BoxRec

Al Certo, Charley, "Jersey" Joe Walcott, Ernie Durando

Some tough hitters with roots in New Jersey visit NYC.

Alexis Arguello and Charley.
Alexis Arguello on hand to receive Downtown Athletic Club's " Rocky Marciano Award-A Champion in the Ring and A Champion in Life" 1982

One of my All-Time favorites:

Charley breaks up Billy Graham and Kid Gavilan 1982

From what I can see over the years, there was no animosity whatso ever between these two greats.

Don Dunphy, "The voice of Madison Square Garden" John Condon, Charley and Great Champion Joe Frazier.

Charley Norkus vs Roy Harris 1956

Charley stands outside the Houston City Auditorium day after his fight with Roy Harris. Harris UD 10 Rds.

You can't tell by this post, but the ticket prices at the bottom of the poster
reads" Prices $1.50, $2.00, $2.50, $3.00 tax incl."

Norkus rises after getting knocked down in his first bout with Danny Nardico. A real bloodbath war that Norkus won by TKO 9th round. Jan 1954

Very cool stuff, thanks.

Nice jacket Gavilan is wearing.

My eyes are still smarting.

Great pictures, much appreciated.

CNorkusJr wrote:


Norkus rises after getting knocked down in his first bout with Danny Nardico. A real bloodbath war that Norkus won by TKO 9th round. Jan 1954

Gawd, they were frigging wimps in those days. Only 8 knockdowns in this fight

http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-a ... ey-norkus/

The above is a recent article by Robert Mladinich for Thesweetscience.com




Here is another great piece by Ted Sares

http://www.badlefthook.com/2010/1/21/12 ... l-pier-six

Charley and Coley Wallace receive "Boxing Greats" award at NY City's Downtown Athletic Club. Nov. 1977
The fighters put on an exhibition fight then receive their awards in the ring.
(L-R) Bobby Hammond (not Mike) from NY Jets football team,Coley,Lew Eskine (former reporter/writer Ring Magazine), Charley, Joe Pignatano (former Brooklyn Dodger & NY Mets).
Jersey Joe Walcott received the "Rocky Marciano Award" that same night.

The paintings they receive are done by the same artist who paints the Heisman Trophy Winner paintings.

From the first article:

In the 1962 film “Splendor in the Grass,” Norkus and Billy Graham, who many consider the “uncrowned welterweight champion” after getting robbed against Kid Gavilan in 1950, rough up and “knock out” a young Warren Beatty during a New Year’s party scene.

If you listen closely, says the younger Norkus, you’ll hear his father say, “Okay Charley, had enough?”

As an actor, the multi-talented senior Norkus also appeared in the films “Requiem for a Heavyweight,” “The Hustler,” Breakfast at Tiffanys” and “West Side Story.”
________________________________________________________________________

Charley, Jr.,

Can you tell us where your father appears in The Hustler?

In West Side Story?

In the other movies?

The author of the 2nd article writes of the first (8 knockdown) Norkus-Nardico fight:

" I have a video (thanks to Alan Sugar) of the action which just might be worth a fortune."

Do you know anything about this, Charley, Jr.?

This was posted in the ESPN-Big Fights INC room by me: I have been reading these posts with great interest. There has been a great interest lately of boxing fans wanting to see the fight of my father, Charles Norkus, against Danny Nardico that went off in Jan 1954. Using Ted Sares words "a real pier six brawl" 9 knockdowns.

The fight was not held on live TV in 1954. Rather, as my father stated,a TV production company were in Miami that week to set up cameras for the upcoming LT heavy Title fight with Archie Moore vs Joey Maxim at the Orange Bowl. They asked the Miami Beach Aud. owners along with Chris Dundee if they can film the Norkus/Nardico slate for a few rounds to test the lighting and lens positioning for the Moore fight. It was never meant to be recorded in its entirety. No announcers were present that evening either.

As the fight progressed, the production director saw what he thought was a epic battle ensuing before his eyes. He was right. He ordered more tape be brought in to capture the entire fight. When it was over- the fight results were quickly reported up to New York. Miami reporters wrote about the explosiveness of this fight. The tapes were quickly made into a film reel and overdubbed by announcers. A short hi-lite (7 mins) exist as well as the entire fight exist with no sound. You can see the lighting changes as the fight went on as camera techs adjusted their lenses. Later in 1954, the film was released to be seen. They were in the Jacobs/Cayton collection, that ESPN owns.
In 1971 or so, Jim Jacobs supplied a 16mm copy of both to my father as a friend, and we watched at home on a projector. In 1988 my father cut a deal with a film collector in Chicago to restore the films and supply my family with VHS films, the collector keeps the 16mm.
Since then the fight Norkus/Nardico 1 as well as the national TV rematch 2 months later exists as DVDs on the underground market. I contacted ESPN a few years back to try to obtain copies and try to buy rights to my fathers various fights. Through Bill Cayton Jr,he contacted Disney/ESPN for me and they refused to sell me the rights at that time but acknowledged they do still have them on hand.

