The Great White Hope (1970)

Directed by

Martin Ritt

Genre

drama film, boxing film, biographical film, romance film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 43m

Rated

PG-13

Rating

6.3 of 10 from 36 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A famous Black boxer in the early 1900s faces public backlash for his relationship with a white woman. The film follows their marriage and the pressures that lead to tragedy.

tensetragicromanticbiographicalslow-burnracially-chargedmelancholicintimateperiod

What happens

The Great White Hope is a 1970 American biographical romantic drama film written and adapted from the 1967 Howard Sackler play of the same name. The film was directed by Martin Ritt, starring James Earl Jones, Jane Alexander, Chester Morris, Hal Holbrook, Beah Richards and Moses Gunn. Jones and Alexander, who also appeared in the same roles in the stage versions, received Best Actor and Actress Academy Award nominations for their performances. The film and play is based on the true story of boxer Jack Johnson and his first wife, Etta Terry Duryea; the controversy over their marriage; and Duryea's death by suicide in 1912. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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