The Great White Hope (film)

The Great White Hope is a 1970 biographical romantic drama film written and adapted from the Howard Sackler play of the same name.

Set between 1910 and 1915, the story follows Jack Jefferson James Earl Jones patterned after reallife boxer Jack Johnson going on a hot streak of victories in the boxing ring as he defeats every white boxer around. Soon the press and racists announce the search for a great white hope, a boxer who will defeat Jefferson for the heavyweight title. Meanwhile, Jefferson prepares for a few more matches, but he lets his guard down by courting the beautiful and very white Eleanor Bachman Jane Alexander, and when everyone, including Jacks black wife, discover this, the tensions grow to fever pitch. Jacks close black friends become scared over his pushing the envelope of success and the white authorities conspire to frame him with unlawful sexual relations with Eleanor and thereby take away his title. It leads to jealousy, a run from the law, and finally, disaster.The film opened to positive responses from both audiences and critics. They especially loved the performances of both James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander, who were in the original stage play they won Tonys for the play. Jones would get bigger roles after this film, and Alexander made a debut here. Jones later contributed commentary to a documentary about Jack Johnson that would sum up this film, saying To know the story of Jack Johnson is to know that it is a study in hubris. ........

Source: Wikipedia