"Sylvester Stallone… Eye of the Tiger"
Post on: May 2, 2021
“We are stronger when we are given love; when we put emotions on the line; know that we are the timeless ones.” The lyrics of “Meet Me Halfway” resonated on air. It rekindled great nostalgia as I was teleported back to the ’80s.
Sylvester Stallone has the knack for making the ordinary into something spectacular. He relives this philosophy in his movies. His Rocky and Rambo’s series themed on the underdogs prevailing with tenacity and grit — incorporating a manifestation of some of his adversities into his film.
He was not born with a silver spoon. The contrary is the reality as depicted in his life story. His life mirrors the rags to riches story which he often showcased in his movies. At his lowest point, he had to sell his beloved pet dog to keep him afloat. It would be unfathomable to you and I — poverty made him part with the love of his life for a mere $50!
Stallone was a struggling actor who took on any jobs just to keep his passion for the “Cinefield” alive. In 1975, after watching the Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner bout, he struck his Eureka moment! A surge of inspiration swept over him as he wrote the screenplay for Rocky within 3 days.
He had achieved the enviable of writing a winning screenplay. Next was convincing movie houses to produce his movie. After countless rejections, one studio decided to give him a try. But he hit a snag in that they agreed to produce it but not according to his terms. They wanted an A-list actor as the protagonist. He had stipulated that he should be given the lead role. Stallone was an unknown who did not amount to anything and producers did not want to take chances with a guy who spoke strangely.
Despite the initial apprehension, they decided to go with the screenplay but not him. However, Stallone was firm and stood his ground despite dire straits. He could not envision his creation being played by anyone else but him!
One studio relented after sensing his resolve but paid him a fraction of what was worth. And it was produced on a shoestring budget in just 28 days. He persevered despite sustaining injuries filming boxing scenes with Carl Weathers (who played his nemesis, Apollo Creed). Despite these, Rocky became the highest-grossing film in the USA and won an Oscar award for best picture in 1976.
This catapulted him to much acclaim but he did not become overly conceited with his newfound stardom. On the other hand, he proved his innate character — he showed great compassion by buying the very dog he sold using his first pay cheque.
He went back to the liqueur store where it all transpired and waited for the man whom he sold his dog to. When he finally met the new owner after 3 days, he explained his predicament which drove him to do the unthinkable. However, the guy refused to budge. Stallone had to dangle him with a whopping $15,000 for the dog he sold for $50. In the business world, he would have failed miserably but as far as humanity is concerned, Stallone nailed it!
Some commentators feel that Stallone was a great American patriot like no one else since the iconic Dirty Harry. Rocky IV propelled him as a poster boy — his supremacy against the boxer from the rival country made him endearing. His movies evoked nationalist fervour and he was regarded as an American hero.
In 1984, Rocky III premiered in Singapore with much media hype. I vividly remember queuing up with my brother a day in advance at the old Lido cinema as a 14-year-old boy. Nevermind I had to do it after school in the scorching sun as the queue had snaked mercilessly. In today’s lingo, the millennials would say, “No Sweat” — such was Stallone’s sway factor. He was my childhood hero and watching him on an opening day was a badge of honour which entailed bragging rights.
Stallone’s movies were awe-inspiring too. Before my enlistment into the army, I trained with dumbbells and pushed myself beyond my limits to be physically and mentally prepared for the vigorous training ahead. Whenever I stumbled, Rocky’s “Eye of the Tiger” gave me the impetus to push on. (Interestingly, an insurance-agent friend recently remarked that his director uses this video clip to psyche its staff up during training and accomplishing sales targets…Wow!)
My brother took one step ahead of me — he was smitten by the movie “Over the Top” where Stallone arm-wrestled to gain custody of his son. The movie climaxed to the battle of David vs Goliath where Stallone won the duel, outmuscling a “giant” twice his size with his techniques and tenacity.
My brother emulated his idol — he trained his socks off and learned all the tricks of arm wrestling. It paid dividends. He won numerous trophies and adulations in many arm-wrestling competitions which had promulgated in the local scene. He became known as the “Heart-throb Champ” in my Redhill estate. We have to thank Stallone for our childhood memories made so beautiful!
Stallone is also known for his willingness to perform his own back-breaking stunts. During the filming of Rocky IV, he told Dolph Lundgren to punch him as hard as he could in the chest. It wasn’t a wise thing to say as he ended up in the intensive care unit! However, it shows his gung-ho attitude and the extent he goes in making his movies triumph.
“Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up,” — is one of Stallone’s noteworthy quotation. He has walk the talk — not only on-screen but his real-life exemplifies his convictions. Stallone’s unflinching confidence to soldier on against all odds is truly an inspiration worth documenting and emulating.
The Jolly Good Times hopes you’ve enjoyed the walk down memory lane, evoking your own childhood nostalgia — invite your kakis (friends) to Like us on our Facebook and Website.
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