Legendary Champions

Legendary Champions is a 1968 documentary film written and directed by Harry Chapin for boxing promoter Bill Cayton's The Big Fights Inc. production company which features legendary boxers in action. Some famed and pioneering boxers were also filmed in scenes set outside of the ring, many of which are unique, including several early boxers; John L. Sullivan, for example, is shown in the only film ever taken of him.

Legendary Champions
Directed by	Harry Chapin
Written by	Harry Chapin
Produced by	Bill Cayton Ross Greenburg
Narrated by	Norman Rose
Production company	Turn of the Century Fights
Distributed by	Marvin Films
Release date	1968 (1968)
Running time	77 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The documentary includes a history of Jack Johnson out of the ring. The narrator states that Johnson is seen picking a defeated boxer's teeth out of one of his gloves. The film of the Dempsey-Willard fight is very violent. Attire worn by some of the early boxers is more revealing than what modern-day boxers use and, at the other extreme, tights were also worn by some boxers.

The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.^[1]

See also

• List of American films of 1968
• List of boxing films