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Rocky
Table of Contents
Rocky
Table of Contents
 * Introduction
   
 * 
   Production notes and credits
   
 * 
   Cast
   
 * 
   Academy Award nominations (* denotes win)
   

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ROCKY

film by Avildsen [1976]
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Written by
Pat Bauer
Pat Bauer graduated from Ripon College in 1977 with a double major in Spanish
and Theatre. She spent most of the next 42 years working as a copy editor and
editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. She retired...

Pat Bauer
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have
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Last Updated: Nov 20, 2023 • Article History
Table of Contents
Rocky
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awards and honors: Academy Award (1977) (Show more)
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Rocky, American boxing film, released in 1976, that was the highest-grossing
movie of that year, earning more than $117 million at the box office. It was
nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won three, including best picture, and made
its writer and lead actor, Sylvester Stallone, a star.

(Read Gene Tunney’s 1929 Britannica essay on boxing.)

Britannica Quiz
Oscar-Worthy Movie Trivia

Rocky opens on a club boxing match taking place in Philadelphia on November 25,
1975, where Rocky Balboa (Stallone) defeats his opponent and then returns to his
dingy apartment. The next morning, he visits a pet shop and tries to sweet-talk
the shy clerk, Adrian (Talia Shire), before heading to the docks to collect a
debt from a dockworker who owes money to the loan shark, Tony Gazzo (Joe
Spinell), for whom he works. At a boxing gym, Rocky learns that he has lost his
locker to a fighter whom the gym manager, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), considers
to be more promising. He then goes to a bar, where he talks with Adrian’s
brother, Paulie (Burt Young), who invites Rocky to the home he shares with
Adrian for Thanksgiving dinner.



(Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.)

Meanwhile, the world heavyweight champion, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), who had
planned a title defense in Philadelphia on the first day of the bicentennial
year of 1976, learns that his scheduled opponent is unable to fight. Another top
contender cannot be found, so Creed decides to give a local fighter a chance. He
chooses Rocky based on his nickname, “the Italian Stallion.” Rocky begins dating
Adrian shortly before he is offered the opportunity to fight Creed. Mickey,
learning of the impending match, volunteers to train Rocky. Initially, Creed
underestimates Rocky, who becomes the first boxer to knock Creed down. The match
continues for 15 brutal rounds and ends in a split decision for Creed. Adrian
makes her way through the crowd to the ring, where Rocky and Adrian declare
their love for each other.



Stallone wrote the movie’s screenplay over the course of three days, reportedly
inspired by a 1975 fight between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner. He refused to
sell the rights to the script unless he was chosen to play the lead. As a
result, his producers were given a shoestring budget of $960,000 to work with,
and Rocky was filmed in just 28 days. The movie was spectacularly popular and
launched six sequels, all starring Stallone—Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982),
Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990), Rocky Balboa (2006), and Creed (2015)—and
countless imitations and parodies. The music that accompanied the scenes during
which Rocky prepares for the fight became iconic, and the locations where he
trained--in particular the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art--became
popular tourist attractions because of their association with the film. A statue
of Rocky was placed at the bottom of the museum stairs. John G. Avildsen won an
Oscar for his direction of Rocky and went on to direct The Karate Kid (1984) and
two of its sequels, as well as Rocky V.

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PRODUCTION NOTES AND CREDITS

 * Studio: Chartoff-Winkler Productions
 * Director: John G. Avildsen
 * Writer: Sylvester Stallone
 * Music: Bill Conti




CAST

 * Sylvester Stallone (Rocky Balboa)
 * Talia Shire (Adrian)
 * Burt Young (Paulie)
 * Burgess Meredith (Mickey)
 * Joe Spinell (Gazzo)
 * Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed)




ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS (* DENOTES WIN)

 * Picture*
 * Lead actor (Sylvester Stallone)
 * Lead actress (Talia Shire)
 * Supporting actor (Burgess Meredith)
 * Supporting actor (Burt Young)
 * Direction*
 * Music (original song [“Gonna Fly Now”])
 * Editing*
 * Sound
 * Writing

Pat Bauer


Sylvester Stallone
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Sylvester Stallone
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images

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Best Picture Movie Quote Quiz
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 * What are some of the major film festivals?

