I think that the comentry between them is at Corbetts expense. "I hope I can do this title as much honour as you have" "When my time comes I hope I can take defeat as gracefully as you have" Corbett clearly did neither.
Sullivan' losing speech from the ring was gracious ,saying he was glad he lost to a fellow American etc.Corbett's actions through out his career were often less than gentlemanly,spitting in Fitz's face and pulling his nose ,hurling racial epiphets at Johnson were just some of his nice little tricks.
Needless to say, I dont need to say that scene in the movie didnt happen. We all know what happen to the REAL belt. John L lost it, only to get it melted down for parts.
Sullivan was pretty acted in the 1880's, once the mid to late 1880 to the 1890's role around, Sullivan was fighting less and less.
John Ls belt actually landed in the hands of a scrap dealer... Nat Fliescher intended to buy it for a sum which seemed unaffordable to him at the time. Hence, it was melted down after the rubies and diamonds were completely removed, although, only a small portion had been previously removed.
anybody see the black guy at the begining? ..it's sad they were protrayed like that in movies and **** in the early days
Is it sad that the waiter was portrayed by a black? Not especially. Is it sad that blacks were portrayed as waiters (and janitors and domestic servants) and not much else? Yeah, it was. Is it sad that the Nicholas Brothers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLJL01VpvbE couldn't interact with white people in films, and that their scenes were often cut out of southern distribution? Yep. (Props to them and Gene Kelly for eventually breaking that color-line: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ7MaQG3ncw). Eleanor Powell said it was so disgusting when she appeared on Broadway with Ethel Waters, who was a big star in black cast productions, and Waters character had to be a domestic servant if she was going to be on the same stage with whites. (And wouldn't it have been nice if 'Lady Be Good' had had a scene where Ellie (who was fairly athletic) danced with The Berry Brothers, rather than just after them? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDxgpmLT3bc)
