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-   -   Bear’s 4-Fs (Fictional Fighters of Film and Fiction) (https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com//showthread.php?t=118147)

bear 05-16-2006 06:17 PM

Bear’s 4-Fs (Fictional Fighters of Film and Fiction)
 
Bear’s 4-Fs (Fictional Fighters of Film and Fiction)
Literature, film, theater, and television are but some of strands woven into the tapestry that forms a historical whole known to the world as boxing fiction. In this thread I plan to explore these various strands by adding “real” fictional boxers to the fictional Title Bout character pool.

I’ll draw on my library of boxing literature that includes numerous literary works as well as a nearly complete run of Fight Stories magazine. For film and television I’ll rely on materials found on CBZ, and the Internet Movie Data Base. These materials will be supplemented with information found in Frederick V. Romano’s The Boxing Filmography: American Features 1920-2003. I’ve examined nearly 700 films on the IMDB and have extensive notes using the film summaries and reviews. These were cross referenced with Romano. IMDB also lists TV appearances.

I’ll follow the following procedure in this thread. All named fictional fighters will be rated. When only a character’s given name is available I’ll improvise generally playing off of the actor’s name. Pics of the actors will be included when found. If an actor played an unnamed fighter in a film I might improvise a name based on other roles in film. If more than one actor has played a character I’ll create multiple fighters only if I have pics of both. In this case I’ll take some liberties naming them. For example, Robert B. Parker’s characters Hawk and Spenser have been played by several actors. Emphasis will be placed on ex-boxers now in a film role when doing this and on actors who had multiple roles as boxers. In the case of film bios of historical fighters names will be hybridized eg, Muhammad Ali-Smith. In the case of literary creations I’ll make use of character names. The only possible graphics for these might be dust jacket scans if available.

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 06:34 PM

Harder They Fall
 
2 Attachment(s)
My earliest encounter with boxing history occured in 1956. My dad took me to the show to see Bogie's last film The Harder They Fall. After seeing the film dad spent the rest of the day regaling me with stories about the historical fighters that were models for the characters in the film. For these very nostalgic and sentimental reasons this film (along with Gentleman Jim) tops my list of favorite boxing films.

Here's Toro Moreno, the hapless Agrentine fighter based on Carnera. He was played by a large wrestler, Tarzan Mike Lane.

Toro Moreno HW slugger 2

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 06:37 PM

harder THey Fall
 
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Slugger Buddy Brannen was played by Max Baer, some ironic casting.

Buddy Brannen HW slugger 9

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 06:47 PM

Harder They Fall
 
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Moreno's trainer, George, was played by Jersey Joe Walcott. I assumed he was an exfighter and created a composite.

George Jersey HW both 6

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 06:54 PM

Harder They Fall
 
2 Attachment(s)
Fighter (uncredited) was played by stuntman Charles Horvath. He also played a fighter in "The Twilight Zone" - The Big, Tall Wish (1960) TV Episode (uncredited) .... Fighter played by Charles Frank Horvath.

Pug Horvath HW slugger 2

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 06:55 PM

Harder TheyFall
 
2 Attachment(s)
Continuing Horvath.

Frankie Horvath HW boxer 3

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 07:01 PM

Harder They Fall
 
2 Attachment(s)
Gus Dundee, based on Ernie Schaaf, was played by ex-boxer Pat Comiskey in The Harder They Fall.
Another ex fighter Joey Greb played himself. I used Greb's birth name for this character.

Gus Dundee HW slugger 8
Joey Greco WW Boxer 6

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 07:06 PM

Harder They Fall
 
2 Attachment(s)
Uncredited tomato cans from the film.

Phil Bakersfield HW slugger 2
Ulysses Salinas HW slugger 2

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 07:14 PM

Harder They Fall
 
2 Attachment(s)
Sailor Rigazzo played by Matt Murphy in The Harder They Fall. Murphy also played The Champ in Guys and Dolls.

