Profile of Boxer Jack Dempsey "Birth of a Champion" Jess Willard 11594 (1939)

Synopsis

In this “GI Movie Weekly” from Fistic Film (likely from 1939), viewers are treated to the historic fight on 4 July 1919 in Toledo, OH, where young boxer Jack Dempsey faced off against the World Heavyweight Champion Jess Willard. The film opens with a few highlights from 1919, including a young Prince of Wales observing the surrender of the German Fleet, Theodore Roosevelt speaking to an audience shortly before his death, and Babe Ruth posing in his New York Yankees jersey. The film then shows fight promoter Tex Rickard (01:45), Jack Dempsey, and Jess Willard, as Willard has his arms and chest measured. Seventy thousand spectators pack the grounds in Toledo (02:30) and cheer as Dempsey enters the ring. Willard enters the ring, and the championship belt is briefly paraded around. The two fighters meet in the middle of the ring to listen to the referee. Round one begins and Willard didn’t hear the bill, looking around unsure of what is happening. The two start to fight, and Dempsey dances with Willard (05:32), gets tangled up, then knocks Willard down for the first time in Willard’s career (06:07). Dempsey knocks Willard down a second time and then unleashes a flurry of punches on the bigger fighter. The crowd goes wild as Dempsey mauls Willard and knocks him down yet again. Dempsey gets Willard in the corner, lands several blows on his opponent, and knocks Willard down again. Dempsey quickly exists the ring thinking he won the fight by knockout. Dempsey’s manager yells at the…

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Details

Running time

14 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage