User blog:ARTaylor/40 Years of Rocky

Today is the fortieth anniversary of the premiere of Rocky. Arguably the most iconic and best remembered sports movie ever made, the film tells the story of Rocky Balboa, a boxer-turned-loan shark enforcer, as he looks for one last chance to be somebody all while falling in love with the woman of his dreams. It was a massive success becoming the highest grossing film of 1976, winning three Academy Awards including Best Picture, and turning writer and star Sylvester Stallone into a household name. It went on to produce a massively successful franchise six sequels and numerous video games. In fact, the steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art have become known as the Rocky Steps. The film was the first acting job of Michael Dorn, who had a brief role a bodyguard for Rocky's opponent Apollo Creed.