Wladimir Klitschko vs. Rocky Marciano

[Bummy Davis]

Originally Posted by edward morbius

"Europe has a large edge on America today"

In boxing for certain.

But I have to say that boxing is not even on most people's radar out here in the west anymore.

I know a lot of people look at you like you are crazy if you admit to liking boxing today....I will always enjoy a good fight and I like all sports but nothing beats boxing when you have a great match.

[Absolutely!]

Originally Posted by edward morbius

"Europe has a large edge on America today"

In boxing for certain.

But I have to say that boxing is not even on most people's radar out here in the west anymore.

Boxing's rarely been on any country's radar since Tyson's heyday. Outside of the odd superfight it's still a niche sport here in the UK. I believe the situation is more or less the same in the rest of Europe.

You're not special in this regard.

[Seamus]

Originally Posted by Absolutely!

Boxing's rarely been on any country's radar since Tyson's heyday. Outside of the odd superfight it's still a niche sport here in the UK. I believe the situation is more or less the same in the rest of Europe.

You're not special in this regard.

I live around a large Latino population. They still love the sport.

[Seamus]

Originally Posted by edward morbius

"the death of Ronald Reagan"

Naw. It was the death of the Lone Ranger. When Clayton Moore went, we went.

The only argument you have made that I agree with is that America has gone to pot.

I think it was when George Reeves went.

My Superman has a beer gut and smokes and can kick your Superman's ass.

[edward morbius]

Originally Posted by Seamus

I think it was when George Reeves went.

My Superman has a beer gut and smokes and can kick your Superman's ass.

I gotta admit we started down the chute when Reeves went, but it was Clayton Moore going that finished the slide.

[edward morbius]

Originally Posted by Unforgiven

The height of the American male lead movie actors has gone down.
Loads more of the old-time movie stars were 6'2 and 6'3. Greg Peck, Joel McCrea, Gary Cooper, Charlton Heston, James Stewart.
Even Clark Gable was 6'. Cary Grant 6'1. Burt Lancaster 6' or more.
Short ones like Cagney and Bogart were rare.
John Wayne was 6'4. So was Robert Ryan.

Nowadays most of the big movie stars are under 6', or so it seems.
There might be a technical reason for that, I dunno.

It's interesting. If John Wayne was born 60 years later he'd be like 7 foot tall.
(but he probably wouldn't shoot as many 'injuns')

I think Gable was 6' 1"

but you are picking and choosing here. After all during that era Spencer Tracy, Ronald Colman, Wm Powell, Robert Taylor, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, James Dean, Jack Lemmon, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, etc were stars. And what about MICKEY ROONEY.

As for John Wayne, Robert Mitchum was quoted as saying Wayne was about an even six foot but wore lifts to look taller than his co-stars.

next to Clint Eastwood or Clint Walker, Wayne was a shrimp.

[edward morbius]

Robert Mitchum on John Wayne

"John Wayne had four-inch lifts in his shoes. He had the overheads in his boat accommodated to fit him. He had a special roof put in his station wagon. The son-of-a-bitch, they probably buried him in his goddamn lifts."

[Seamus]

Bullshit, Mitchum was on the hippy lettuce.

Marion Morrison was a legit 6 foot 4. Look at The Big Trail. He towers over his costars.

[edward morbius]

Originally Posted by Seamus

Bullshit, Mitchum was on the hippy lettuce.

Marion Morrison was a legit 6 foot 4. Look at The Big Trail. He towers over his costars.

I will rewatch The Big Trail because interestingly, watching it convinced me that there might have been something to the lifts business as the Duke didn't look that tall to me in that film.

This is such an important issue that more research is required.

[Seamus]

Raoul Walsh directed. Revenge. Murder. Justice. Not afraid to address any of those issues. Highly rated.

[Synthetic Decay]

Wasn't Rob Mitchum a prize fighter in his younger years.

[edward morbius]

Originally Posted by Seamus

Raoul Walsh directed. Revenge. Murder. Justice. Not afraid to address any of those issues. Highly rated.

I was terrifically impressed by the visual values of the widescreen version I watched last night.

The plot was pretty tepid in my judgement--Duke searching for the guys who murdered his friend. Cliched plot 1-A.

And the romantic subplot just sort of dragged. The girl being so mad at him because he mistook her for his sister and accidentally gave her a pecking kiss seemed a bit overdone. She hated him almost across the continent before suddenly discovering she couldn't live without him.

And don't bring up the comic relief.

but this is well worth watching for the spectacular visuals in the big scenes.

**But as for the Duke's height. I stand by my memory. He just did not seem ten inches taller than his 5' 6" costar Margarite Chuchill who came up to the bridge of his nose, and seemed very much in the same height range as the 6' 1" Tyrone Power, Sr or the 6' 2" Ian Keith. He did not "tower" over them.

***I have read that his publicity for THE BIG TRAIL listed his height as 6' 2". He might have lost some height by the time he co-starred with Mitchum a generation later.

I don't know, but I will keep an open mind on this.

[edward morbius]

Originally Posted by Synthetic Decay

Wasn't Rob Mitchum a prize fighter in his younger years.

Yeah, amongst almost everything, including being on a chain gang.

[Seamus]

Originally Posted by edward morbius

I was terrifically impressed by the visual values of the widescreen version I watched last night.

The plot was pretty tepid in my judgement--Duke searching for the guys who murdered his friend. Cliched plot 1-A.

And the romantic subplot just sort of dragged. The girl being so mad at him because he mistook her for his sister and accidentally gave her a pecking kiss seemed a bit overdone. She hated him almost across the continent before suddenly discovering she couldn't live without him.

And don't bring up the comic relief.

but this is well worth watching for the spectacular visuals in the big scenes.

**But as for the Duke's height. I stand by my memory. He just did not seem ten inches taller than his 5' 6" costar Margarite Chuchill who came up to the bridge of his nose, and seemed very much in the same height range as the 6' 1" Tyrone Power, Sr or the 6' 2" Ian Keith. He did not "tower" over them.

***I have read that his publicity for THE BIG TRAIL listed his height as 6' 2". He might have lost some height by the time he co-starred with Mitchum a generation later.

I don't know, but I will keep an open mind on this.

It's a beautiful movie to watch. I think that's the most impressive thing about it. Walsh went on to direct many excellent films including Rebel Without a Cause, High Sierra and White Heat. I have spent a lot of time in the area which it was filmed so I am kind of biased.

Not the most complex of plots but there is a ferocity to the vengeance and a naivete in the romance that I like.

Oh well, googled John Wayne's height and a lot of anecdotal evidence that he was in the 6-3 to 6-4 range.

Wlad KO8 Marciano.

[mcvey]

Originally Posted by Seamus

It's a beautiful movie to watch. I think that's the most impressive thing about it. Walsh went on to direct many excellent films including Rebel Without a Cause, High Sierra and White Heat. I have spent a lot of time in the area which it was filmed so I am kind of biased.

Not the most complex of plots but there is a ferocity to the vengeance and a naivete in the romance that I like.

Oh well, googled John Wayne's height and a lot of anecdotal evidence that he was in the 6-3 to 6-4 range.

Wlad KO8 Marciano.

A comparison between Wayne and 6' 6"James Arness is possible via that anti -commie pot boiler Big Jim McClain.