Rocky: 40 years later, he’s still a lovable underdog
Rocky: 40 years later, he’s still a lovable underdog
FILE – In this Nov. 6, 2015, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone looks on during a news conference promoting the movie “Creed” outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Tourist visit a statue from the movie character Rocky Balboa outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
FILE – In this Dec. 13, 2006, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with actress Talia Shire, center, who played his wife in the “Rocky” movies, and his wife Jennifer Flavin Stallone, right, at the premiere of the movie “Rocky Balboa” in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
FILE – Actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone holds actress Talia Shire in a scene from the 1976 movie “Rocky.” Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
A marker indicates the location where the Rocky statue once stood in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Alex Carrillo Quito of Ecuador imitates the character Rocky Balboa from the 1976 movie “Rocky,” on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
FILE – In this Nov. 15, 1996, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with “Rocky” co-star Talia Shire before a screening of the film to mark its 20th anniversary at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE – In this Sept. 22, 1977, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone poses with a terrazzo inlay to be placed in the streets of the Westwood section of Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
FILE – In this March 28, 1977, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with Eletha Finch, center, widow of actor Peter Finch, and actress Faye Dunaway, right, at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
FILE – In this March 28, 1977, file photo, heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, left, makes a surprise appearance on the Academy Awards show, playfully sparring with actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, right, in Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
Luca Wyatt, 8, center, accompanied by his father Josh Wyatt, right, and uncle Robert Spring imitate the character Rocky Balboa from the 1976 movie “Rocky,” on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. Josh Wyatt of Boston had run the Philadelphia Marathon sunday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
FILE – In this March 16, 1996, file photo, former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, left, joins actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, center, and Stallone’s “Rocky” co-star, former professional football player Carl Weathers, right, to mark the 20th anniversary of the movie “Rocky” during a party in New York. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Albert Ferreira, File)
FILE – In this April 28, 2000, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, right, and his “Rocky” co-star, former professional football player Carl Weathers, left, pose with producer Irwin Winkler at the Walk of Fame ceremony for Winkler in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE – In this Feb. 21, 2005, file photo, composer and conductor Bill Conti, music director of the 77th Academy Awards, conducts the show’s orchestra during a rehearsal at Capitol Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 18, 2006, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, and his “Rocky” co-star Burt Young, right, attend a premiere of the movie “Rocky Balboa” in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
FILE – In this Sept. 8, 2006, file photo, actor Sylvester Stallone poses at the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art before a statue of Stallone portraying boxer Rocky Balboa is unveiled in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, File)
FILE – In this May 8, 2013, file photo, a tourist photographs a statue of the movie character Rocky Balboa outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 26, 2010, file photo, a tourist from Ecuador has his photo taken by a companion in front of a statue of the movie character Rocky Balboa outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 5, 2006, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone donates objects from the “Rocky” movies to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, during a news conference at the museum’s temporary wing in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
FILE – In this March 26, 2007, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone poses for a photo during a news conference to promote the movie “Rocky Balboa” at a hotel in Tokyo. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)
FILE – In this Nov. 6, 2015, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone looks on during a news conference promoting the movie “Creed” outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
FILE – In this Nov. 6, 2015, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone looks on during a news conference promoting the movie “Creed” outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Tourist visit a statue from the movie character Rocky Balboa outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Tourist visit a statue from the movie character Rocky Balboa outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
FILE – In this Dec. 13, 2006, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with actress Talia Shire, center, who played his wife in the “Rocky” movies, and his wife Jennifer Flavin Stallone, right, at the premiere of the movie “Rocky Balboa” in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 13, 2006, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with actress Talia Shire, center, who played his wife in the “Rocky” movies, and his wife Jennifer Flavin Stallone, right, at the premiere of the movie “Rocky Balboa” in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
FILE – Actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone holds actress Talia Shire in a scene from the 1976 movie “Rocky.” Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
FILE – Actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone holds actress Talia Shire in a scene from the 1976 movie “Rocky.” Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
A marker indicates the location where the Rocky statue once stood in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
A marker indicates the location where the Rocky statue once stood in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Alex Carrillo Quito of Ecuador imitates the character Rocky Balboa from the 1976 movie “Rocky,” on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Alex Carrillo Quito of Ecuador imitates the character Rocky Balboa from the 1976 movie “Rocky,” on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
FILE – In this Nov. 15, 1996, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with “Rocky” co-star Talia Shire before a screening of the film to mark its 20th anniversary at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE – In this Nov. 15, 1996, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with “Rocky” co-star Talia Shire before a screening of the film to mark its 20th anniversary at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE – In this Sept. 22, 1977, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone poses with a terrazzo inlay to be placed in the streets of the Westwood section of Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
