decisive". Andrew Sarris found the Capra comparisons disingenuous: "Capra's movies projected more despair deep down than a movie like ''Rocky'' could envisage, and most previous ring movies have been much more cynical about the fight scene"; commenting on Rocky's work for a loan shark, Sarris says the film "teeters on the edge of sentimentalizing gangsters". He found Meredith "oddly cast in the kind of part the late James Gleason used to pick his teeth". In modern times, the film enjoys a reputation as a classic and still receives nearly universal praise; ''Rocky'' holds a 91% "Certified Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 69 reviews, with an average rating of 8.30/10. The site's consensus states: "This story of a down-on-his-luck boxer is thoroughly predictable, but Sylvester Stallone's script and stunning performance in the title role brush aside complaints." One of the positive online reviews came from the BBC Films website, with both reviewer Almar Haflidason and BBC online users giving it 5/5 stars. In Steven J. Schneider's ''1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die'', Schneider says the film is "often overlooked as schmaltz". In 2006, the Library of Congress selected ''Rocky'' for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".


Accolades

The Directors Guild of America awarded ''Rocky'' its annual award for best film of the year in 1976, and in 2006, Sylvester Stallone's original screenplay for ''Rocky'' was selected for the
Writers Guild of America Award The Writers Guild of America Awards is an award for film, television, and radio writing including both fiction and non-fiction categories given by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America West since 1949. Eligibility Th ...
as the 78th best screenplay of all time. In June 2008, AFI revealed its " Ten top Ten"—the best ten films in ten "classic" American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. ''Rocky'' was acknowledged as the second-best film in the sports genre, after '' Raging Bull''. In 2008, ''Rocky'' was chosen by British film magazine '' Empire'' as one of ''The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time''. In contrast, in a 2005 poll by '' Empire'', Rocky was No. 9 on their list of "The Top 10 Worst Pictures to Win Best Picture Oscar". In 2015, '' The Hollywood Reporter'' polled hundreds of Academy members, asking them to re-vote on past controversial decisions. Academy members indicated that, given a second chance, they would award the 1977 Oscar for Best Picture to '' All the President's Men'' instead.


Year-end lists

''Rocky'' has also appeared on several of the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...
's ''
100 Years 100 Years may refer to: * "100 Years" (song), 2003 song by Five For Fighting * ''100 Years'' (film), film due to be released in 2115, one hundred years after production of the film See also *Century *Year 100 __NOTOC__ AD 100 ( C) was a leap ...
'' lists. * AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (1998) – #78. * AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills (2001) – #52 * AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions (2002) – Nominated * AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains (2003) ** Rocky Balboa – #7 Hero. * AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs (2004) ** " Gonna Fly Now" – #58 * AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes (2005) ** "Yo, Adrian!" – #80. * AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores (2005) – Nominated * AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers (2006) – #4. * AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) (2007) – #57 *
AFI's 10 Top 10 ''AFI's 10 Top 10'' honors the ten greatest American films in ten classic film genres. Presented by the American Film Institute (AFI), the lists were unveiled on a television special broadcast by CBS on June 17, 2008. In the special, various acto ...
(2008) – #2 Sports Film


Other media


Sequels

The film's success led to eight more sequels, Beginning with ''
Rocky II ''Rocky II'' is a 1979 American sports drama film written, directed by, and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the sequel to ''Rocky'' (1976) and is the second installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise. It also stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl We ...
'' in 1979. Followed by '' Rocky III'' in 1982, '' Rocky IV'' in 1985, '' Rocky V'' in 1990, ''
Rocky Balboa Robert "Rocky" Balboa (also known by his ring name The Italian Stallion), is a fictional title character and the protagonist of the ''Rocky'' film series. The character was created by Sylvester Stallone, who has also portrayed him in all eigh ...
'' in 2006, ''
Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets. The ea ...
'' in 2015 and '' Creed II'' in 2018. Another sequel, titled '' Creed III'', will be released in 2023; however, Stallone announced in April 2021 that he will not appear in the film.


Possible prequel

In July 2019, Stallone said in an interview that there have been ongoing discussions about a prequel to the original film based on the life of a young Rocky Balboa.


