Jeffries-Johnson World's Championship Boxing Contest, Held at Reno, Nevada, July 4, 1910 (1910)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Release Date:

6 July 1910 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Sport

Plot Keywords:

Boxing

Awards:

1 win

Cast

James J. Jeffries	...	Himself
Jack Johnson	...	Himself

Runtime:

100 min (16 fps)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Filming Locations:

Reno, Nevada, USA

Company:

J & J Co.

Trivia:

The film was so successful, but caused so much controversy, that two years later Congress banned the interstate traffic in fight films.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004)

THE fight of the 20th century

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

*** SPOILERS TO THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW THEIR BOXING HISTORY *** Ali - Frazier, Louis - Schmeling II, Dempsey - Tunney II were huge, but EVERYONE was on pins and needles about Johnson - Jeffries. Jack Johnson became the first black Heavyweight champion in 1908 after shaming Tommy Burns into crossing the "color line" and annihilating him in Sydney, Australia. After going on to defeat one "Great White Hope" after another, public pressure fell upon Jim Jeffries, who had retired undefeated in 1905, to come back and reclaim the title for the white race. Ultimately, the fight didn't live up to the hype though, and there was so much hype there's probably no way it could have. An ex-champion who'd been out of the ring for 5 years vs. a current champion in his prime... The results were a very one-sided fight. Not too exciting, but fascinating.