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The Great White Hope (1970) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   931 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 13% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Martin Ritt
Writers:
Howard Sackler (play)
Howard Sackler (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Great White Hope on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 October 1970 (USA) more
Genre:
Biography | Drama | Romance | Sport more
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
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 5 nominations more
NewsDesk:
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:
correction to user comments more

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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.)
Bill Walker ... Deacon
Marcel Dalio ... French promoter
Rodolfo Acosta ... El Jefe
Virginia Capers ... Sister Pearl
Rockne Tarkington ... Rudy
Oscar Beregi Jr. ... Ragosy (as Oscar Beregi)
Manuel Padilla Jr. ... Paco
Karl-Otto Alberty ... Hans
Jim Beattie ... The Kid
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Donald Buka ... Reporter (uncredited)
Scatman Crothers ... Carnival Barker (uncredited)
Basil Dignam ... English Official (uncredited)
Pitt Herbert ... Reporter (uncredited)
Arthur Malet ... Barrister (uncredited)
Hans Meyer ... Prussian Officer in beer garden (uncredited)

Frank Noel ... (uncredited)
Lillian Randolph ... Housekeeper (uncredited)
Davis Roberts ... Pastor (uncredited)
Scott Lee Scarborough ... Globe, Arizona Extra (uncredited)
Chet Stratton ... Attorney (uncredited)
Cal Wilson ... Chicago Kid (uncredited)
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Directed by
Martin Ritt 
 
Writing credits
Howard Sackler (play)

Howard Sackler (screenplay)

Produced by
Lawrence Turman .... producer
 
Cinematography by
Burnett Guffey 
 
Film Editing by
William Reynolds 
 
Production Design by
John DeCuir 
 
Art Direction by
Jack Martin Smith 
 
Set Decoration by
Raphael Bretton 
Gil Parrondo 
Walter M. Scott 
 
Costume Design by
Irene Sharaff 
 
Makeup Department
Pat Abbott .... hair stylist
Edwin Butterworth .... makeup artist (as Ed Butterworth)
Paul Stanhope .... makeup artist
Daniel C. Striepeke .... makeup supervisor (as Dan Striepeke)
Paquita Trench .... assistant makeup artist (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Tadeo Villalba .... production manager: Spain
Saul Wurtzel .... unit production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
José López Rodero .... assistant director: Spain
Tim Zinnemann .... assistant director
Antal Kovacs .... second assistant director (uncredited)
Jerry Ziesmer .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Dennis J. Parrish .... property master (as Dennis Parrish)
 
Sound Department
Theodore Soderberg .... sound
Jack Solomon .... sound
Vinton Vernon .... sound
 
Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott .... special photographic effects
Art Cruickshank .... special photographic effects
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Ron Pearce .... gaffer (uncredited)
 
Music Department
Thurston Frazier .... vocal coach
Lionel Newman .... music supervisor
 
Transportation Department
Chris Haynes .... driver (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Mushy Callahan .... technical advisor
Herman Levin .... stage producer
Donald McKayle .... choreographer
Marvin Weldon .... script supervisor
Dominic Santarone .... caterer (uncredited)
Ruth Santarone .... caterer (uncredited)
Sharon Thurgood .... studio teacher (uncredited)
Cassius Weathersby .... production assistant (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, and for language including racist dialogue.
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
103 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | Hungarian | German | Spanish
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
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 more
Company:
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
In addition to Jack Jefferson being based on Jack Johnson, several other characters are based on real life individuals. Frank Brady is a stand-in for Jim Jeffries, the former heavyweight champion who came out of retirement to try to end Johnson's title reign, Cap'n Dan is based on "Gentleman" Jim Corbett, the racist former champion refused to fight black men as champion, and the Kid is a stand-in for Jess Willard, the fighter who eventually beat Johnson for the title in Havana in 1915. Eleanor is a composite of two white women Johnson married, Etta Duryea (who, like Eleanor, committed suicide), and Lucille Cameron, who he fled the country with after being convicted. more
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. more
Quotes:
Jack Jefferson: I'm big, but I ain't dumb, hear? more
Movie Connections:
Featured in 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2009) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
Let Me Hold You In My Arms Tonight more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
2 out of 4 people found the following comment useful:-
correction to user comments, 13 April 2007
10/10
Author: Jackson Gerald from California

Great movie about racism in the world at that time

James Earl Jones was both the film and Broadway actor. The Great White Hope Alvin Theatre, (10/3/1968 - 1/31/1970) Preview: Total Previews: 15 Opening: Oct 3, 1968 Closing: Jan 31, 1970 Total Performances: 546 Category: Play, Original, Broadway Setting: The years before and during World War I. Awards and nominations

Opening Night Production Credits Theatre Owned / Operated by Herman Bernstein Produced by Herman Levin Written by Howard Sackler; Music arranged by Charles Gross Directed by Edwin Sherin

Opening Night Cast James Earl Jones Jack Jefferson Jane Alexander Eleanor Bachman Thomas Anderson Negro Man

G Jackson

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Great White Hope (1970)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Error in time dsal_63
This Movie(Subject) Deserves A Remake mokill00
VERY SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:( hot_in_pink_hate_red
Im Serious..... a_spike_lee_joint
A biography? No! gelman@attglobal.net
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