Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

Director: Ken Burns

Overview

Experience legendary boxer Jack Johnson's remarkable struggle both in and out of the ring in documentary filmmaker Ken Burns' two-part look at the career of one of the sports world's most remarkable athletes. From his childhood in Galveston, TX, as the son of former slaves to his triumph as the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World in 1908, Johnson's career was a defining moment in the realm of sports history.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/11/2005
UPC:	0841887050623
Original Release:	2004
Source:	Pbs (Direct)
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Full Frame, Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	3:40:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Samuel L. Jackson	Jack Johnson
Adam Arkin	Voices
Philip Bosco	Voices
Carolyn McCormick	Voices
Kevin Conway	Voices
Brian Cox	Voices
John Cullum	Voices
Murphy Guyer	Voices
Ed Harris	Voices
Derek Jacobi	Voices
Carl Lumbly	Voices
Amy Madigan	Voices
Joe Morton	Voices
Alan Rickman	Voices
Studs Terkel	Voices
Jack Thompson	Voices
Billy Bob Thornton	Voices
Courtney B. Vance	Voices
Eli Wallach	Voices
Jeffrey Wright	Voices
Keith David	Narrator
Wynton Marsalis	Composer

Technical Credits

Geoffrey Ward

Ken Burns	Director,Producer,Executive Producer
Paul Barnes	Producer
David Schaye	Producer
Geoffrey Ward	Screenwriter
Brenda Ray	Sound/Sound Designer
John Osborne	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

History plays ironic tricks, making terms such as "The Great White Hope" part of the vernacular, for instance, while leaving the phrase's roots obscure. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, collaborating again with writer Geoffrey C. Ward (Jazz, Baseball, The Civil War), uncovers those roots and much more in the acclaimed two-part biographical film Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson. The first black boxer to hold the title of world heavyweight champion, Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas, in 1878, and took up boxing as a teenager. Despite his years of dominance in the ring, racial segregation denied him a shot at the "whites only" heavyweight crown until 1908, when he beat defending champion Tommy Burns in 14 rounds. It was this culture-quaking victory that spurred the search for a "Great White Hope" who could reclaim the crown from Johnson. Of course, Ken Burns's documentary is about much more than this specific tipping point and the catchphrase it spawned. Combining archival film footage and photos with a panel of knowledgeable commentators, Burns explores the remarkable life of a man who truly lived by his own terms, facing all challengers in the ring and drawing fire from racists outside of it -- especially those who objected to his marrying white women. Among the talking heads who share their thoughts and stories - they include Stanley Crouch, Bert Sugar, and George Plimpton - the observations of James Earl Jones are especially interesting, as his portrayal of Johnson in both the stage and screen versions of The Great White Hope vaulted the young actor to considerable fame.