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The Great White Hope (1970)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
16 October 1970 (USA)
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Tagline:
He could beat any white man in the world. He just couldn't beat all of them.
Plot:
A black champion boxer and his white female companion struggle to survive while the white boxing establishment looks for ways to knock him down. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars.
Another 1 win
&
5 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Dreamgirls National Tour Kicks Off at Apollo Theater, 11/7 - 12/6
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 4 November 2009, 1:09 PM, PST)
DVR Alert: Talk Show Listings Thurs. Jan 22 - James Earl Jones, Liam Neeson & More
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 18 January 2009, 2:17 PM, PST)
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 4 November 2009, 1:09 PM, PST)
DVR Alert: Talk Show Listings Thurs. Jan 22 - James Earl Jones, Liam Neeson & More
(From BroadwayWorld.com. 18 January 2009, 2:17 PM, PST)
User Comments:
and we're still dealing with it today...
more (14 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | James Earl Jones | ... | Jack Jefferson |
 | Jane Alexander | ... | Eleanor Backman |
 | Lou Gilbert | ... | Goldie |
| Joel Fluellen | ... | Tick |
| Chester Morris | ... | Pop Weaver |
| Robert Webber | ... | Dixon |
| Marlene Warfield | ... | Clara |
| R.G. Armstrong | ... | Cap'n Dan |
| Hal Holbrook | ... | Al Cameron |
| Beah Richards | ... | Mama Tiny |
| Moses Gunn | ... | Scipio |
| Lloyd Gough | ... | Smith aka Smitty, Evening Mirror Reporter |
| George Ebeling | ... | Fred |
| Larry Pennell | ... | Frank Brady, Boxer |
| Roy Glenn | ... | Pastor (as Roy E. Glenn Sr.) |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, and for language including racist dialogue.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
103 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The original Broadway production of "The Great White Hope" by Howard Sackler opened at the Alvin Theater in New York on October 3, 1968, ran for 546 performances and won the 1969 Tony Award for the Best Play. James Earl Jones won the 1969 Tony Award for Best Actor in Play and recreated his stage role in the movie version. Jane Alexander won the 1969 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and recreated her stage role in the movie version. The play author also wrote the screenplay for the movie version.
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Goofs:
Continuity: In the first scene in which we see Jefferson practicing, the sweat on his shirt changes from shot to shot in a way that wouldn't be predicted by evaporation.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Simpsons: The Great Wife Hope (#21.3)" (2009)
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Soundtrack:
Let Me Hold You In My Arms Tonight
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (14 total)
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Recently, Ken Burns wrote an editorial calling on Americans to make amends for what they as a society did to Jack Johnson. "The Great White Hope" shows what American society did to him.
James Earl Jones plays Johnson, called Jack Jefferson here (the movie is fictionalized). He was everything that a black man in the early 20th century was not supposed to be: assertive, proud, and married to a white woman. His wife Eleanor (Jane Alexander) accepted him for who he was. Naturally, white people didn't like their marriage one bit; the black population believed that Johnson was "...gainin' an attraction to the white man's poon tang." Ostracized from society, Jack and Eleanor tried to live privately, but they were constantly hounded. Jack became increasingly abusive towards Eleanor, until she took her own life. Distraught, Jack went in for one last showdown in Cuba.
Regardless of what you think of the movie overall, it's important because it shows a part of our history that we may never be able to get over, and in fact are still addressing today. Director Martin Ritt espouses the same kind of social awareness that he discussed in "Hud", "Sounder", "Conrack" and "The Front". A masterpiece.