Le grand John

Been searching for it for many many years and can't find it. Have seen many who want this movie. It must be a great movie, but they want a minimum of twenty lines. But we only want to get a hold of the movie. Don't understand why this is being made so hard to do when just a single line might be more likely to be read. Don't have a lot to say other than that I have come across many people during the past fifty or so years that want to see this movie. I have many others that have seen it and thought it was truly GREAT. So where can a person find this wonderful movie. I have seen Gentleman Jim many times but have always wanted to see this move. But it doesn't seem to be anywhere. Does anyone have any ideas about where it could be purchased>

I saw this movie many long years ago, and recall the character given in your cast as Tom Thumb, uncredited. In the film his name, as I recall, was Admiral Dott, and he sang the song, Sweet Sixteen , at a gathering of Sullivan's cronies the night before his fight with Corbett.

John L. was rather upset by this and told him that he had cost him his title, as this song always brought him bad luck. (Sullivan was very superstitious). He did indeed lose to Corbett the next day, because Corbett was a superior boxer, and nothing to do with Dott singing the song.

I certainly enjoyed the film, and often wish I could see it again, but it seems to have disappeared without trace, and no longer available in any source or form!

Norrie Paton. (Campbeltown).

It's kind of scary to realize that I remember seeing this movie back when it was released in 1945-6. I was 8 years old at the time and coming from an Irish-American family who lionized Irish American heroes, it made quite an impression on me as a kid. The tragedy of John L. Sullivan's life, his struggle with alcohol and the loss of his celebrity was lost on me at that young age and all I recalled after having seen the film were the great stories and myths that accompany such a legend that I had heard from my family. Reading the face-plate review, which I found quite insightful, permitted me an added perspective based on the background and the performance of McClure, an Irisher too, in the title role. I must agree, given my aging memory of having seen the film in the theater upon its release and having encountered it on various late shows. The reviewer compares McClure's performance to that of Flynn in the tale of Gentleman Jim Corbett, another Irisher from Aussieland playing the part of an Irisher beating John L., the icon of Irish Americanism at the turn of the 20th century. However, I would add this footnote to an otherwise excellent review, that the theme of this film must be considered in the context of the time that the Irish were emerging from a period of social discrimination that had endured from the previous century. It is easy to forget how a group of immigrants were held in contempt because of their religion-- many were Roman Catholic-- their speech and their seeming bawdy lifestyles. Being from a Catholic family from Northern Ireland, encountering the records of signs declaring "Irish need not apply," had special meaning to me. We had encountered this in the land of our birth. Therefore, the social message of such films had special import to me and my family.

Nowadays, many Americans of the Heinz 57 variety love to parade their bit of "Irish," often by wearing green, eating corn beef and cabbage, listening to Irish pub music on St. Paddy's day, and that is fine. However, these practices, which I find rather admirable, if somewhat naive, are rarely considered in the context that wearing of green was a protest against the imposition of the English against the Catholic church going back to the time of Elizabeth I; the English imported corned beef and the pub songs were often songs of protest. The large concentration of Irish immigrants in Boston and New York yielded many folk heroes to the children of the diaspora, Corbett, Sullivan, Fitzgerald and Braddock were but a few. It's also noteworthy that this film was produced by Bing Crosby, another Irish American icon and I'm certain the message was not lost on him.

I read on ebay that the film was released on home video once in 1985.

It has been out of print since then.

Perhaps a write-in campaign to Criterion might get it considered for a DVD.

For an obscure film, there seems to be some momentum building to bring it back.

Has it been shown on Turner Classic Movies in the past couple of years?

Does their Web site allow viewers to request films?

My uncle mentioned THE GREAT JOHN L to me in January and I've been tasked to find it for him in some fashion. First it was going to be a 65th birthday gift - now I'm aiming for the holidays... If not by then, hopefully for next year's birthday!

If anybody needs persuading that stars and directors can make a substantial difference to a movie then I suggest they watch this movie and then immediately view Errol Flynn in Gentleman Jim under the direction of Raoul Walsh.Both are biographical movies about world heavyweight champions but the Flynn movie works so much better because of the casting and the direction of a man who specialised in rugged macho movie making rather than the all purpose blandness of the direction by Frank Tuttle in this picture The John L of the title is John L Sullivan ,the Boston Strong Man .who became world champ at the turn of the last century.The movie traces his rise and fall .In between bouts with opponents in the ring and booze out of it he falls in love with and marries a musical comedy star ,played by Linda Darnell .On losing the title he plunges ever deeper into the gutter before striving to get his life back on track.

The period atmosphere is good and the supporting performances are sound but Greg McClure is inadequate as John L .Comapre his performance to Errol Flyn in Gemtleman Jim and you will see the difference between one who looks the part(McClure)and one who inhabits it (Flynn).I have already alluded to the flaccid direction which fails to anchor the movie firmly enough .Bing Crosby produced the movie and may be responsible for its high schmaltz quotient Its okay but would have been better with a stronger lead performance