After appearing in the poorly-received films The Silver Chalice (1954) and The Rack (1956), Paul Newman launched his career with Somebody Up There Likes Me, a glossy but effective biopic of champion boxer Rocky Graziano. More optimistic than the typical ringside melodrama, the film was directed by Hollywood stalwart Robert Wise, best-known for Johnny Belinda (1948), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), and his work as editor of Citizen Kane (1941). As usual, Wise elicits a quality, star-making performance from his lead, and Pier Angeli, Joseph Buloff and Eileen Heckart memorably support Newman's splendid work. Robert Loggia and Steve McQueen can be spotted in small debut roles. Somebody received Academy Awards for its art direction and handsome, black-and-white cinematography.