Charley and Warren on the set of "Splendor in the Grass"

Charley and Warren square off.

During the New Years party scene in "Splendor in the Grass". A obviously drunk blonde (actress Barbara Loden-Beatty's sister in the movie) accidently enters a mens room. If you listen, you will hear "Look out Charley, here she comes". She immediately exits followed by my father who is grinning. Soon after she is taken outside by a group of men. In the pack is my father and former boxer Billy Graham. Soon the guys have her out by a car when Warren comes looking for her. A fight ensues. Listen you will hear " Hit him Bill" and "Okay Charley he's had enough, Charley, Charley" as Bill and Charley smack him around. Then the group scrambles away.

Link to this scene is on page 8 here.

Another great movie named "The Mafioso"(1961) starring Italian Legend Alberto Sordi, has my father playing a mobster. English dubbed into Italian,and English subtitles (dont ask). When star Sordi comes to America to do a hit for the mob, he is met by my father who runs the projector for the Don. My father has a few lines in this one.(Dubbed though). Can be had at Amazon.com.

Jackie Gleason, Mickey Rooney and Charley on the set of "Requiem for A Heavyweight".

In the last 20 mins of the movie,when Mountain (Anthony Quinn) becomes a wrestler, and goes to the ring, they show midgets wrestling in the ring. Charley Norkus is the referee. Midgets by a TKO
My father told me that the arena used in that scene was St Nicks Arena and ring.

Jackie Gleason and my father became very good friends. Jackie liked NY-NJ Boxers. He often can be seen with them at Toots Shors and PJ Clarkes in NYC. Jackie had my father appear in "The Hustler" too. I dont have pictures from that set, but, my father can be seen in a few cameo head shots as the camera pans around the room during the first time that Gleason and Newman play pool.

It's ironic that the former Miami Beach Auditorium, where my father fought 3 times, is now called The Fillmore at The Jackie Gleason Theatre.

With Sid Ceasar and Hy Levine

Hy Levine was a business owner with alot of pull to sell tickets to fights. My father was grateful for his assistance in getting people to come to his fights and my father would take him around here and there.

My father and mother, Margie, backstage at the Copacobana, NYC with Buddy Hackett

CNorkusJr wrote:This was posted in the ESPN-Big Fights INC room by me: I have been reading these posts with great interest. There has been a great interest lately of boxing fans wanting to see the fight of my father, Charles Norkus, against Danny Nardico that went off in Jan 1954. Using Ted Sares words "a real pier six brawl" 9 knockdowns.

The fight was not held on live TV in 1954. Rather, as my father stated,a TV production company were in Miami that week to set up cameras for the upcoming LT heavy Title fight with Archie Moore vs Joey Maxim at the Orange Bowl. They asked the Miami Beach Aud. owners along with Chris Dundee if they can film the Norkus/Nardico slate for a few rounds to test the lighting and lens positioning for the Moore fight. It was never meant to be recorded in its entirety. No announcers were present that evening either.

As the fight progressed, the production director saw what he thought was a epic battle ensuing before his eyes. He was right. He ordered more tape be brought in to capture the entire fight. When it was over- the fight results were quickly reported up to New York. Miami reporters wrote about the explosiveness of this fight. The tapes were quickly made into a film reel and overdubbed by announcers. A short hi-lite (7 mins) exist as well as the entire fight exist with no sound. You can see the lighting changes as the fight went on as camera techs adjusted their lenses. Later in 1954, the film was released to be seen. They were in the Jacobs/Cayton collection, that ESPN owns.
In 1971 or so, Jim Jacobs supplied a 16mm copy of both to my father as a friend, and we watched at home on a projector. In 1988 my father cut a deal with a film collector in Chicago to restore the films and supply my family with VHS films, the collector keeps the 16mm.
Since then the fight Norkus/Nardico 1 as well as the national TV rematch 2 months later exists as DVDs on the underground market. I contacted ESPN a few years back to try to obtain copies and try to buy rights to my fathers various fights. Through Bill Cayton Jr, Disney/ESPN refused at that time but acknowledged they do still have them on hand.

That is disgusting

Charley and Ernie Durando square off with comedien, Jan Murray

George Peppard with Charley on the set of "Breakfast at Tiffany's"

Charley was a background actor on 5th Ave when Audrey Hepburn visits Tiffanys, as well as a party scene attendant later on. You dont see him well in this movie, but he got paid SAG union scale w/ residuals.

Charley with a young Harry Belafonte, at Town and Country niteclub in Brooklyn NY.