Customer Reviews

Boxing's Best - Jack Dempsey [VHS]

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As an amateur boxing historian, I love watching old films of legends like Jack Dempsey. For that reason I find the HBO series "Boxing's Best" very interesting to watch, because it has plenty of unique clips of these legends. However, my biggest complaint is that the series does not show enough fight clips. In my opinion, too much time is spent with host Barry Tompkins and his special guests. I'd rather see more of Dempsey's classic bouts than listening to some sportswriter's memories. This is especially true since each episode of "Boxing's Best" only lasts about 55 minutes. However, since videos of Dempsey, Johnson and Louis are almost impossible to find anywhere else, I guess you have to be somewhat grateful to the producers for releasing this series to home video.

HBO's JACK DEMPSEY consists primarily of excerpts from a considerably older sports documentary, one that features brief narrated clips of eight fights, including a 1940 exhibition against a massive wrestler, during Jack's age 45 comeback quest. It was for Dempsey both a victory and his boxing swan song.

Nothing is told of Dempsey's pre-boxing life as a rail-riding vagrant. Post-career, it's mentioned in passing that he bought a restaurant with saved prize purses. And that's it. We do learn however that as champ Jack trounced an opponent from France by knocking him down 11 times and was roundly booed for it. Because of this fight, Jack was forever after branded a "thug," perhaps justifiably. During a later match against Jack Sharkey, Dempsey low-blowed his opponent and then sucker-punched Sharkey while he protested the previous hit to the referee.

Best highlights are from the very first bout, where the Manassas Mauler won his title. This venerable 1919 footage is projected in real time, which lends a choppy, stroboscopic movement, yet it's still preferable to silent 18 fps film run at an artifically fast 24 fps, as is so common with modern dubs of pre-sound movies.

FIGHT CLIPS:
(7/4/19) - Jack Dempsey vs. Jess Willard
(7/2/21) - Georges Carpentier vs. Jack Dempsey
(7/4/23) - Tommy Gibbons vs. Jack Dempsey
(9/14/23) - Luis Firpo vs. Jack Dempsey
(9/23/26) - Gene Tunney vs. Jack Dempsey
(7/21/27) - Jack Dempsey vs. Jack Sharkey
(9/22/27) -Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney
(7/1/40) - Jack Dempsey vs. Cowboy Luttrell

This man was the greatest godfather a young boy could have. I remember him well from my youth. On occasion my father would take me with him when he would visit Jack to borrow cash to buy a new vehicle. Jack always had an upbeat demeanor and was the source of my perpetual enthusiasm for life. As tough as he was in the ring, he was equally as sweet in his everyday life. There were few relatives I thought more highly of than Jack Dempsey, my godfather.

John J Chalinder Jr

This has got to be the best boxing video on the market as of yet