Dempsey vrs Willard /fight film/100th anniversary(1919)

[Caractacus]

The Dempsey vrs Willard fight film was even banned from being shown in Ohio by the Board of Censers.
But the film footage mysteriously turned up 20 years later in late 1939.
( shortly after the ban on inter-state transportation of fight films was lifted)
Part One

[Caractacus]

Part Two of the still rarely seen original "Two-Reeler" version.

[Caractacus]

Here is some much clearer film footage of Round One.

[Caractacus]

Has anyone here been to the site where the stadium was built in 1919 for the Willard vrs Demsey fight ?
The construction for the arena began on May 15th 1919.
It was located at Bay View Park 4 miles North from the Heart of Toledo( in 1919) in Lucas county,Ohio.
It is now the site of a Golf Course.
You can see the Historical Marker for it (placed there in 2003) on North Summit Street.
check out this article here.

https://www.mudjaw.com/Ohio/Fight.html

and check this link out to see the Historical Marker there at the site and at the Clubhouse.

http://www.remarkableohio.org/index.php?/category/957

[Caractacus]

Hey Jaclem,will you be going to Toledo next July for the 100th anniversary of Jack Dempsey becoming the HW Champion of the World ?
What events are they(Toldeo/Lucas County) having to commerate it ? (if any).
How far a drive is Toledo from where you live in Ohio ?

[Caractacus]

so is anyone here planning to go to Toledo this July or What ?
HH are you going to be there July 4th ?
it's only about an Hour and 40 minute drive( 112 miles) from Sidney Ohio)
bring your own steaks and do a BBQ there.

[HomicideHenry]

so is anyone here planning to go to Toledo this July or What ?
HH are you going to be there July 4th ?
it's only about an Hour and 40 minute drive( 112 miles) from Sidney Ohio)
bring your own steaks and do a BBQ there.

Unfortunately I don't have the money to do such a venture. It'd be nice to go and be apart of history, but, Toledo's not the kind of place outsiders ought to go (imho) because everyone will be seen as an easy mark to get robbed, etc. That's the kind of place you go to in groups, so that's less likely to happen.

[APerno]

Unfortunately I don't have the money to do such a venture. It'd be nice to go and be apart of history, but, Toledo's not the kind of place outsiders ought to go (imho) because everyone will be seen as an easy mark to get robbed, etc. That's the kind of place you go to in groups, so that's less likely to happen.

Are you saying Toledo is a ghetto? -- The home of the illustrious Mud Hens!

[HomicideHenry]

Are you saying Toledo is a ghetto? -- The home of the illustrious Mud Hens!

its not for wimps, and I'm a wimp, so that's that.

[Caractacus]

also are you suggesting that Toledo has become a "Sh*T-hole".over the years or has it always been one ?
no wonder there doesn't appear to be much interest amongst boxing fans in congragating there for the 100th anniversary.
Remember the dude (Cpl. Klinger)on the TV show MASH who was always exalting Toldeo ?

[APerno]

That's because Jamie Farr was raised in Toledo. Toledo has (since the late 19th century) a large Lebanese/Syrian population.

He was doing the Larry Storch thing (F Troop) exalting his home town, in Storch's case he would always refer to Passaic New Jersey.

Both cities have a reputation for being blue collar immigrant towns.

It was popular with the old vaudeville comedians, to run jokes off your home town.

[Caractacus]

you know who else adapted Toldeo as their home town ?
Archie Moore.
he fought there 10 times from 1949 to 1953
including fights with Bob Satterfield and Jimmy Bivins
Some used car salesman there backed him and really helped his career at some point beginning in 1949
and then he started getting a shot at the title.
he stayed at Mother Jenning's Boarding House on Indiana Avenue.
He even had a really expensive rhinestone robe that read TOLEDO when he came into fight with Rocky Marciano in 1955.

[Caractacus]

its not for wimps, and I'm a wimp, so that's that.

