Rocky Opens

Setting the scene

1970s cinema celebrated urban grit with Taxi Driver and Mean Streets, while the nation prepared for its bicentennial and post-Vietnam fatigue. Sylvester Stallone, a struggling actor, wrote Rocky in three days about a Philadelphia club fighter offered a shot at the heavyweight title. United Artists wanted a star, but Stallone refused to sell unless he played the lead.

What happened

Rocky opened on November 21, 1976, directed by John Avildsen, with Stallone as Rocky Balboa and Carl Weathers as champion Apollo Creed. Training montages on the Art Museum steps, Adrian played by Talia Shire, and Bill Conti's Gonna Fly Now powered a low-budget underdog story. The fight went the distance, losing on points but winning the crowd.

Why it still matters

Rocky won three Oscars including Best Picture, launched a franchise spanning decades, and made the Philadelphia Museum steps a pilgrimage site. Its formula inspired countless sports films. Memorable detail: Stallone's script specified that Rocky should not win the final bout, a choice Avildsen said made the character more honorable than a fairy-tale victory.

Background

Stallone's script and Oscar win launched a decades-long franchise.