The Bodda Getta

Braveheart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iShuZvyDHA John L Sullivan Congratulates "Gentleman Jim" Corbett after losing the Heavyweight title to him.

This is a scene from a classic sports movie many of you may not be familiar with. It's from the 1942 movie "Gentleman Jim". This scene depicts a meeting between John L Sullivan and "Gentleman Jim" Corbett after Corbett had beaten Sullivan to win the Heavyweight Championship in New Orleans in 1892. Like all historical biographical movies made back then there is a skeleton of truth to the film, fleshed out with a great deal of "Hollywood schmaltz" to make the movie as entertaining as possible.

The reason I wanted to share this clip is that 1) it is a very poignant scene that displays a type of sportsmanship that has totally disappeared from contemporary American sports and 2) the great acting on the part of both Errol Flynn and Ward Bond. Watch Bond's eyes as he stands at the doorway before anyone has noticed he is there, searching the crowd and then, spotting the man he's come to see and steeling himself to go through with the painful but classy thing he came there to do. And watch Flynn trying to swallow the lump in his throat as Bonds turns and walks away, through the crowd and out of the room.

Although this actual scene was a creation of the writers, the actual truth is that Sullivan, in fact, did address a crowd shortly after the bout, giving all credit to Corbett for the victory and saying Corbett had won "fair and square" even though Sullivan could have easily not said anything publicly or referred to his age (34) as a factor or the fact that many felt he had not trained adequately in preparation for the fight and had been drinking too much.

John L Sullivan was probably the first non-political icon in the US and probably the most popular, well known and revered sports figure this country has ever seen, before or since. He had held the Heavyweight title for over 10 years, had never lost a fight and is said to have beaten somewhere between 400 and 500 fighters during his career. He was the last bare-knuckles Heavyweight Champion and the first Heavyweight Champion under the then new Marquess of Queensberry rules where gloves were worn and 3 minute rounds were employed. He is credited with legitimizing the sport in America by supporting the new rules. At that time, boxing was illegal in most states and many fights were held in bizarre scenarios in order to skirt the laws. He was the first national sports superstar in the US and a revered and mythical figure to the millions of Irish immigrants around the country. He was probably the first person in the US outside of politics who was known by one name. If you said the name "John L" everyone knew instantly who you were were talking about.

I hope you enjoy the clip. Although to understand the subtext you really need to see the entire film. It's broadcast on TCM several times a year and is available on Amazon as well as many other outlets. Anyway, it's a unique, touching scene that I've enjoyed watching over and over through the years.

Maybe not the best, but definitely one of the most intense I've seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMjZKXaptBk

The Deer Hunter..this one is pretty violent