BoxRec

I'm going to learn boxers' bios through movies rather than spending hundreds of hours reading the books. Please give me the list of boxer's bios in movies:

Please add this list:


The great white hope (Jack Johnson's story)
Raging Bull (la Motta)
the Greatest (Ali)
Ali (Ali)
Somebody up there likes me (Graziano)
Hurricane (Rubin Carter)
Marciano
Tyson


What else? I have some of the movies already, and I think I will need to add my collection.

I used to watch tv series of Jack Dempsey on TV years ago. What is the title of the TV series? Is it "Dempsey"?

Bad idea if you really want to learn about the fighters. Sure, movies are quick, but how accurate? Not to accurate when it's Hollywood! There is no easy way to learn boxing history other than putting the time and research into it. I've been researching boxing around twenty years and I'm only just beginning, it's a labor of love. The movie "Hurricane" is completely bias toward Rubin Carter. The way that he was portrayed in that movie made like he was the greatest fighter who never got a shot at a world title because he was framed, when in actuality he was a decent-to-good fighter who landed a lucky punch on Emile Griffith in the first round, but off course the movie version has an actor portraying Griffith as an opponent who was literally shaking in his boots before the bell rang and then the unstoppable beast Carter just ate him up. Carter landed a lucky shot plain and simple. Carter did beat a couple of good fighters, but he certainly wasn't the fighter that the movie made him out to be, and thats why the movie company had to pay Joey Giardello for how they portrayed his fight with Carter. I could go on, but I'm not. It's a lazy half/truth kind of way to learn about a fighter!

The best boxing movie of all time, a stunning documentary that took around 20 years to put together, is WHEN WE WERE KINGS.
The story of Ali/Foreman.

Nothing else touches this one.

There's a 1983 movie called "Dempsey" about Jack Dempsey

Jeffsboxing wrote: I used to watch tv series of Jack Dempsey on TV years ago. What is the title of the TV series? Is it "Dempsey"?

Dempsey and Makepeace?

"Monkey On My Back" - bio of Barney Ross, late 50s
There is a film bio of Jim Corbett starring Errol Flynn. Can't remember the title. Maybe simply "Gentleman Jim". Ward Bond plays John L. Sullivan.
For laughs, there is "The Joe Louis Story" starring Coley Wallace. A total piece of crap.

Jeffsboxing wrote:I'm going to learn boxers' bios through movies rather than spending hundreds of hours reading the books.

I used to think like that, but then I actually gave reading a book a try and was immediatley hooked. Since then I have gone through about 50 books about boxing and boxers, and consider reading one of my favorite pastimes. Try one of these bios, I'd be very surprised if you didn't come back looking for more:

Muhammad Ali: His Life & Times
Larry Holmes: Against The Odds
Joe Louis: The Great Black Hope
Aaron Pryor: Flight Of The Hawk - The Aaron Pryor Story
John L. Sullivan: John L. Sullivan & His America
Jack Dempsey: A Flame Of Pure Fire - Jack Dempsey & The Roaring 20s
Max Schmeling: An Autobiography
Bob Fitzsimmons: Prizefighter - The Life and Times of Bob Fitzsimmons
Jim Corbett: Gentleman Jim Corbett - The Truth Behind A Boxing Legend
Gene Tunney: The Golden Guy Who Licked Jack Dempsey Twice
Primo Carnera: Primo - The Story Of Man Mountain Carnera
Rocky Marciano: Rocky Marciano
Sugar Ray Robinson: Sugar Ray
Tom Molineaux: Black Ajax
Sonny Liston: The Devil & Sonny Liston
Joe Frazier: Smokin' Joe
Don King: Only In America: The Life & Crimes Of Don King
Rubin Carter: Hurricane
Nigel Benn: Dark Destroyer
Jake La Motta: Raging Bull
Benny Lynch: Benny - The Life and Times of A Fighting Legend
Ken Norton: Going The Distance - The Ken Norton Story
Jack Johnson: Papa Jack - Jack Johnson & the Era Of White Hopes
George Foreman: By George
Ken Buchanan: The Tartan Legend
Earnie Shavers: Welcome to the Big Time

Alister

Yep. I agree that watching movies is not very accurate in learning boxers' bio. Too many things are missing in movies. (just like nothing new I found in movie "Ali" - how come Ali's shape when he fought Liston and Foreman are the same in that movie?)

However, I have read several books of Muhammad Ali, and I always found something new. But the problem is I'm a slow reader. I only have 1 hour before sleeping to read those books. For sure, I will keep reading those bio books, but I'm also going to watch movies. My consideration is "quantity" insteead of quality in these days.

Well Jeff, the truth is that quality beats quantity hands down every time. I realise that some people find it hard to find much time to read these days as so many people are over worked etc but believe me even if it takes you months to read a biography, you will find it so rewarding... also you may be a slow reader now but the fact is the more you read the quicker you will become... reading is like anything, it requires practise... even an hour a day is worthwhile..... even ten minutes!. Also, sad to say not only are many film bios of fighters inaccurate, the vast majoruty of them are also quite simply bad films, with appalling acting and poor fight scenes... I think the best film bios are 'Somebody up there likes me' and 'Raging Bull'... these are genuinely good films... but the books they are based on are far better and I'd reccommend you read either 'raging bull' or 'Somebody up there likes me'.
My favourite boxing film overall is John Houstons 'Fat city'.... an excellent film which is based on great book by same name.... it's a work of fiction but has real insights on life and mentality of boxers.... also very good fight sequences........ if you like boxing films you must get this!.....