Rocky made Sylvester Stallone a household name, or was it the other way around ? Syl Stallon aka the Italian stallion, wrote and starred in Rocky. But getting his movie made, and keeping the lead role, was not an easy task. Hollywood doesn’t like taking chances on unknown leads, and so far Stallone had only one note-worthy role to his repertoire. But that movie had given television “The Fonz”, as co-star Henry Winkler went on to make his secondary character (a typecast role from the movie he and Stallone had done), into one of the most loved personalities on television. So eventually with a shoe-string budget, Rocky got the green-light to be shot.

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Rocky spanned multiple sequels, so Rocky made Sylvester Stallone a fortune. The Rocky franchise of films includes 6 movies all starring and written by Stallone, 4 of which he also directed. The 3 spin-offs under the name Creed, were not written by Stallone. The great thing about these stories is that they stay chronological, like a sports soap opera that spans generations. You see the characters change with maturity, overcoming life’s obstacles, fighting inner demons as well as their opponents. At the same time the Rocky legacy is culturally current enough to draw the audience in, making them forget they are watching a movie, and to believe they know these characters like a close friend.

The first movie has also inspired people to visit Philadelphia, where most of it was shot. And the stairs leading up to the city’s Museum of Art are so iconic, that they are now know as the Rocky steps. A bronze statue of Rocky made Sylvester Stallone immortalized, and it now rests at the bottom of those famous stairs. A symbol of the underdog, visitors line up just to take a picture at the base of this statue before attempting to run the 72 stone steps. Because what can be more inspiring that a never say die attitude that makes someone a success against all odds?

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Elia Kazan directs and all star cast including Brando as Terry Malloy. Eva Marie Saint in her motion picture debut plays Edie Doyle, who becomes Terry’s love interest after her brother is killed. Karl Malden plays Father Pete Barry, who tries to get the longshoremen to stand together against the tyranny. (A long lived actor in both film and television, you’ll remember him best as the face for American Express traveler’s cheques…”Don’t leave home without them”). Playing the antagonist Johnny Friendly, is Lee J. Cobb (Death of a Salesman). Fred Gwynne (Car 54, where are you? & Munsters) plays a cop named Mladen “Slim” Sekulovich (Karl Malden’s real name). Unaccredited actors who went on to be stars in their own right include Katherine MacGregor (Little House on the Prairie) and Martin Balsam (Psycho).

This movie has be rated in the top ten of best American movies of all time. Worth the watch.

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