Introduction
As Jim Braddock stepped out into the bright lights, the crowd became
silent. The ring seemed so far away. Between him and it were thousands
of people—Jim's people. He knew the looks on their faces—people who
saw no chance of a future. Some had spent their last dollar to be here,
but tonight they all held their heads high. Their eyes followed him with the
wild hope that the story of the Cinderella Man would have a happy
ending.
The story of heavyweight boxer James J. Braddock—the
"Cinderella Man"—is a true one. It begins in New York City in
the late 1920s. The 1920s had seen good times in the United
States. The rest of the world watched as taller and taller buildings
were built in cities like New York. More and more Americans
were buying Henry Ford's cars, and Hollywood was making
movies that were seen around the world. In the country's big
cities, it was a time of new fashions, new machines, and exciting
new music.
President Herbert Hoover thought that the good times would
never end, but he was wrong. The country was producing more
than it needed, and many historians believe that this was the cause
of the problem. There were still many poor people in the United
States—almost half the population—and these people couldn't
afford to buy new things. At the same time, the country's rich
people couldn't continue to buy things they already owned. The
end came suddenly, in October 1929, when the whole system
crashed. The economy failed, banks closed, families around the
country lost their money, and millions of people lost their jobs
and their homes. In 1932, the country voted for a popular new
president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who worked hard to solve
the country's problems. There were no quick answers, though—in 1933, there were 15 million people without jobs in the country,
one in every four working people—and the 1930s continued to
be hard for many Americans.
The true story of Jim Braddock was similar to the story of
many Americans. He made a lot of money in the 1920s as a
successful boxer, and he and his family had everything they
wanted. But for Braddock, too, the good times couldn't last.
He lost all of his money in 1929, and he experienced bad luck
in his professional life when he began to lose fights. Like many
Americans, Braddock had to take any work he could find. He had
to fight just to put food on the table for his family. Most people
believed that his life as a professional heavyweight boxer had
ended. The story of his second chance is one of the sport's greatest
stories.
It was a story that the writer and boxing supporter Cliff
Hollingsworth knew well. Thinking that it would make a great
movie, he spoke to Jim Braddock's sons in 1994. They told him
that their father had been a national hero, but that now most
people hadn't heard of him. Hollingsworth wanted to change that
situation so "this forgotten hero will be remembered once again."
Actor Russell Crowe became interested in making a movie
of Braddock's story. Crowe, who was born in New Zealand and
grew up in Australia, told how Braddock did everything possible
to support his family. "I just wanted people to hear this true
American story," said the actor.
Filmmaker Ron Howard learned more about the possible
movie when he made A Beautiful Mind with Russell Crowe.
Howard already knew about Braddock—when he was little, his
father had told him about the fighter.
It was clear to the filmmakers that Braddock's wife and family
were the most important things in his world, so they knew that
the character of Jim's wife, Mae, was very important to the movie.
Actress Renee Zellweger was interested in playing Mae because Mae was a strong woman at a time when many women had no
voice at all. "She's never afraid to tell Jim what's in her heart, even
when it's not what he wants to hear," said Zellweger.
Before the movie could be made, Russell Crowe had a lot of
work to do. After his last movie, the actor weighed 103 kilograms.
Jim Braddock fought at 81 kilograms and he was taller than
Crowe, so the actor had to lose weight. He did this by methods
from Braddock's days—swimming, running, riding a bicycle, and
climbing.
He also had to study boxing, working long hours at the
punching bag and in the ring. He was helped by the most famous
trainer in boxing's history, Angelo Dundee, who has worked with
Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, and the greatest champion of
them all, Muhammad Ali. The trainer helped Crowe to box, and to
box just like Jim Braddock. Dundee spoke of the actor's speed and
skill in the ring. "Best of all, he has learned to think like a fighter,"
said the famous trainer.
Crowe was also not afraid of pain. He was knocked down
several times and suffered loose and broken teeth; one week before
filming began, his shoulder was badly hurt. When the movie was
made, some of Braddock's opponents were played by real boxers,
who had to learn to throw punches that didn't hurt so much. They
didn't always remember! In one scene, boxer Mark Simmons hit
Crowe so hard that actor Paul Giamatti, playing Braddock's
manager, heard the boxing glove hit Crowe's head. Giamatti's
look of shock in the film wasn't acting! "I don't know how he
continued with the fight," said Giamatti.
In the end, Cinderella Man is not just a story about boxing. It is
the story of a family who stayed together in hard times—the story
of a man who fought for what he loved and believed in.