Rocky Steps

The famous scene of Rocky running up the steps of the
Philadelphia Museum of Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Fr ...
has become a cultural icon, with the steps acquiring the vernacular title of "Rocky Steps". In 1982, a statue of Rocky, commissioned by Stallone for '' Rocky III'', was placed at the top of the Rocky Steps. City Commerce Director
Dick Doran Richard A. Doran (1935 – January 22, 2007) served as a legislative assistant to Philadelphia Congressman William J. Green, as executive director of the Philadelphia Democratic County Executive Committee, as Chief of Staff to Governor Milton J. ...
claimed that Stallone and Rocky had done more for the city's image than "anyone since Ben Franklin". Differing opinions of the statue and its placement led to a relocation to the sidewalk outside the Spectrum Arena, although the statue was temporarily returned to the top of the steps in 1990 for '' Rocky V'', and again in 2006 for the 30th anniversary of the original ''Rocky'' (although this time it was placed at the bottom of the steps). Later that year, it was moved permanently to a spot next to the steps. The scene is frequently parodied in the media. In the 2008 movie '' You Don't Mess with the Zohan'', Zohan's nemesis, Phantom, goes through a parody training sequence finishing with him running up a desert dune and raising his hands in victory. In the fourth-season finale of '' The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'', as the credits roll at the end of the episode, Will is seen running up the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; however, as he celebrates after finishing his climb, he passes out in exhaustion, and while he lies unconscious on the ground, a pickpocket steals his wallet and his wool hat. In '' The Nutty Professor'', there is a scene where Sherman Klump (
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
) struggles to, and eventually succeeds at, running up a lengthy flight of steps on his college campus, victoriously throwing punches at the top. In 2006, E! named the "Rocky Steps" scene number 13 on its 101 Most Awesome Moments in Entertainment list. During the
1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
torch relay, Philadelphia native
Dawn Staley Dawn Michelle Staley (born May 4, 1970) is an American basketball Hall of Fame player and coach, who is currently the head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Staley won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA as a player and later was head co ...
was chosen to run up the museum steps. In 2004, Presidential candidate John Kerry ended his pre-convention campaign at the foot of the steps before going to Boston to accept his party's nomination for president.


Novelization

Upon the film's release, a paperback
novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...
of the screenplay written by
Rosalyn Drexler Rosalyn Drexler (born November 25, 1926) is an American visual artist, novelist, Obie Award-winning playwright, and Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, and former professional wrestler. Although she has had a polymathic career, Drexler is perhap ...
under the pseudonym Julia Sorel and published by
Ballantine Books Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains ...
was released.


Video games

Several video games have been produced based on the film. '' Rocky'' was released in 1987 for the Sega Master System. A game titled '' Rocky'' was released in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance,
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, and Xbox, and a sequel, '' Rocky Legends'', was released in 2004 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. In 2016,
Tapinator Tapinator, Inc., founded in 2000, is a mobile game app developer and publisher headquartered in New York City, with product development and marketing teams located in North America, Europe, and Asia. Tapinator generates revenues through the sale ...
released a mobile game named ''ROCKY'' for the iOS platform, with a planned 2017 release for Google Play and Amazon platforms.


Musical

A musical was written by
Stephen Flaherty Stephen Flaherty (born September 18, 1960) is an American composer of musical theatre and film. He works most often in collaboration with the lyricist/book writer Lynn Ahrens. They are best known for writing the Broadway musicals ''Ragtime'', whi ...
and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics and music), with the book by Thomas Meehan, based on the film. The musical premiered in Hamburg, Germany in October 2012. It began performances at the Winter Garden Theater on Broadway on February 11, 2014, and officially opened on March 13, 2014.


Documentaries

The 2016 film '' Chuck'' depicts Chuck Wepner and his 1975 title fight with the heavyweight champion,
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
, and the fight's influence on the screenplay for ''Rocky''. ''Rocky'' is featured in the 2017 documentary ''John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs'' about Academy Award-winning ''Rocky'' director John G. Avildsen, directed and produced by Derek Wayne Johnson. Stallone later hand-picked Johnson to direct and produce a documentary on the making of the original ''Rocky'', entitled '' 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic'', which was released in 2020. The documentary features Stallone narrating behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film.Drown, Michelle
"John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs Director Derek Wayne Johnson"
, '' The Santa Barbara Independent'', Santa Barbara, CA, January 26, 2017. Retrieved on February 16, 2017.


References


External links

* * * * *
The Making of ''Rocky''
by Sylvester Stallone

by Royce Webb

by Ralph Wiley
Which ''Rocky'' is the real champ?
by Bill Simmons
Rocky: Behind the Scenes
{{Authority control 1970s sports drama films 1970s American films 1976 films American boxing films American sports drama films Best Drama Picture Golden Globe winners Best Picture Academy Award winners 1970s English-language films Films directed by John G. Avildsen Films produced by Irwin Winkler Films produced by Robert Chartoff Films scored by Bill Conti Films set in 1975 Films set in 1976 Films set in Pennsylvania Films set in Philadelphia Films shot in Philadelphia Films whose director won the Best Directing Academy Award Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award Rocky (film series) films Films with screenplays by Sylvester Stallone United Artists films United States National Film Registry films Films about Italian-American culture 1976 drama films Works subject to a lawsuit