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Luis "Mountain" Rivera
Nov 27, 2014
Published in
The Veterans
Based on Rod Serling’s 1956 teleplay, the version of Requiem of a Heavyweight that we have decided to go with is the Anthony Quinn 1962 film. Quinn, plays Luis “Mountain” Rivera, who like so many of our Veteran’s Candidate boxing films, finds us looking at a boxer at the end of his career.
He may be at the end of his career, but what a way to start to the film! We see him at the receiving end of punches from Cassius Clay (playing himself) and learn that his weasel of a manager bet significant money on his client to defeat Clay (or so we thought) causing him to be in debt to the mob, and having Rivera denigrate himself to become “Big Chief Mountain Rivera” in the Professional Wrestling racket to bail him out. Watching Quinn punch may be painful to watch (I guess that explains the opening shot where we only see Clay punch) as he does not look like a boxer, but since we well before the days if true method acting, we give Zorba a pass.
The Bullet Points:
Movie Appeared:
Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)
Actor:
Anthony Quinn
Role Portrayed:
Boxer/Wrestler
Why You Should Vote For Him:
Quinn was great and at his apex (in our opinion as an actor).
Why You Should Not Vote For Him:
With all due respect to Zorba, his punches didn’t look like they could break paper.
Lee Sheridan
Nov 27, 2014
Published in
The Veterans
Ah, American cockiness meets British snobbery. A Yank at Oxford is a simple fish out of water story, but it works, and here it is set on the backdrop of rowing at Oxford; which is as is steeped in tradition as Hockey is in Canada or Sumo Wrestling in Japan. The cocky American here is Lee Sheridan (Robert Taylor) and as you would expect there is a woman involved, (an eventual) successful attempt to master a new sport and respect earned at the end. Hey, there is nothing wrong with formula, especially (like here) when it is done right. Oh, and by the way it is far superior to when Rob Lowe tried it fifty years later!
The Bullet Points:
Movie Appeared:
A Yank at Oxford (1938)
Actor:
Robert Taylor
Role Portrayed:
A rower at Oxford
Why You Should Vote For Him:
Rowing is an underrated sport, and there is no better nominee from this sport.
Why You Should Not Vote For Him:
Underrated, overrated or properly rated. Most people don’t care.
Junior Jackson
Nov 27, 2014
Published in
The Veterans
Sometimes we forget what a great comedic duo Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis was. From their 1951 film, “That’s My Boy”, Lewis plays Junior Jackson, the son of two distinguished athletes, but remember this is Jerry Lewis, so what kind of athlete do you expect him to be? Bill Baker (Dean Martin) helps Jackson make the Ridgefield College Football Team (Jackson’ father alma mater) and through events that could only be done by Jerry Lewis somehow wins the big game. We bet this was huge in France!
The Bullet Points:
Movie Appeared:
That’s My Boy (1951)
Actor:
Jerry Lewis
Role Portrayed:
College Football Player for Ridgefield College
Why You Should Vote For Him:
Well, he won the big game at the end and earned the respect of his father.
Why You Should Not Vote For Him:
As a football player, this guy was horrendous!
Joe Pendleton/Bruce Farnsworth/Murdoch
Nov 27, 2014
Published in
The Veterans
Warren Beatty’s 1979 film Heaven Can Wait is far more remembered, but the original, “Here Comes Mr. Jordan” is just as acclaimed. Set in the boxing genre, contender Joe Pendleton is killed in a plane crash, though his angel (Mr. Jordan) learns that he was supposed to be taken fifty years later.
Mr. Jordan helps him find another body, which is that of a crooked banker named Bruce Farnsworth and resumes his training with his Manager (who he tells his secret too) and reformed the financial wrongdoings of the original Farnsworth.
If you saw the Beatty version, you know that he dies again, but this time he is resurrected into another man who is fighting for the Championship of the World, who incidentally replaced Farnsworth in the title bout. The film won multiple awards and gained an Oscar nomination for Robert Montgomery who was very likable in the role.
The Bullet Points:
Movie Appeared:
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
Actor:
Robert Montgomery
Role Portrayed:
Boxer
Why You Should Vote For Him:
This was a very good film, and he does become the champion in the end.
Why You Should Not Vote For Him:
This version was forgotten far more than it should have been.