IntroductionAs Jim Braddock stepped out into the bright lights, the crowd becamesilent. The ring seemed so far away. Between him and it were thousandsof people—Jim's people. He knew the looks on their faces—people whosaw no chance of a future. Some had spent their last dollar to be here,but tonight they all held their heads high. Their eyes followed him with thewild hope that the story of the Cinderella Man would have a happyending.The story of heavyweight boxer James J. Braddock—the"Cinderella Man"—is a true one. It begins in New York City inthe late 1920s. The 1920s had seen good times in the UnitedStates. The rest of the world watched as taller and taller buildingswere built in cities like New York. More and more Americanswere buying Henry Ford's cars, and Hollywood was makingmovies that were seen around the world. In the country's bigcities, it was a time of new fashions, new machines, and excitingnew music.President Herbert Hoover thought that the good times wouldnever end, but he was wrong. The country was producing morethan it needed, and many historians believe that this was the causeof the problem. There were still many poor people in the UnitedStates—almost half the population—and these people couldn'tafford to buy new things. At the same time, the country's richpeople couldn't continue to buy things they already owned. Theend came suddenly, in October 1929, when the whole systemcrashed. The economy failed, banks closed, families around thecountry lost their money, and millions of people lost their jobsand their homes. In 1932, the country voted for a popular newpresident, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who worked hard to solvethe country's problems. There were no quick answers, though—in 1933, there were 15 million people without jobs in the country,one in every four working people—and the 1930s continued tobe hard for many Americans.The true story of Jim Braddock was similar to the story ofmany Americans. He made a lot of money in the 1920s as asuccessful boxer, and he and his family had everything theywanted. But for Braddock, too, the good times couldn't last.He lost all of his money in 1929, and he experienced bad luckin his professional life when he began to lose fights. Like manyAmericans, Braddock had to take any work he could find. He hadto fight just to put food on the table for his family. Most peoplebelieved that his life as a professional heavyweight boxer hadended. The story of his second chance is one of the sport's greateststories.It was a story that the writer and boxing supporter CliffHollingsworth knew well. Thinking that it would make a greatmovie, he spoke to Jim Braddock's sons in 1994. They told himthat their father had been a national hero, but that now mostpeople hadn't heard of him. Hollingsworth wanted to change thatsituation so "this forgotten hero will be remembered once again."Actor Russell Crowe became interested in making a movieof Braddock's story. Crowe, who was born in New Zealand andgrew up in Australia, told how Braddock did everything possibleto support his family. "I just wanted people to hear this trueAmerican story," said the actor.Filmmaker Ron Howard learned more about the possiblemovie when he made A Beautiful Mind with Russell Crowe.Howard already knew about Braddock—when he was little, hisfather had told him about the fighter.It was clear to the filmmakers that Braddock's wife and familywere the most important things in his world, so they knew thatthe character of Jim's wife, Mae, was very important to the movie.Actress Renee Zellweger was interested in playing Mae because Mae was a strong woman at a time when many women had novoice at all. "She's never afraid to tell Jim what's in her heart, evenwhen it's not what he wants to hear," said Zellweger.Before the movie could be made, Russell Crowe had a lot ofwork to do. After his last movie, the actor weighed 103 kilograms.Jim Braddock fought at 81 kilograms and he was taller thanCrowe, so the actor had to lose weight. He did this by methodsfrom Braddock's days—swimming, running, riding a bicycle, andclimbing.He also had to study boxing, working long hours at thepunching bag and in the ring. He was helped by the most famoustrainer in boxing's history, Angelo Dundee, who has worked withSugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, and the greatest champion ofthem all, Muhammad Ali. The trainer helped Crowe to box, and tobox just like Jim Braddock. Dundee spoke of the actor's speed andskill in the ring. "Best of all, he has learned to think like a fighter,"said the famous trainer.Crowe was also not afraid of pain. He was knocked downseveral times and suffered loose and broken teeth; one week beforefilming began, his shoulder was badly hurt. When the movie wasmade, some of Braddock's opponents were played by real boxers,who had to learn to throw punches that didn't hurt so much. Theydidn't always remember! In one scene, boxer Mark Simmons hitCrowe so hard that actor Paul Giamatti, playing Braddock'smanager, heard the boxing glove hit Crowe's head. Giamatti'slook of shock in the film wasn't acting! "I don't know how hecontinued with the fight," said Giamatti.In the end, Cinderella Man is not just a story about boxing. It isthe story of a family who stayed together in hard times—the storyof a man who fought for what he loved and believed in.
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