An Insult

Rating: 5/10 (25 June 2006)

Even if we ignore the mawkish sentimentality of the Depression-era scenes, intended to produce sympathy for the Braddocks but inducing only pain in the audience, the film would have benefited from a "based on" disclaimer. It is untrue to the history it depicts. Corn Griffin was not a top contender when Braddock fought him. Braddock had been knocked out, by Lou Scozza in Nov. '32. (On checking, I find the Scozza fight was a TKO, resulting from Braddock's cut eye, so the film gets by on that point). Refs did not say "Touch gloves." They said, "Shake hands." Body punches were not said to "pay dividends" (as we are twice told). And refs did not wipe off the gloves of the man knocked down. They directed the man who had scored the knockout to a neutral corner (after the "Long Count") and made sure the other man was up before he could be hit again. In other words, the film pulls a lot of current jargon and practice into the 1930s, making it painfully anachronistic. The treatment of Max Baer is inexcusable. He had killed Frankie Campbell, brother of great Dodgers' first-baseman, Dolph Camilli, but Ernie Schaaf (another Jersey boy) died almost six months after his fight with Baer and after 4 more fights -- after being kayoed by Primo Carnera in 13. Baer took Braddock lightly, did not train for the 1935 fight, and clowned around during the fight, waving to his bimbos at ring side. Braddock did pound out a decision, but the fight was not the brutal brawl depicted in the film. Nor -- though I am open to correction on this point -- did Baer deliberately foul Braddock with two low blows and a vicious backhand. It is unfortunate that Ron Howard took a compelling story about a decent and hard-working man, Jimmy Braddock, and "Hollywoodized" it by demonizing Maxie Baer. The film ends before the fight with Joe Louis. Louis said that the right hand with which he knocked Braddock out was the hardest punch he ever threw. Braddock sagged like one of those sacks he had been hauling on the Hoboken docks. The great film about those docks, of course, is "On the Waterfront," which features three fighters whom Louis knocked out: Tony Galento, Abe Simon, and Tami Mauriello. "Cinderella Man" resembles "Rocky," of course, but the fight scenes are better in the former. Not as good as "Champion," though, where the shots were reversed, so that a slow punch and a quick withdrawal of the glove looked like the opposite. The movie is Crowecentric, which is good. He is completely convincing as Braddock, particularly in his expert work with the fast bag. It is unfortunate that the history in which he is placed is so patently phony. I just watched the film of Braddock-Baer. It was a clean fight. Baer was warned for shoving Braddock in the 4th. Braddock butted Baer in the 7th -- but it was a product of a shorter man who kept his head down. Braddock delivered a light backhand to Baer in the 11th. Baer complained in mock anger about Braddock's hitting on the break in the 12th. At times Baer held his open left hand out in Braddock's face -- illegal, but hardly the blatant fouling shown in the film. At the end, Baer kissed Braddock on the right cheek. After the decision, Braddock ran across the ring and the two fighters embraced. You can't judge a fight by a film, but it was closer than Charley Lynch's 11-4. Ref Johnny McEvoy had it 9-5-1, and George Kelly had it 7-7-1, with Braddock winning on the supplementary point system that New York had in place at that time. Kelly's verdict looked accurate. Braddock landed some good rights over Baer's low left. Baer hit Braddock with some great right hands, but Braddock almost invariably fought back. Had Baer used a left jab more often he would have dominated. He had a left jab -- not a good one -- but he simply did not set up his right hand with his left often enough vs Braddock. Braddock fought a gritty, gutsy fight. Baer did backhand Max Schmeling in the '33 fight before Baer knocked Schmeling out. The film of that fight does not show any warning from the ref to Baer, though it might have been delivered verbally. Perhaps the critic who claims that Baer repeatedly fouled Braddock is thinking of the earlier fight.