Jack Johnson


This film was on in Australia the other night, I didn't see it though! I hear he wasn't a big fan of fighting blacks. Just courious did they mention that in the film? I know he didn't like Jack Johnson and called him racist names during his fight with JJ Jefferies in which Jack batted Jefferies.

"You stick with me son and you'll do alright"

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Nope, no racism. I don't know much about Jim Corbett, but I'd imagine this movie skipped over a lot of details. I liked it, but it didn't seem realistic to me. Pure Hollywood. Gentleman Jim never even loses a fight!

What's the Spanish for drunken bum?

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I don't know about the remarks he made or did not make in regards Jack Johnson vs. J J Jefferies when they fought, but he did box Peter "Black Prince" Jackson to a draw for 61 rounds. Peter Jackson was black and from Australia. It was John L Sullivan who refused to fight him because of his race. And probaly the one yelling racial slurs at him during the aforementioned match.

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Corbett fought the best blacks, so I don't know what that's about. Sullivan was a racist and didn't fight negroes. The Johnson-Jeffries fight was a ridiculous spectacle, in which the former champ (and one of the all-time greats) came out of retirement after years, dropped weight from 330 to 220 in a few months, fought no warm up fights and took on one of the best heavyweights of all time. Everyone expected Jeffries, with his Foreman like power, strong chin and offensive prowess to murder Johnson. When they found out they weren't getting the Boilermaker but rather an old man, people freaked out and race riots erupted across the country which killed a lot of people. It was a sore spot for a lot of folks and I wouldn't judge Corbett harshly if he did indeed say some racist *beep* like it or not Jack Johnson pissed off a lot of people by antagonizing white America not by being good, but doing *beep* to piss people off.

"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is spongy and bruised."

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James J Corbett was a womanizer and racist, however, he was really no more a racist than the greater portion of white individuals living during that time. Nonetheless, it was a despicable trait that became clearly evident when Jack Johnson won the title in 1908.

Aside from that, Corbett is rightfully renowned for playing a pivotal factor in the early stages in developing the sweet science of boxing; he helped assist boxing in becoming a far more technical sport and artform. Therefore, I wish the film would've focused a little more on how he developed his craft. However, Gentleman Jim (1942) is indubitably more fantasy than it is historical biography --- though it's entertainment is without a doubt splendrous and fulfills expectations as being one of the greatest boxing films ever made, not to mention, Walsh stages incredibly realisitc boxing scenes that prove far superior to the vast majority of latter boxing films.

"I hope I never get so old I get religious." Ingmar Bergman

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Yes, the boxing scenes were shockingly good for their time. They beat the crap out of Rocky, or any other modern boxing film I care to remember.

"The spirit is willing, but the flesh is spongy and bruised."

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Film ended in 1892. Corbett-Jackson mentioned but couldn't be shown under the Production Code.

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