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ESSENTIAL
SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME (1956)

The title's suggestion of divine intervention is apt: Following his inauspicious movie debut in 1954's The Silver Chalice, Newman got his second chance at stardom when Warner loaned him out to MGM after the sudden death of James Dean, who had agreed to play middleweight champ Rocky Graziano. He never looked back. Even as he labors under a putty nose and a thick (and intermittent) Noo Yawk accent, Newman delivers an unmistakable star-is-born performance in Robert Wise's sentimental but effective biopic, bringing effortless physicality to the boxing scenes, open-hearted, awkward vulnerability to the romance, and unstoppable camera-ready charisma throughout. Newman was always at his best playing guys who are struggling to be better men, and his assurance here is breathtaking. Some critics carped that his work as Graziano was ''chock full of Brando mannerisms'' and wondered whether he was ''doomed to walk forever'' in Brando's shadow. No worries: With this cocky, lively eyed, light-footed turn, he began to forge his own path. (FYI: Blink and you'll miss an uncredited Steve McQueen as Rocky's street-gang buddy.)

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Image Credit: Everett Collection