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Monkey on My Back (1957)

Monkey on My Back

⁽¹⁹⁵⁷⁾

Approved

1h 34m

Biography, Drama

May 29th, 1957

6.9/10

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The painfully true story of welterweight boxing champion Barney Ross is detailed in Monkey on My Back. Cameron Mitchell stars as Ross, whose meteoric ring career is interrupted when he joins the Marines at the outset of WWII. A highly decorated hero, Ross contracts malaria oversees and is given morphine to assuage the pain. By the time he returns to the states, Ross is a confirmed drug addict. Before he can rise to the top again, he must hit rock bottom and his descent into the hell of narcotics dependency is graphically illustrated (so much so that the film was almost denied a Production Code seal). Though a cured Barney Ross served as technical advisor for Monkey on My Back, he ended up suing the producers for defamation of character -- and lost.

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Cast

Cameron Mitchell
Barney Ross
Dianne Foster
Cathy Holland
Paul Richards
Rico
Jack Albertson
Sam Pian
Kathy Garver
Noreen
Lisa Golm
Barney's mother
Barry Kelley
Big Ralph
Dayton Lummis
J.L. McAvoy
Lewis Charles
Lew Surati
Raymond Greenleaf
Dr. A.J. Latham
Full cast & crew

Directors

André De Toth
Full cast & crew

Producers

Robert E. Kent
associate producer
Edward Small
producer
Full cast & crew

Writers

Ivan Bunny
(biographical material furnished by)
Paul Dudley
written by
Barney Ross
book
(uncredited)
Full cast & crew

Taglines

SHOCK by SHOCK...It Jabs Like a Hopped-Up Needle!
How Can I Get This Monkey Off My Back?
TODAY - A DRUG ADDICT! Yesterday - a Marine hero...idol of millions!
All Taglines

Keywords

based on book
drug addict
drugs
All Keywords

Country of Origin

United States of America

Languages

English

Release Dates

January 1st, 1958 (Argentina)
August 1st, 1958 (Austria)
May 26th, 1958 (Denmark)
All Release Dates

Alternative Titles

Monkey on My Back (original title)
Cuando la bestia ruge (Argentina) (theatrical title)
Teufel im Nacken (Austria)
All Alternative Titles

Locations

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (studio)

Running Times

94 min

Sound Mixes

Mono

Aspect Ratios

1.85 : 1 (intended ratio)
1.37 : 1 (negative ratio)

Production Companies

Edward Small Productions
Imperial Pictures (II)

Distribution Companies

United Artists (France)
United Artists (Germany)
Kommunenes Filmcentral (KF) (Norway)
All Distribution Companies

Other Companies

Ryder Sound Services (sound) / sound: sound

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