FILE – In this Sept. 22, 1977, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone poses with a terrazzo inlay to be placed in the streets of the Westwood section of Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
FILE – In this March 28, 1977, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with Eletha Finch, center, widow of actor Peter Finch, and actress Faye Dunaway, right, at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
FILE – In this March 28, 1977, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, poses with Eletha Finch, center, widow of actor Peter Finch, and actress Faye Dunaway, right, at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
FILE – In this March 28, 1977, file photo, heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, left, makes a surprise appearance on the Academy Awards show, playfully sparring with actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, right, in Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
FILE – In this March 28, 1977, file photo, heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, left, makes a surprise appearance on the Academy Awards show, playfully sparring with actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, right, in Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo, File)
Luca Wyatt, 8, center, accompanied by his father Josh Wyatt, right, and uncle Robert Spring imitate the character Rocky Balboa from the 1976 movie “Rocky,” on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. Josh Wyatt of Boston had run the Philadelphia Marathon sunday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Luca Wyatt, 8, center, accompanied by his father Josh Wyatt, right, and uncle Robert Spring imitate the character Rocky Balboa from the 1976 movie “Rocky,” on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in Philadelphia, Monday, Nov. 21, 2016. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. Josh Wyatt of Boston had run the Philadelphia Marathon sunday. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
FILE – In this March 16, 1996, file photo, former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, left, joins actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, center, and Stallone’s “Rocky” co-star, former professional football player Carl Weathers, right, to mark the 20th anniversary of the movie “Rocky” during a party in New York. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Albert Ferreira, File)
FILE – In this March 16, 1996, file photo, former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, left, joins actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, center, and Stallone’s “Rocky” co-star, former professional football player Carl Weathers, right, to mark the 20th anniversary of the movie “Rocky” during a party in New York. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Albert Ferreira, File)
FILE – In this April 28, 2000, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, right, and his “Rocky” co-star, former professional football player Carl Weathers, left, pose with producer Irwin Winkler at the Walk of Fame ceremony for Winkler in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE – In this April 28, 2000, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, right, and his “Rocky” co-star, former professional football player Carl Weathers, left, pose with producer Irwin Winkler at the Walk of Fame ceremony for Winkler in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)
FILE – In this Feb. 21, 2005, file photo, composer and conductor Bill Conti, music director of the 77th Academy Awards, conducts the show’s orchestra during a rehearsal at Capitol Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
FILE – In this Feb. 21, 2005, file photo, composer and conductor Bill Conti, music director of the 77th Academy Awards, conducts the show’s orchestra during a rehearsal at Capitol Recording Studios in Los Angeles. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 18, 2006, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, and his “Rocky” co-star Burt Young, right, attend a premiere of the movie “Rocky Balboa” in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 18, 2006, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone, left, and his “Rocky” co-star Burt Young, right, attend a premiere of the movie “Rocky Balboa” in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
FILE – In this Sept. 8, 2006, file photo, actor Sylvester Stallone poses at the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art before a statue of Stallone portraying boxer Rocky Balboa is unveiled in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, File)
FILE – In this Sept. 8, 2006, file photo, actor Sylvester Stallone poses at the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art before a statue of Stallone portraying boxer Rocky Balboa is unveiled in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, File)
FILE – In this May 8, 2013, file photo, a tourist photographs a statue of the movie character Rocky Balboa outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
FILE – In this May 8, 2013, file photo, a tourist photographs a statue of the movie character Rocky Balboa outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 26, 2010, file photo, a tourist from Ecuador has his photo taken by a companion in front of a statue of the movie character Rocky Balboa outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 26, 2010, file photo, a tourist from Ecuador has his photo taken by a companion in front of a statue of the movie character Rocky Balboa outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 5, 2006, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone donates objects from the “Rocky” movies to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, during a news conference at the museum’s temporary wing in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
FILE – In this Dec. 5, 2006, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone donates objects from the “Rocky” movies to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, during a news conference at the museum’s temporary wing in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
FILE – In this March 26, 2007, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone poses for a photo during a news conference to promote the movie “Rocky Balboa” at a hotel in Tokyo. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)
FILE – In this March 26, 2007, file photo, actor and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone poses for a photo during a news conference to promote the movie “Rocky Balboa” at a hotel in Tokyo. Four decades after the Nov. 21, 1976, premiere of “Rocky,” the movie’s reach is international, and the title character’s underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm still resonates with fans. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — On Nov. 21, 1976, audiences met Rocky Balboa, the southpaw boxer from south Philadelphia. Four decades later, Sylvester Stallone’s lovable character resonates with fans drawn to his underdog tale of determination, grit and sleepy-eyed charm.
