The Champ (1931)
Wallace Beery won an Oscar for his portrayal of a washed-up champ who is kept going by his adoring son, played by Jackie Cooper - a superior tear-jerker.

Winner Takes All (1932)
James Cagney plays a sparky, but dumb prize-fighter with George Raft cast as a band-leader.

The Prizefighter and The Lady (1933)
Max Baer, ex-world heavyweight champ, stars in a boxing melodrama full of old-time champs including Jack Dempsey, Primo Carnera, Jess Willard and James J Jeffries.

Golden Boy (1939)
William Holden in his first starring role plays the hero who gives up a career in music to be a boxer. Based on famous Clifford Odets play, the film also stars Barbara Stanwyck as Holden's girl friend.

The Pittsburgh Kid (1941)
Billy Conn stars as himself with cameos from triple world champ Henry Armstrong and Freddie Steele

Gentleman Jim (1942)
Biopic of Gentleman Jim Corbett, the first heavyweight champion of the world, who beat James L Sullivan in New Orleans. Errol Flynn swapped swords for boxing gloves to take on his favourite role based on Corbett's own biography, The Roar of The Crowd.

The Set-Up (1949)
Underrated Robert Ryan plays an old pug coming back for the last time who refuses to take the money and lie down. Unusually the film is in real time and based on a narrative poem.

The Ring (1952)
Film about a Mexican-American's attempt to get ahead in the seamy world of boxing.

The Fighter (1952)
Based on a story by Jack London about Mexican fighter who uses his winnings to buy guns to avenge his family.

The Joe Louis Story (1953)
Standard biopic of the Brown Bomber

Killer's Kiss (1955)
Early Stanley Kubrick film about a boxer noted for its moody photography rather than its storyline.

Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)
Biopic of Rocky Graziano who went from the mean streets of New York City to champion of the world. Paul Newman turns in a great performance as Rocky with Steve McQueen making his film debut. Director Robert Wise's second boxing film - he also directed The Set-Up

The Harder They Fall (1956)
Humphrey Bogart was never better in his last film as world-weary and cynical journalist Eddie Willis viewing the seamy underbelly of boxing. Also features ex-world heavyweight champ Max Baer.

Monkey on My Back (1957)
Biopic of world champ Barney Ross who turned to dope - Cameron Mitchell stars.

Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
Famous TV play expanded to a movie starring Anthony Quinn as a broken fighter forced into corruption. With Mickey Rooney as the trainer and Jackie Gleason the manager. Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey, Barney Ross, Gus Lesnevich and Willie Pep are all in there somewhere.

The Great White Hope (1970)
Fictionalised biography of the first black heavyweight world champion, Jack Johnson, here called Jack Jefferson. James Earl Jones takes the lead.

Ripped Off (1971)
Robert Blake as boxer framed for murder of his manager and Ernest Borgnine as the detective out to nail him

Fat City (1972)
John Huston back on top form with this film about boxing losers set in small-town California.

Rocky (1976)
The first episode of the boxing soap still has the power to move with its story of the bit-part boxer offered his chance-in-a-million to win the heavyweight championship. The fact that it mirrors Sly Stallone's own career in films adds poignancy to the story. Stallone has been to the well more than once too often with all the follow-ups - Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985) & Rocky V (1990). Wouldn't bet against Rocky VI - Beyond the Grave.

The Greatest (1977)
Always the actor, Muhammad Ali has no problem playing himself in this autobiopic. The film also features James Earl Jones as Malcolm X and Ernest Borgnine as Angelo Dundee

The Champ (1979)
Superfluous remake of 1931 film with Jon Voight and Faye Dunaway - waste of film-stock.

Raging Bull (1980)
The film against which all boxing films must be judged and all found wanting. When Robert de Niro and Martin Scorsese make films together, they always bring out the best in each other and Raging Bull is the prime example. De Niro gives the performance of lifetime as world champ Jake La Motta and the boxing scenes choreographed to the music of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana have never been bettered.

Broken Noses (1987)
Boxumentary by fashion photographer Bruce Weber - Stanley Kubrick, who made Killer's Kiss, also started out as a fashion photographer.

The Big Man (1990)
Liam Neeson plays an unemployed Scottish miner who turns to bare-knuckle fighter in the wastelands of Glasgow to earn a living. Also stars Billy Connolly.

Blonde Fist (1991)
Margi Clarke in a film about female boxers.

When We Were Kings (1996)
Boxumentary of The Rumble in the Jungle, the world heavyweight bout in Zaire between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974. 22 years in the making, but worth the wait to see the best of Ali in and out of the ring. With Norman Mailer and Don King.

TwentyFourSeven (1997)
A run-down gym is resurrected by Bob Hoskins and his bunch of losers.

The Boxer (1998)
Daniel Day-Lewis was coached by ex-world champ Barry McGuigan in his role as a boxer caught in the religious divide of Northern Ireland. McGuigan, Director JimSheridan wrote McGuigan's biography annd this proved the inspiration for the film. Day Lewis who takes his method acting seriiously was rated as a middleweight who could hold his own in professional company by the time he has finished training.