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SYLVESTER STALLONE

American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer
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Also known as: Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have
extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that
content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify
and edit content received from contributors.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: Nov 11, 2023 • Article History
Table of Contents
Sylvester Stallone
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Category: Arts & Culture
in full: Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone (Show more)
born: July 6, 1946, New York, New York, U.S. (age 77) (Show more)
notable works: “Creed II” “Rambo” “Rambo: Last Blood” “Rocky Balboa” “Rocky II”
“Rocky III” “Rocky IV” “Rocky” “Staying Alive” “The Expendables” (Show more)
See all related content →


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Sylvester Stallone, (born July 6, 1946, New York, New York, U.S.), American
actor, screenwriter, and director who was perhaps best known for creating and
starring in the Rocky and Rambo film series, which made him an icon in the
action genre.

Stallone was born at a charity hospital in the Hell’s Kitchen area of New York
City. Forceps used during his birth damaged a facial nerve, leaving him with a
droopy left eyelid and a speech impediment. After spending much of his infancy
in boarding care, Stallone rejoined his family and moved with them to Maryland
when he was five. Stallone initially stayed with his father following his
parents’ divorce in 1957, but at age 15 he joined his remarried mother in
Philadelphia. Because of his history of expulsion from schools, he attended a
private school for troubled teenagers.

Britannica Quiz
Pop Culture Quiz

Stallone became interested in acting while attending the American College of
Switzerland, and he returned to the United States to study at the University of
Miami. Just a few credits short of graduation, he moved to New York City, where
he struggled to find work. In 1970 he made his screen debut starring in an adult
film, The Party at Kitty and Stud’s (later renamed The Italian Stallion). He
subsequently began appearing in more-mainstream fare, with uncredited roles in
such movies as Woody Allen’s Bananas and Klute (both 1971). During that time
Stallone moved to Hollywood, and his first role of note was in The Lords of
Flatbush (1974), a dramedy about Brooklyn teenagers in the 1950s. Although more
film and television work followed, Stallone struggled to break through.



Rocky
John G. Avildsen (foreground) and Sylvester Stallone (rear left) on the set of
Rocky (1976).(more)

A match between Muhammad Ali and a relatively obscure boxer named Chuck Wepner
inspired Stallone to pen the script for Rocky. Although producers originally
wanted someone well-known to play the title character, Stallone refused to sell
the story unless he could star as the underdog boxer Rocky Balboa. A critical
and commercial success, the film was the highest-grossing movie of 1976. In
addition, Stallone earned Academy Award nominations for his acting and
screenplay, and the film won best picture honours. Seven sequels (1979, 1982,
1985, 1990, 2006, 2015, and 2018) followed, with Stallone directing four of
them. The 2015 installment, Creed, was the only sequel not written by Stallone;
he cowrote the next installment Creed II (2018). The Creed films featured Rocky
Balboa as a boxing trainer and earned strong reviews. Stallone received his
third Oscar nomination for Creed as best supporting actor.

Between the Rocky sequels, Stallone appeared in several forgettable action
thrillers. In 1982, however, he starred as ex-Green Beret John Rambo in First
Blood, which launched another highly successful series. He cowrote the first
film as well as the subsequent installments—Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985),
Rambo III (1988), Rambo (2008; Stallone also directed), and Rambo: Last Blood
(2019)—all of which featured physical prowess, dazzling special effects, and
constant action.

Stallone continued that formula in such thrillers as Demolition Man (1993),
Cliffhanger (1993), which he also cowrote, The Specialist (1994), Assassins
(1995), Judge Dredd (1995), and Get Carter (2000). Although most of those films
had only limited success at the box office in the United States, Stallone’s
ability to attract audiences overseas proved enormous. In 2010 he cowrote,
directed, and starred in The Expendables, a thriller about a team of mercenaries
(played by Jason Statham, Jet Li, and Dolph Lundgren, among others). Popular
with moviegoers, it was followed by three sequels (2012, 2014, and 2023).


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Stallone occasionally ventured from the action genre, with mixed results. He
starred in the comedies Oscar (1991) and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992), both
of which had modest success. He received better reviews for the 1997 drama Cop
Land, for which he temporarily shed his sculpted physique and gained weight for
his role as a powerless sheriff. In a comedic take on boxing, Stallone starred
opposite Robert De Niro in Grudge Match (2013), about aging rivals who stage a
rematch. In the TV series Tulsa King (2022– ), Stallone played a mafia boss who,
after being released from prison, attempts to rebuild his empire. He also wrote
and directed Staying Alive (1983), a poorly received sequel to Saturday Night
Fever (1977); both films starred John Travolta.



In addition to his film work, Stallone was a noted art collector and painter. In
1991 he became an investor in the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain; other
actors involved in the venture included Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised
and updated by Amy Tikkanen.


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