C'mon there will be only one 100th anniversary.
why don't you represent the Boxrec posters here and attend .
save your doe and go, except just maybe rent a motel for the night in a rural area at least some 40 miles from town to be on the safe side

[Caractacus]

anyone know what time the fight had started ?
I was wondering if you could tell which direction the film camera was pointing
from the shadows cast on the ring mat.
reportedly the preliminary bouts started around 11:00 am
with a preliminary bout each half hour.
The fight was scheduled for around 4 pm I think there may have been a delay due to the heat.

[Caractacus]

here is a link for a schedule of events for the week of the anniversary.

https://www.toledoblade.com/local/commu ... 0190528118

[APerno]

NY Times July 5th 1919

"The moving picture machines were installed to the west of the ring on a platform thirty feet high."

"At 11 o'clock there were 8000 persons in the area." (45,000 total attendance; about 500 women.)

"$500,000 profit for Rickard." . . . "The total receipts are estimated at $1,000,000."

"At 1:30 PM a thermometer at ringside registered at 120 degrees. A slight breeze occasionally stirred, and every time it did it was greeted by cheers from the fans."

"The main bout started at 4:09 the fighters having entered the ring shortly before 4 o'clock."

"At 4:07 o'clock the fighters went to the center of the ring, they were photographed shaking hands and then they were cautioned by referee Pecord. . . . Then the fight began.

[Caractacus]

Thanks Dude,
So if we were sitting in the arena next to the Moving Picture cameras,
we would be looking Eastward toward Cleveland at the fight ?
( so I was right-all these years I had it in my mind's eye watching the footage that if we could look over them we would see Lake Eerie( Maumee Bay )
I wonder if they will be using that bit of info when the re-enact
the fight this July 4th.

[HomicideHenry]

There is one mystery left unanswered about the Toledo fight.... There was advertisements of Jess Willard for supplements (I think) .... The day after he lost, those advertisements were taken down... Like big billboard type stuff... I wonder whatever happened to them, if any of them escaped destruction.

[APerno]

There is one mystery left unanswered about the Toledo fight.... There was advertisements of Jess Willard for supplements (I think) .... The day after he lost, those advertisements were taken down... Like big billboard type stuff... I wonder whatever happened to them, if any of them escaped destruction.

Not likely -- very early on bill boards were hand painted, and later on replaced by printed paper that came in sections and was pasted up much like wall paper. I suspect most were either papered over or ripped down piece by piece.

[HomicideHenry]

Not likely -- very early on bill boards were hand painted, and later on replaced by printed paper that came in sections and was pasted up much like wall paper. I suspect most were either papered over or ripped down piece by piece.

http://www.perno.com/history/jack%20dem ... iskey.html

Nice piece btw Perno.

[Caractacus]

what type of food and entertainment did the Food concession vendors sell at the event ?
was it sold in or outside the arena ?
if outside how close to the arena ?
Probably mainly Red Lemonade and Hot Dogs most likely
what else tho,.Ice Cream,Salted Roasted Peanuts,Beer ?

[Caractacus]

There is one mystery left unanswered about the Toledo fight.... There was advertisements of Jess Willard for supplements (I think) .... The day after he lost, those advertisements were taken down... Like big billboard type stuff... I wonder whatever happened to them, if any of them escaped destruction.

I think there was a newspaper advertisment of him selling the supplements.
maybe there was a link to it in another thread about Jess Willard.

[Caractacus]

also has it been recorded what songs or music the bands played at the event ?
This woud have been a good choice ( before it became associated with the Circus anyway)
ENTRY OF THE GLADIATORS composed by Julius Fucik (1897)

[Caractacus]

HOW I BEAT JESS WILLARD by Jack Dempsey (published in 1977)

https://www.americanheritage.com/destruction-giant

[Caractacus]

just imagine Tex Rickard himself singing these songs to Jack Dempsey as he was hitting the Heavy Bag,shadow-boxing etc.