The Great White Hope (1970)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writers:

Howard Sackler (play)
Howard Sackler (screenplay)

Release Date:

16 October 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance | Sport

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.

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Boxing | Love | Champion | Racism

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

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.)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, and for language including racist dialogue.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hungarian | German | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (re-rating) (1997)

Filming Locations:

Cedar Lake, Big Bear Valley, San Bernardino National Forest, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

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.

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.

Quotes:

Reporter: Now you're the first black man in the history of the ring who's ever had a crack at the heavyweight title. Now white folks, of course, are behind Brady. He's the redeemer of the race and so on. But you, Jack Jefferson, are you the black hope?
Jack Jefferson: Well, I'm black and I'm hopin'.
Goldie: Answer him straight, Jack.
Jack Jefferson: Hey, look, man, I ain't fighting for no race, I ain't redeeming nobody. My mama told me *Mr. Lincoln* done that. Ain't that why you shot him?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Century of Black Cinema (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Let Me Hold You In My Arms Tonight

James Earl Jones at his best

It's criminal that this movie doesn't get the type of attention or respect it deserves. Great White Hope chronicles the life of Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion, and his bouts with the racism of the 1900s. Before this movie, I never understood where James Earl Jones got his reputation from. Clearly it's from this. He commands all of the scenes he's shot in, demonstrating a mastery of his craft that I've rarely with any other actor. Jones rages and roars through the movie, conveying a mixture of pride and frailty that is simply not to be missed.

At the risk of being redundant: don't sleep on this movie. It's James Earl Jones at his best.