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This was a movie that had a lot of potential, almost all of it unfulfilled. The basic idea was to update an eponymous 1947 boxing movie with John Garfield, a little-seen film which seems to be regarded positively (8.2 at IMDb). Since the original was respected and virtually unknown, it really seemed like a perfect candidate for a remake in 1981. Since the ethnic composition of the boxing world had changed dramatically between 1947 to 1981, it also made sense to have the script updated by African-Americans, and to star black and Latino boxers. Leon Isaac Kennedy took on the remake as a vanity project. He and his wife, a 5'10" beauty queen turned sportscaster named Jayne Kennedy, played the leading roles. Jayne, formerly Miss Ohio, was one of the most beautiful women who ever walked the earth. Several gorgeous women got naked in this film, including three former Playmates (Azizi Johari, Rosanne Katon, and Ola Ray). The greatest living boxer, Muhammad Ali, took a major acting role, playing his cocky self as the mentor of the fictional boxer. I liked some of the musical score, especially a romantic duet with Billy Preston and Syreeta Wright (once Mrs. Stevie Wonder). The publicity machine was also oiled well for this film. Jayne Kennedy was a fast-rising and much discussed star. The Playmates' presence guaranteed good coverage from Playboy. Muhammad Ali was - well, only the most recognizable man in the world. The right pieces seemed in place. It should have worked ... Unfortunately, Leon just didn't have the right stuff to pull all that off. Despite the gimmicks, it wasn't a box office success, and it just wasn't a good movie either. Mind you, Leon was not such a bad actor. He was no James Earl Jones, but he was able to create a character who seemed both cocky and sensitive, and he also possessed star looks and zero percent body fat. But his boxing just never looked right. His footwork seemed smooth enough, and he did have a conditioned body, but he never seemed to learn to throw a punch. He delivered his blows while crouching over, with his weight way back, and he used no shoulder power, just a little limp arm-waving and occasionally a big stiff-armed roundhouse swing.
Leon's real weakness, however, was not the boxing, but the writing, which he inexplicably chose to do himself. He just didn't have the skills and savvy to deliver a polished movie script. His characters are unrealistic caricatures, his dialogue isn't natural, and the storyline is about as syrupy and trite as possible. The star is an amateur boxer planning to go to medical school, but forced to turn pro to earn money for the care of his little sister, who has sickle cell anemia. His mama hates his boxing. His girlfriend thinks at first that he's a cocky scumbag and leaves him, but comes back to him when she finds out that he's really fighting for his dying sister. At first our hero stays aloof from the temptations and corruption of boxing stardom, but then he gets caught up in his own hype, starts getting corrupted by the temptations of the good life, and is persuaded by some promoters to throw a big fight. At this point, his girlfriend leaves him yet again. But maybe, just maybe, he'll defy the evil gamblers and fight the big fight to win, thus saving his soul and winning his fickle girlfriend back yet again, even though the gamblers and promoters will kill him if he does so. Or maybe not. The big fight makes up the last 20 minutes of the film, and the direction is clumsy. Show some ring action. Show Muhammad Ali's reaction. Ring action. Mama's reaction. Ring action. Little dyin' sister's reaction. Wave to little dyin' sister, get punched by bad guy while waving. Get way behind, need a dramatic knockout to win. You know the drill. SPOILERS: Leon does not throw the final fight. He sees it through, and wins, even though his opponent is a real bruiser. The fight strategy was similar to Ali's own rope-a-dope strategy against Foreman. END SPOILERS: The sappy story and clichéd dialogue were not good, but boxing movies seem to be able to work around those problems, as Rocky did. The bad acting from Playmates and Peter Lawford might have been ignored. I was ready to forgive the dyin' sister and the fact that Jayne woke up in the morning with her hair done and her lipstick unsmudged. Even Leon's wimpy punching style might have been overlooked, except ... ... except that there is also a complete deal-breaker which makes the film just downright irritating. The script simply didn't deliver on its own promises. The end of the fight is the end of the movie. He wins. He raises his hands. Credits roll. Huh??? Every single plot thread ends unresolved. I was actually starting to get into the soap opera elements of the plot - you know how it is, even with corny movies - and then when it ended so abruptly, I had no idea what happened to any of the elements that they had used to hook me in.
What the hell? I really wanted to like this film, and forgave it a lot of mistakes, but this crazy ending was the last straw. Maybe I saw a print where they forgot the last reel.
TRIVIA: According to IMDb Jayne Kennedy starred in an unreleased movie called "The Dorothy Dandridge Story" in 1980. Ultimately, the story was produced by HBO and starred Halle Berry. Leon Kennedy disappeared from show business altogether in 1987. IMDB says he is now a preacher, and a partner in Smokey Robinson foods. (Smokey was the best man when Leon and Jayne got married.) |
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I'm the greatest. You're not. |
Oh, Leon is in for a world of hurt. |
Al Pacino's dad was an actor? |
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Oh, sure, Jayne looks good when she's all fixed up. |
But look how rough she can look in the morning! |
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