Jack Johnson Movies
- 1932
A goodly portion of this boxing drama was filmed on location at the real-life Madison Square Garden. Jack Oakie stars as Eddie Burke, a wise-guy pugilist whose talent is unevenly matched by his ego. Despite his character flaws, Eddie knows the meaning of loyalty. When his manager Doc Williams (William Collier Sr.) is offered the opportunity to stage a match at Madison Square Garden, but only if he gets rid of his stable of fighters, Eddie fabricates an alibi and stages a walkout on Doc. Our hero returns to the fold in time to foil a gang of gambler-bootleggers, headed by Sloane (William "Stage" Boyd) and Roarke (Lew Cody). Thomas Meighan, one of Paramount Picture's most popular silent-era leading men, made his last appearance for his home studio as the leader of the Garden's board of directors. Madison Square Garden includes cameo appearances by such famed athletes as Jack Johnson, Tom Sharkey, Ted Sloan, and Mike Donlin and by such stellar sports reporters as Damon Runyon, Grantland Rice, Westbrook Pegler, Paul Gallico, Jack Lait and Edward W. Smith. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Oakie, Marian Nixon, (more)
- 1923
This predictable Northwest melodrama was one of the first made by William Randolph Hearst's film company, Cosmopolitan, for the Goldwyn studios. It was adapted from a story that appeared in Hearst's International Magazine and much of it was shot on-location in the Columbia Valley and around Quebec City. Lionel Barrymore, who had appeared in a prior Hearst film, Enemies of Women, stars for the producer again as pilot Conrad Dean, who is given the task of flying Miriam Helston (Seena Owen) up to the gold country to find her brother, Dick (Walter Miller). Dick, who is reopening his father's rich mines, has been kidnapped by a gang of outlaws headed by the vicious Laird (Louis Wolheim). Dean's plane is forced to land in the middle of nowhere and when he goes for help he becomes lost in a blizzard. Miriam goes looking for him and becomes snowblind (the original title of the picture was actually "Snowblind"). In this condition, she is found by Laird, who forces her to agree to marry him. While they are out searching for a priest, Dean goes looking for them in his airplane. He shows up in time to save Miriam from what is surely a fate worse than death. Dean and Miriam return to New York, where they are happily united. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lionel Barrymore, Seena Owen, (more)
- 1921
African-American prize-fighter Jack Johnson plays himself in this all-black sports melodrama about a physically weak young man, Joe Walker (Reed Thomas), whose girlfriend, Molly Moran (Blanche Thompson), is falsely charged with conspiracy to defraud a doctor. Learning self-defense and sportsmanship from Johnson, Joe not only leads the baseball Kansas City Monarchs to victory against the Detroit Stars, but is also able to catch the villain who framed Molly, gang-leader Tom Atkins (Walter Simpson). With Molly as his new bride, Joe visits with Johnson, who presents the young couple with a wedding gift of $1000. As the World Rolls On, which also featured members of the Kansas City Monarchs and the Detroit Stars all-black baseball teams, was produced, directed and photographed by W. A. Andlauer and released to black-only theaters. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
