Marvelous film with an equally marvelous performance from it's lead actor,James Earl Jones. A thinly (very) veiled portrait of Jack Johnson's life. In the film,as we all know,the Johnson character was named Jack Jefferson. Why did the film makers bother with the name change ? Was it some sort of legal thing ?
Stevie,,,,,,, Howard Sackler, playwright,,,,,,,It is a 'fictional' story about Jack Johnson. So, in a 'fictional story' you have to make a 'fictional character'. The 1967 play with James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander was more intense on the 'live' stage. As a note, that clown Muhammad Ali wanted them to change the story around, and make the play about him and his religion, but no white women.
Yes,the story was fictional,but everything pointed to Jack Johnson's life,except for the names,as I mentioned previously. So Howard Sackler may as well gone the whole hog,and made it about Johnson.
