A Hundred Years Of Boxing In Cinema

Enoch J. Rector: The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (1897).

Fred C. Quimby: The Battle of the Century (1921) with Jack Dempsey vs. Georges Carpentier.

A special programme compiled and commented by Luke McKernan (NFTVA) for Le Giornate del Cinema Muto 1997. Piano: Neil Brand. Pordenone, Cinema Verdi, Tuesday, 14 October 1997. ***

”Boxing was an essential component of the birth of the cinema, forming the subject of some of the first Kinetoscope films, forcing films to be first projected on a screen, and encouraging the production of longer films” (LM).

Leonard-Cushing Fight (US 1894). PC: Edison. D: W. K. L. Dickson. /30 fps/ 1’ excerpt. The first boxing and sporting film ever made, filmed in the Black Maria, featuring Mike Leonard and Jack Cushing. One of the six rounds filmed.

The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (US 1897). PC: Veriscope. 63 mm transferred to 35 mm 1,75. /24 fps/ 7’ excerpt. Gentleman Jim Corbett meets Bob Fitzsimmons. The world’s first feature film lasted over 90’.

The Great Boxing Contest (GB 1907). PC: Charles Urban Trading Company. /18 fps/ 5’.
English heavyweights Gunner Moir vs. Tiger Smith.

Sights and Scenes from the Johnson-Jeffries Fight (US 1910). PC: J.&J. Company. D: J. Stuart Blackton. Short GB version /18 fps/ 16’. The black champion Jack Johnson and the ”white hope” Jim Jeffries. Fear of racial unrest caused an interstate anti-fight film law to be passed that remained in force until the 1930s.

Bill’s Day Out (FR 1911). PC: Lux. Patouillard (Bill in English-speaking countries) visits a fairground boxing booth featuring two black boxers - Bob Scanton and P. Warren.

Trainings for the Great Boxing Contest (GB 1911). /18 fps/ 2’ excerpt. Newsreel footage of two great black heavyweight boxers: Sam McVey and Sam Langford.

The Man To Beat Jack Johnson (GB 1910). PC: Walter Tyler. /18 fps/ 3’. Four-year old Willie Saunders as a boxing monster. On the strength of this film he became a child star in Eclair’s Willy comedy series.

Jack Johnson Paying a Visit to the Manchester Docks (GB 1916). /18 fps/ 2’. Newsreel footage on Johnson when he was a fugitive from American justice, having been convicted on a ”white slavery” charge.

The Battle of the Century (US 1921). PC: Fred C. Quimby. /18 fps/ 35’. **** America’s world heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey meets France’s Georges Carpentier. One of the all-time great boxing documentaries, standing up to comparison with When We Were Kings.