5 Best And 5 Worst Portrayals Of Pro Wrestling In Movies And TV

Sylvester Stallone directed this 1978 drama about the crossover world of professional wrestling and organized crime. While wrestling as a mafia front may be a stretch, the seedy underbelly of the business is exposed without completely exposing the business. In 1978, if Martin Scorsese had been inspired to make a wrestling movie, it would have shared a few similarities to Paradise Alley.

Stallone plays one of three orphaned brothers living in 1940s New York City. The brothers, always looking for the next way to get rich quick, devise a plan to turn one of the brothers into a wrestler. The film's tone evokes the grit and struggle of New York in the 1940s. The film's climax is a 12-minute wrestling match in a leaky, shoddy arena during a thunderstorm.

Paradise Alley's wrestling scenes aren't exactly barnburners, but the script, performances and cinematography elevate the mediocre ring work. The movie stands on its dramatic legs moreso than with action, and it works in this case. The same way quality storylines connect fans with the wrestlers, this tale of blue collar desparation and loss gives the audience something on which to hang their hats.