LaMotta
Posted: 14 Oct 2004, 15:05
Jake claimed to have had the films in his 1970 bio "raging bull". The problem is multifaceted. First Jake has gone through several rough patches financially since then to the point were he was basically penniless and didnt have a dime to his name including his fight stuff (which he probably pawned if he even owned it at the time). Second, his ex-wife vickie supposedly got all or most of his boxing stuff at some point during their long, tempestuos association and collectors who have been in touch with her say she doesnt have the films. Third, Jake was using the statement that he had the films to back up his claim that he beat Ray in most of their fights i.e. "...and I have the films to prove it." Knowing Jake its possible that he was full of shit.
Harry: Im not sure where you can get the clip of Williams. I just know it exists as Ive talked to people who have seen it. Like I said, its very short and when he was past his prime but he was supposedly very "clever" even at that advanced stage in his career and this is something that the film supposedly illustrates.
As for the Cerdan-Williams fight, it was supposedly filmed but Ive searched for it and never found it despite talking to several french archives and collectors. Apparently there was at one time quite a lot of footage on Cerdan but what happened to it is anyones guess. Like the great footage from here in the USA its possible that much of it has passed into the hands of private collectors and thus is hard to track. The language barrier only complicates matters.
As for O'Brien-Ketchell, I have a neat clip of O'Brien speaking to the camera telling the story of the fight which is hilarious. He says how for the basis of the fight he "annhilated" Ketchel until the final bell rang while the referee was counting over his sleeping form with his head "quite comfortably resting in the resin boxing." The final bell saved O'Brien from a knockout. Very funny the way he tells it.
Harry: Im not sure where you can get the clip of Williams. I just know it exists as Ive talked to people who have seen it. Like I said, its very short and when he was past his prime but he was supposedly very "clever" even at that advanced stage in his career and this is something that the film supposedly illustrates.
As for the Cerdan-Williams fight, it was supposedly filmed but Ive searched for it and never found it despite talking to several french archives and collectors. Apparently there was at one time quite a lot of footage on Cerdan but what happened to it is anyones guess. Like the great footage from here in the USA its possible that much of it has passed into the hands of private collectors and thus is hard to track. The language barrier only complicates matters.
As for O'Brien-Ketchell, I have a neat clip of O'Brien speaking to the camera telling the story of the fight which is hilarious. He says how for the basis of the fight he "annhilated" Ketchel until the final bell rang while the referee was counting over his sleeping form with his head "quite comfortably resting in the resin boxing." The final bell saved O'Brien from a knockout. Very funny the way he tells it.