The reach of “Rocky” is international, and the film serves as a slice of Americana. It is shorthand for Philadelphia as much as the Liberty Bell or Benjamin Franklin.
“Anytime we are speaking to overseas visitors ... the conversation always turns, at some point, to ‘Rocky,’” said Julie Coker Graham, president of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. “They ask, ‘Have you met Rocky?” A lot of them think it’s an actual, real-life person.”
On the film’s 40th anniversary, a few reasons for its enduring legacy:
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LOVABLE UNDERDOG
Written by Stallone in three days, fans fell hard for the ballad of Rocky Balboa. For the uninitiated (SPOILER ALERT): The small-time boxer from the heavily Italian neighborhood of South Philly stumbles into a bout with the heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed, fighting in the city to celebrate America’s bicentennial. To get him into fighting shape, Rocky (played by Stallone) is trained by the peppery Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith), whose many one-liners make him a frequent scene stealer. Rocky also finds love in the film with sheepish neighborhood pet store clerk, Adrian (Talia Shire). Though he ultimately loses the fight, Rocky proves himself and wins Adrian’s heart, making him the winner of much more than a title.
The film itself was a long shot, made on a budget of only $1 million and shot in 28 days, with a largely unknown cast, including Stallone himself. And it was shot in working-class Philadelphia, a city that — despite its roots as the crucible of freedom — had long had a chip on its shoulder as second-tier as compared to more cultured East Coast metropolises like New York and Boston. (It is worth noting that the film had its premiere in New York.)
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CHEERS FOR ROCKY
What the movie lacked in beauty, it made up for in heart, something that resonated with audiences worldwide. The film was the highest-grossing of the year, earning $117 million at the North American box office and another $107 million overseas. “Rocky” received 10 Oscar nominations in nine categories at the Academy Awards, winning three: best picture, best director (John G. Avildsen) and best film editing. Stallone, Burgess and Shire were all nominated in acting categories, and Stallone was nominated for his screenplay.
“Rocky” is preserved in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” It was also ranked one of the greatest sports films ever made and is the second-best film about boxing behind “Raging Bull,” according to the American Film Institute.
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GONNA FLY NOW
The score for “Rocky,” which was also nominated for an Oscar, was penned by Bill Conti. The main song, “Gonna Fly Now,” was originally intended as filler for the training sequence marking Rocky’s journey from amateur to contender. The opening fanfare is among the most recognizable in American culture, and the soaring melody that plays on the melancholic theme woven throughout the movie is the backdrop to Rocky doing impressive one-armed pushups, punching meat in his girlfriend’s brother’s butcher shop and running through Philadelphia’s Italian Market, along the Schuylkill River and past the shipyards.
Conti went on to win an Oscar for his score to 1983’s “The Right Stuff” and made music recognizable to millions in theme songs to “Dynasty” and “Falcon Crest.”
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THE ROCKY STEPS AND STATUE
The montage climaxes in one of the film’s most memorable scenes, as Rocky bounds up the 72 steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, raising his arms in triumph. Four decades later, the run and pose atop the steps are re-created daily in Philadelphia, mostly by tourists. In 1982, a statue of Rocky commissioned by Stallone for “Rocky III” was placed in the spot where he stood in the original film. Its current home is just to the right of the steps and is a selfie stop for visitors.
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ROCKY’S NEXT CHAPTER
The original movie was followed by six sequels. In 2015, Rocky was reborn in “Creed,” the story of Adonis Creed, the son of his nemesis-turned-best friend, Apollo. An aging and dying Rocky trains Adonis for a brawl not unlike the grizzled boxer’s first fight nearly two generations earlier. The New York Times reviewed it as a “dandy piece of entertainment, soothingly old-fashioned and bracingly up-to-date.”