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 07:18 PM

Harder They Fall (sort of)
 
2 Attachment(s)
Found a pic of Max Baer Jr. with boxing gloves and couldn't resist. A southpaw tomato can dedicated to Conn Chris, who mailed a pic of Jethro Bodine to me shortly after I first joined the forum.

Jethro Beaudine Baer HW slugger 1

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 07:28 PM

Gentleman Jim
 
2 Attachment(s)
Gentleman Jim is my other favorite boxing film. When I was a kid I thought that James J. Corbett was the greatest boxer ever because of this movie. In close ups in the film Romano notes that Billy Conn did the footwork. Freddie Steele was Errol Flynn's stand in for the barge fight. Jack Roper ko'd Flynn three times in workouts. This composite reflects that. Steele type of power in a Conn/Corbett type of boxer with a chin that is a tad iffy.

Corbett Flynn HW boxer 12

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 07:31 PM

Gentleman Jim
 
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John L. Sullivan played by Ward Bond in Gentleman Jim.

Ward Sullivan HW slugger 8

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 07:37 PM

3 Attachment(s)
Joe Choynski (uncredited) played by Sammy Stein who is described in IMDB as a (Professional wrestler and football player. Played offensive end/tackle for the National Football League's Staten Island Stapletons (1929-30), New York Giants (1931), and Brooklyn Dodgers (1932) in Gentleman Jim (1942) He also had some other boxing roles.

Jack Burke also (uncredited) played by Art Foster in Gentleman Jim.

Samuel Chonsky HW slugger 5
Foster Burke HW boxer 1

Bear

bear 05-16-2006 07:39 PM

Gentleman Jim
 
2 Attachment(s)
Jake Kilrain (uncredited) played by wrestler Mike Mazurki in Gentleman Jim.

Michael Kilraine HW slugger 4

Bear

CONN CHRIS 05-16-2006 09:04 PM

Great idea Bear and thank you! They are a nice addition.

(And I do still recall that picture of Sir Jethro of Bodine.):)

Austin 05-17-2006 11:54 AM

I’d like to second the motion. Conn Chris is right, Bear has a great idea. I predict that by next week there’ll be dozen’s of boxers from literature, movies, etc. This will probably expand to include trainers, cut men, etc. When Joe Palooka was popular, there was a comic strip in one of the Boston Sunday comics about a HW called Ben something. Maybe Conn Chris remembers the character.

Austin

bear 05-17-2006 06:46 PM

Big Ben Bolt.

I've already got notes and casts prepared for over 660 films found in the IMDB. Also have done image searches for all those involved. So I'll be adding more to this thread.

Bear

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austin
I’d like to second the motion. Conn Chris is right, Bear has a great idea. I predict that by next week there’ll be dozen’s of boxers from literature, movies, etc. This will probably expand to include trainers, cut men, etc. When Joe Palooka was popular, there was a comic strip in one of the Boston Sunday comics about a HW called Ben something. Maybe Conn Chris remembers the character.

Austin


bear 05-17-2006 08:20 PM

I'll keep them coming. Logging off till the T-storms roll through.

Bear

Quote:

Originally Posted by CONN CHRIS
Great idea Bear and thank you! They are a nice addition.

(And I do still recall that picture of Sir Jethro of Bodine.):)


bear 05-18-2006 12:23 AM

Gentleman Jim
 
2 Attachment(s)
Ed "Strangler" Lewis appeared in the film Gentleman Jim (1942) (uncredited) .... as Hoghead and was Ward Bond's boxing double.
From IMDB.

Hoghead Lewis HW slugger 1

Bear

bear 05-18-2006 12:29 AM

Harder They Fall
 
2 Attachment(s)
Mike Lane, who played Toro Moreno in this film had boxing roles in some 50s TV shows. In "Maverick" - Stampede (1957) TV Episode ....Mike Lane as Noah Perkins
and in "Hotel de Paree" - Sundance and the Bare-Knuckled Fighters (1960) TV Episode .... Jackson
From IMBD

Noah Perkins HW slugger 2
Sundance Jackson HW slugger 2

Bear


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