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

US TV Schedule:

Sat. Nov. 21

12:00 AM

TCM

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:

Jane Alexander's first movie.

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:

Pop Weaver: Makes you feel kind of old, doesn't it? Seeing Brady refereeing.
Cap'n Dan: Ah, who the hell cares? He's the man who lost that belt, Pop, and this whole rotten world's gonna watch him at the finish now, lifting it right up high and passing it on, like the Kid'll pass it on, and the next one'll pass it on. *This* time, we'll keep it in the family.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Afro Promo (1997)

Soundtrack:

Let Me Hold You In My Arms Tonight

Good Drama

Great White Hope, The (1970)

*** (out of 4)

James Earl Jones plays Jack Jefferson, a black boxer who must battle himself and white racists trying to keep him down. I've been meaning to check this film out for a while now but just now got to it and I think it's somewhat overrated but it's still an entertaining film. Perhaps due to the time it was released, the film beats the viewer over the head with the rebellious Jefferson and most of this comes from his relationship with a white woman (Jane Alexander). I'm going to guess this was an early film in showing a relationship between a black man and white woman but it seems like director Martin Ritt goes to the extremes in trying to say that there's nothing wrong in what's going on. After a while we certainly get the point and after a while it gets tiresome hearing more political talk. Jones is brilliant as the troubled boxer and the supporting cast is also very strong. I've become a big fan of Chester Morris throughout the year and it was great seeing him here in his final role. Hal Holbrook is also here and entertaining.