Body and Soul
Director Robert Rossen preferred this Forties boxing classic to his later successes (which include The Hustler); indeed, the film is an important work not only in Rossen's career but for the input of a number of talented people associated with it. John Garfield gives an excellent performance as the Jewish boy from the Lower East Side who works his way up to middleweight champion, battling the Mob as inevitably as he battles his opponents. Abraham Polonsky's screenplay establishes the many sides of the racket (all murky), and James Wong Howe's photography adds realism to the fight scenes. Finally, Robert Aldrich is credited as assistant director.