Scene from Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

Poster for Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004)

Name: Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2004-09-04
Duration: 214 min
Rating: 7.2
Cast: Keith David, Samuel L. Jackson, Jack Johnson, Adam Arkin, Philip Bosco

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004), directed by Ken Burns, starring Keith David and Samuel L. Jackson.

09/04/2004 BR Documentary 3h 34m

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Synopsis

The story of Jack Johnson, the first African American Heavyweight boxing champion.

Ken BurnsDirector

About the film

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson is a 2005 biographical documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns, based on the 2004 nonfiction book of the same name by Geoffrey C. Ward. It describes the life story of Jack Johnson, the first African-American Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World. It also describes racism and social inequality during the Jim Crow era, against which Johnson struggled.

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Production

It is narrated by Keith David, with a soundtrack by Wynton Marsalis and with Samuel L. Jackson as the voice of Jack Johnson. Alan Rickman also contributed his voice to the documentary. Stanley Crouch appears, offering commentary, including a quote from Johnson responding to a question from a white woman about black people, "We eat cold eels and think distant thoughts." This documentary is an example of a style frequently used by Burns, where a range of authorities gives voiceovers to contribute particular details. Stanley Crouch is the primary authority, offering personal recollections.

The film was produced by David Schaye, Paul Barnes and Ken Burns (Executive Producer) for Florentine Films.

Release and reception

The documentary was first broadcast on PBS in two parts, on January 17 and January 18, 2005.

In 2005, the film earned Ken Burns an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming. Geoffrey C. Ward won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming. Keith David won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance.

References

External links

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson at IMDb

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson at PBS

Text from Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unforgivable_Blackness:_The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Jack_Johnson

Trivia

It premiered on September 4, 2004, a Saturday.
It runs 3h34 — well over the usual two hours.
This film's quiz has 9 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.

Production

CountriesUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
StatusReleased

Cast

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Ken Burns Director

Questions about this film

What is Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson about?

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson: The story of Jack Johnson, the first African American Heavyweight boxing champion.

Who directed Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson?

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson was directed by Ken Burns in 2004.

Who stars in Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson?

The cast of Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson includes Keith David, Samuel L. Jackson, Jack Johnson, Adam Arkin and Philip Bosco.

How long is Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson?

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson runs for 214 minutes, or 3h34.