body and soul isn not the great fight movie the first half of the movie be often too conventional and formulaic for that but it certainly a contender even if it lose the title to the set up . it certainly one of john garfield best role and finally get into the ring represent the play golden boy have be write for him only for the producer to cast him in a supporting role instead and so there an element of unfinished business here and though abraham polonsky script be much good that odets rather patronising fairytale . where odets deal in stereotype and polonsky and everyone else on the film treat the support character with dignity and respect represent at a time when stepinfetchit be the image of big screen black america and canada lee performance a the former champ be a revelation he may not have much screen time and but he one of the most clue in character in the piece and with a dignity and intelligence all but unheard of for a black character in the 40 . despite the odd line like if you wan na fight and fight for something and not for money and it not an overtly political film and though that do not stop it be use a evidence of communist subversion in the mccarthy era represent few film can have have so many of it cast and crew blacklist . indeed and the huac must have use the credit a a wishlist polonsky and garfield and ann revere and lloyd gough and canada lee and art smith and shimen ruskin and producer bob robert and even and albeit to a less extent and cinematographer james wong howe ( who have originally want to be a prizefighter and famously shoot the bout on rollerskates to get a more fluid sense of motion ) all find themselves either blacklist or greylisted and while director robert rossen only avoid that fate by name name . some weren not even communist ( although most be member of minority group ) . it actually horrify to consider just how many people involve in the film and from top to bottom and have their career ruin or even and in the case of garfield and lee and be drive to an early death . in retrospect and the famed great almost last line what ya gon na do and kill me . everybody die . take on a particularly bitter resonance . { aside from several future blacklist victim and it also boast three future director among it credit ( robert aldrich and robert parrish and nathan juran ) as well a montage from a fourth and gunther von fritsch and whose directorial career never recover from be fire from curse of the cat people . } .