Body and Soul is a 1947 film noir

Film noir

Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...

 which tells the story of a boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 who becomes involved with crooked promoters. It stars John Garfield

John Garfield

John Garfield was an American actor adept at playing brooding, rebellious, working-class character roles. He grew up in poverty in Depression-era New York City and in the early 1930s became an important member of the Group Theater. In 1937 he moved to Hollywood, eventually becoming one of Warner...

, Lilli Palmer

Lilli Palmer

Lilli Palmer , born Lilli Marie Peiser, was a German actress. She won the Volpi Cup, the Deutscher Filmpreis three times, and was nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award.-Life and career:...

, Hazel Brooks

Hazel Brooks

Hazel Brooks was an American actress.Born in Cape Town, South Africa, she grew up in the U.S. and by 1943, at age 18, had been signed by M.G.M...

, Anne Revere

Anne Revere

Anne Revere was an American stage, film, and television actress.-Early life:Born in New York City, Revere was a direct descendant of American Revolution hero Paul Revere. Her father, Clinton, was a stockbroker, and she was raised on the Upper West Side and in Westfield, New Jersey...

 and William Conrad

William Conrad

William Conrad was an American actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television....

.

The movie, written by Abraham Polonsky

Abraham Polonsky

Abraham Lincoln Polonsky was an American film director, Academy-Award-nominated screenwriter, essayist, and novelist blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studios in the 1950s, in the midst of the McCarthy era.-Early life:...

 and directed by Robert Rossen

Robert Rossen

Robert Rossen was an American screenwriter, film director, and producer whose film career spanned almost three decades. His 1949 film All the King's Men won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, while Rossen was nominated for an Oscar as Best Director...

, is considered the first great boxing picture; it's also a cautionary tale about the lure of money—and how it can derail even a strong common man in his pursuit of success.

Plot

Charley Davis, against the wishes of his mother, becomes a boxer. As he becomes more successful the fighter becomes surrounded by shady characters, including an unethical promoter named Roberts, who tempt the man with a number of vices. Charley finds himself faced with increasingly difficult choices.

Reaction

The film received positive reviews when first released. Some modern film reviews find the film's message heavy handed today but most reviewers continue to praise Garfield's performance. http://www.sover.net/~ozus/bodyandsoul.htm

TV Guide

TV Guide

TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...

s review notes "The fight sequences, in particular, brought a kind of realism to the genre that had never before existed (James Wong Howe wore skates and rolled around the ring shooting the fight scenes with a hand-held camera). A knockout on all levels." http://online.tvguide.com/movies/database/ShowMovie.asp?MI=20044

It's known for its fight scenes which influenced Raging Bull (1980).

Cast

Actor	Role
John Garfield John Garfield John Garfield was an American actor adept at playing brooding, rebellious, working-class character roles. He grew up in poverty in Depression-era New York City and in the early 1930s became an important member of the Group Theater. In 1937 he moved to Hollywood, eventually becoming one of Warner...	Charlie Davis
Lilli Palmer Lilli Palmer Lilli Palmer , born Lilli Marie Peiser, was a German actress. She won the Volpi Cup, the Deutscher Filmpreis three times, and was nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award.-Life and career:...	Peg Born
Hazel Brooks Hazel Brooks Hazel Brooks was an American actress.Born in Cape Town, South Africa, she grew up in the U.S. and by 1943, at age 18, had been signed by M.G.M...	Alice
Anne Revere Anne Revere Anne Revere was an American stage, film, and television actress.-Early life:Born in New York City, Revere was a direct descendant of American Revolution hero Paul Revere. Her father, Clinton, was a stockbroker, and she was raised on the Upper West Side and in Westfield, New Jersey...	Anna Davis
William Conrad William Conrad William Conrad was an American actor, producer and director whose career spanned five decades in radio, film and television....	Quinn
Joseph Pevney Joseph Pevney Joseph Pevney was an American film and television director.-Biography:Pevney was born on September 15, 1911 in New York City, New York.He made his debut in vaudeville as a boy soprano in 1924...	Shorty Polaski
Lloyd Gough Lloyd Gough Lloyd Gough was an American theater, film, and television actor.Born Michael Gough in New York City, he was a noted character actor...	Roberts
Canada Lee Canada Lee Canada Lee was an American actor who pioneered roles for African Americans. A champion of civil rights in the 1930s and 1940s, he died shortly before he was scheduled to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He became an actor after careers as a jockey, boxer, and musician...	Ben Chaplin
Art Smith	David Davis

Awards

It won the Academy Award for Film Editing

Academy Award for Film Editing

The Academy Award for Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. Since 1981, every film selected as Best Picture has also been nominated for the Film Editing...

 and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role

Academy Award for Best Actor

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...

 (John Garfield) and Best Writing, Original Screenplay.