Directed by John G. Avildsen and shot in 28 days on a million dollar budget, ”Rocky” divided reviews between praise and criticism, but became the unexpected hit of the year, with Sylvester Stallone, who received 10% of the takings – a rich man and a real star. This is the first feature film to use Steadicam, used primarily in fight scenes and scenes where Rocky runs through Philadelphia during his training. Garrett Brown’s pioneering invention stabilized the camera in motion to create a smooth, fluid shot. At the 1977 Academy Awards, Rocky was nominated in no less than 10 categories, including Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay, and won three Academy Awards: Best Director, Best Picture and Best Editing.
Budget: $1,000,000
US Earnings: $117,235,147
Worldwide: $225,000,000
