Made in 1970, just as he was reaching the end of a three-year exile from boxing, AKA Cassius Clay is a documentary about Muhammad Ali's life and career. Produced by Jim Jacobs and Bill Cayton--who would go on to manage Mike Tyson--it includes reams of Jacobs' vast collection of fight footage, some of it familiar, some quite rare, such as flickery images of his earliest bouts. The film intersperses an account of Ali's career with good natured, if combative, sections to camera featuring Ali and future Tyson trainer Cus D'Amato, who plays devil's advocate, arguing with the ex-champ that he would never have beaten Joe Louis in his heyday, or (more dubiously) his own protégé Floyd Patterson. Watching footage of his 1967 bout against Cleveland Williams here, it's hard to believe any champion before or since could have beaten Ali at his height. Ali's familiar story is competently related here (though narrator Richard Kiley has the mildly disconcerting air of a Bond villain): his 1960 Olympic triumph; his defeat of Sonny Liston who was expected to annihilate the young 22-year-old blowhard in 1964; his conversion to the Nation of Islam; and the plainly vindictive decision on the part of the authorities to revise his draft status and call him up for service in Vietnam. Ali refused and faced the possibility of a five-year jail sentence as well as being stripped of his title. The principle pleasure of AKA Cassius Clay is watching Ali in full verbal flow. His maniacal teasing of Liston was a psychological knockout blow. "The man's too ugly to be the world champ. The world champ should be pretty, like me!" On the DVD: extras comprise scene selections and the original trailer. The reproduction is visually adequate, with the sepia tones of the fight footage holding up well; but the dubbing in places is poor. --David Stubbs
Universally accepted as a true icon of the 20th Century Muhammad Ali's phenomenal achievements spanned sport politics and religion. One man - photographer William Klein - had comprehensive access to the events that shaped Ali's legend. In 1964 the young outspoken Cassius Clay successfully defeated the seemingly invincible Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston - the manner of Clay's victory and his amazing persona made him an instant superstar. Through this incredible period and Clay's subsequent rematches with Liston William Klein enjoyed unrivalled access to Clay's camp - witnessing at first hand Cassius Clay becoming Muhammad Ali and angering the American people with his allegiance to Islam. Forward to Zaire 1974 and the return of Muhammad Ali to the world stage. Having been stripped of his title and condemned by the American Government for refusing to go to Vietnam Ali arrived in his spiritual homeland to face another invincible champion George Foreman. As Ali reclaimed the crown for a second time Klein was ever present capturing the full story at close quarters. A truly remarkable piece of film history!
This programme is the definitive biography of Muhammad Ali the true story of his ups and downs both in and out of the ring. With the backdrop of racial segregation find out how a young loud overconfident boy from Southern USA started on his long journey to success. Defeating Sonny Liston Ali (born Clay) would carry on the legacy left by the likes of Johnson and Louis. But Ali's life is as peppered with lows as it is with highs. His refusal to be drafted for service in Vietnam an
TV Gold offers you a glimpse into the talent that truly ushered in a whole new era of entertainment. You'll see some of the pioneers of film entertainment and sports as well as those classic TV commercials which all contributed to what has become known as the Golden Age of television. Variety: Three great shows: The Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis Show with guest star Burt Lancaster The Frank Sinatra Show in which Frank Sinatra welcomes home 'The King' Elvis Presley back from the army and The Edsel Hour starring Frank Sinatra Bing Crosby Louis Armstrong & Bob Hope. Drama: The Goldbergs one of the original early TV dramas starring Gertrude Berg and A classic US Marshal episode guest starring Charles Bronson as the bad guy. Classic Commercials AD Break: A truly great collection that will astound you! Features Andy Warhol The Marx Brothers Ozzie & Harriet Laurence Oliver Sonny Liston John McEnroe John Wayne Tom Selleck Cybil Shepard plus spots for Winston Cigarettes the 1959 Chevy Impala Green Stamps Chrysler and Butternut Coffee Comedy: Leo G Carrol stars as Cosmo Topper in a classic episode of Topper. Sports: Action-packed tributes to the legends of baseball Mickey Mantle Willie Mays and the legendary 1956 Yankees TV Facts: A fun trivia game about classic television. You have 10 seconds on each question to come up with the correct answer. Music: Swingtime featuring the greats... Louie Prima The Mills Brothers Peggy Lee Count Basie and Nat King Cole. We love Dino - wonderful performances by the beloved Dean Martin from the 50's Game Shows: The legendary and beloved Lucille Ball makes a hysterical guest star appearance in this episode of I've Got A Secret and a very funny Whats My Line with guest stars Desi Arnaz and the stunning Kim Novak TV Gold Bonus Nuggets: Two icons of the 20th Century Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby sing a duet and you'll love Bob Hope and Jack Benny as the over-the-hill surfers who meet the Beach Boys!
The intense rivalry between Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johansson produced a dramatic three-fight series for the heavyweight championship of the world between 1959 and 1961. Johansson's three round win at Yankee Stadium New York made him the first man to take the championship out of America since Primo Carnera in the 1930s. History was made in the rematch in the Polo Grounds New York in 1960 when Patterson became the first man to regain the championship - thanks to another sensa
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