In this biopic of boxer Jack Dempsey, Treat Williams plays the title role. Starting from humble beginnings, he's taught how to fight by his older brother Jesse Vint. He bids goodbye to his family and sets out for New York, where he's determined to become World Champion. Along the way, he meets the older, experienced nightclub singer, Sally Kellerman, and some shady characters who don't exactly have his best interest at heart.Even to laypeople like me who know nothing of the world of boxing, Jack Dempsey is a well-known name. So, when Sam Waterston shows up and tells Treat Williams he can turn his career around and really get him some good fights, the audience can tell he'll be a great manager. But, if there's anyone out there who doesn't know Jack Dempsey's career—don't worry, I didn't either—I won't spoil anything else about the plot.While there's nothing particularly wrong with this made-for-TV biopic, there's nothing particularly noteworthy about it, either. The script is painfully cheesy, the music is just a little too cheerful, and the acting is a touch over-the-top—the three elements of a classic TV movie out of the 80s! If Dempsey is your favorite fighter, or if your guilty pleasure is watching bad TV movies, go ahead and rent this one. Everyone else can probably skip it.

For a TV movie, the main thing that impresses with this picture is the accuracy in even the most minor details of Jack Dempsey's life. Born William Harrison Dempsey, the boxer became 'Jack' when filling in for a match that his brother was scheduled to participate in. Bernie, portrayed in the movie by Jessie Vint, was using the name 'Jack' for HIS fights, so in short order, 'Harry' (the name his family called him), became 'Jack'.One overlooked detail in Dempsey's life that the film decided to shy away from was the controversial charge of draft dodging in World War I. Dempsey answered critics by stating that he held an important job as a ship builder for the war effort, but that didn't wash for his most vocal critics. However by the time of his first match against Gene Tunney, in which he lost the heavyweight championship, Dempsey regained stature in the eyes of sports fans, which is why he was cheered in defeat as the film depicted.As the celebrated boxer, Treat Williams has a passing resemblance to the real life Dempsey, and did a good job of emulating the fighter's ring style, generally working from a low crouch. In the build up of Dempsey's early career, I was surprised the story included a defeat at the hands of Jimmy Flynn, a name most fans wouldn't recognize today. The win over Jess Willard to become the heavyweight champ seemed to take place without much fanfare, I thought it would have been portrayed as a bigger deal than it was.Except for the memorial dinner in his name taking place in 1950, the main story here ends with the Tunney rematch, the one that featured the 'long count' when Dempsey scored a knockdown but wasted four seconds by not going to a neutral corner, giving his opponent an extra breather. As with most controversial sporting decisions, the experts are divided over whether the four seconds meant anything for Dempsey's chance to regain the title.My summary line quotes Dempsey to wife Estelle Taylor (Victoria Tennant), describing his loss in the first fight against Gene Tunney. The line was borrowed by Ronald Reagan to wife Nancy a half century later, explaining what happened when John Hinckley Jr. attempted to assassinate the President.

This biographical film of Jack Dempsey based on a work by his daughter more or less hits the high points of his colorful life and no coincidence it came out the year the great champ died. No criticism from the subject himself.Born William Harrison Dempsey and known as Harry to his blood family, he adopted the name Jack after the middleweight champion whose life straddled the 19th and 20th centuries. His killer instinct in the ring was hewed in the hobo jungles where he lived when went out on his own to become a prizefighter. Dempsey never came to a boxing match, his fights were always Pier 6 brawls.Treat Williams fits the conception I had of Jack Dempsey from the many things I read about him. As does Sam Waterston as Jack 'Doc' Kearns who was his manager. In real life they never quite reconciled as you see at the end of this film. In fact Kearns disparaged Dempsey after they split for the rest of his life. Kearns later on managed another icon of the Roaring Twenties Middleweight Champion Mickey Walker who was another brawler like Dempsey.Best in the film however is Sally Kellerman as Dempsey first wife who was a prostitute whom he married while still in the tank towns as fighter. She split with Dempsey, but came back with a vengeance to smear his name in the hopes of being bought off. Talk about a woman scorned.Dempsey's second wife was silent movie queen Estelle Taylor who if you believe Doc Kearns got him too used to the good life. When he faced Gene Tunney for the first time in 1926, Dempsey had not had a title defense since 1923. Before that he defended the title with a decent average of fights. No boxing commission in the world today would allow that. Taylor is played by Victoria Tennant.Not a great film, but both Williams and Waterston are great in their parts and Sally Kellerman is outstanding.

I found this movie in one of those clearance racks and the price was right so I took a chance. It was a great find. I'm a huge boxing fan and like to find out information about old time boxers. I've read a lot of books and magazine articles about Dempsey and this was true to the point. The action scenes seemed real to the point the Tunney fight looked like they were really hitting each other. I would not only recommend this movie to anyone who likes boxing but to anyone looking for a good story. The plot was well developed and the acting was strong. Treat Williams did an excellent job as the lead. I gave this an 8 out of 10.