Movie Description
Monkey on My Back
(1957)Overview
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.
Featured Crew
Cast
Barney Ross
Cathy Holland
Rico, Drug Pusher (as Paul E. Richards)
Sam Pian
Noreen
Barney's Mother
Big Ralph
Corpsman (uncredited)
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Facts
Original TitleMonkey on My Back
Status Released
Release Information
-
1957-05-29
Original LanguageEnglish
Runtime 01h 34m
Production CompaniesEdward Small Productions
Genres
- Drama