The Importance of Boxing in History

I watched a movie over the weekend, it is a few years old now, but watching it made me remember how good of a movie it was. The movie is Cinderella Man staring Russell Crow and directed by Ron Howard. It is only a few years old, but when I bring it up in class I am amazed at how many students have not seen it. There are few movies that I think everyone should see, but this is one of them. It is a true story about a boxer named James J. Braddock, but the movie is not about boxing. The true story of Braddock is such an inspirational story, that I am surprised it has not been made years ago. Yes the movie has plenty of boxing, but it is about the Great Depression. There are many movies that show the hardships of the great depression, The Grapes of Wrath is great, but Cinderella Man beats them all. Most of us today have gone through hard times in our lives, but watching this movie puts in all in perspective. The struggles that families endured were heartbreaking. I love the scene of eating dinner where they each got a piece of fried bologna, and the little girl wanted more, so Braddock gave her his. When they ran out of milk (milk consumption dropped in NYC by over a million gallons daily) they added water. I love the images the movie portrayed; they can help any student feel their pain. The parts that tug at my emotions were when the oldest child stole food because he feared his parents may be forced to send him to live with relatives. Braddock looked him in the eye and promised he never would. When they did send them away, you know it broke his heart. The movie did a good job at several subplots, such as Braddock’s radical friend who wanted to fight the government, and how families were torn apart when husbands abandoned families when they lost all hope. I loved this movie because it showed real courage, not boxing, but fighting to stay together as a family in the worst economic depression in history.

I also liked the movie because it showed something I talk about in class. When I teach the 1920s I spend some time discussing the big five, the five most famous athletes of their era, and still some of the best of all times: Red Grange, football; Bill Tilden, Tennis; Bobby Jones, Golf; Jack Dempsey, boxing; and most important Babe Ruth, baseball. Sports were a bit different than today, the three most famous sports were baseball, boxing, and horseracing, and the most respected title in all of sports was the heavyweight champion of the world. Why I discuss the 1920s big five, is that these athletes, outside of Jones, were larger than life. They lived hard, and partied harder. They stared in movies and were bigger than the sports they played in. They were a product of their times, the roaring twenties, where life was about excess. Then came the stock market crash and everything changed. During the depression, the larger than life athlete was not as popular, but instead it was about the underdog. I use athletes and actors in class to try to show that depression effected every aspect of people’s lives and even who they cheered for. It was during this time that Braddock won the heavy weight championship. The movie did a great job showing how he meant more to Americans than just a champion, he brought them hope. Most Americans were desperate, and here was a man, a little older, a little worn down, had failed once, but was given a second chance and made good. Braddock represented them, I love the scene at the church (I will not give it away if you have not seen it), put people needed Braddock. It is in the depression that Sea Biscuit was also big and for the same reason. Not as good a movie, but worth watching. In the movie the owner said the horse was too small, the jockey too big, the trainer too old. Sea Biscuit had broke his leg and was on a comeback, and that’s the hero people wanted in the 1930s, not the big guys of the 1920s. The greatest 1930s athlete has yet to have a movie made, but should soon. Jessie Owens, a black man, walked into Nazi German and crushed the hopes of Hitler’s perfect race. He later said that he was not invited to shake hands with Hitler, but he was not invited to the White House either and still had to ride in service elevators in fancy hotels where he got awards. Talk about an underdog winning.

This is a great movie, and if you have not seen it, or have not seen it for some time, you should rent it. It is very historically accurate. I get emotional every time I watch it. If you are a parent, you cannot help getting a tear in your eye watching two patents struggle to keep a family together. It is a great love story and a story of courage and endurance. It reminds you others have dealt with worse and persevered. There is also some good boxing.