Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed
2 votes
An American story. Traces the career of Joe Louis (1914-1981) within the context of American racial consciousness: his difficulty getting big fights early in his career, the pride of African-Americans in his prowess, the shift of White sentiment toward Louis as Hitler came to power, Louis's patriotism during World War II, and the hounding of Louis by the IRS for the following 15 years. In his last years, he's a casino greeter, a drug user, and the occasional object of scorn for young Turks like Muhammad Ali. Appreciative comment comes from boxing scholars, Louis's son Joe Jr., friends, and icons like Maya Angelou, Dick Gregory, and Bill Cosby.
Status: Released
Released Date: 2008-02-23
Runtime: 75 mins
Director: Ouisie Shapiro
Writer: Ouisie Shapiro
Spoken language:
Genres: Documentary
Original title: Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed
Production Companies: HBO Sports
Production Countries: United States of America
Cast
Recommendations
Untitled Michael Jordan / Washington Wizards Documentary
Upcoming documentary about Michael Jordan's stint with the Washington Wizards from 2001 to 2003.
Totems and Taboos
2018-12-07
In Brussels, Belgium, the Royal Museum of Central Africa is undertaking a radical renovation, both p
Killing America
2024-04-02
A 38 minute documentary that investigates why antisemitism exploded in Bay Area High Schools after H
Sadio Mané - Made in Senegal
2020-04-08
Sadio's story is the classical heroes journey and and archetype for African football players. Blesse
Black Power Salute
2008-07-09
A film about one of the most iconic images of the 20th century, the moment when the radical spirit o
The Rape of Recy Taylor
2019-05-30
Recy Taylor, a 24-year-old black mother and sharecropper, was gang raped by six white boys in 1944 A
Speakers for the Dead
2000-01-01
A film about small Ontario town's struggle to restore a desecrated African-Canadian cemetery and the
Camilo: The Long Road to Disobedience
2008-04-24
The award-winning filmmaker Peter Lilienthal is dedicated to this extremely poignant documentary of
When We Were Kings
1996-10-25
It's 1974. Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years
Salty Dog Blues
2012-01-01
The film looks at men and women of color in the U.S. Merchant Marine from 1938-1975. Through chronic
Standard Operating Procedure
2008-02-12
Errol Morris examines the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S
Sunny Boy
2023-02-09
Arthur Guérin-Boëri is suffocating in his local swimming pool. His swim lane has become a dead end.
That World Is Gone
Kathy's family left on a Saturday morning in 1965. The rumble of bulldozers echoed through the neigh
Pumping Iron
1977-01-18
Amateur and professional bodybuilders prepare for the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests as
Falácias
2021-08-25
FC Roma
2016-09-16
A team of Romany football players try to overcome prejudice in this Czech documentary.
In the Company of Kings
2024-04-01
In the Company of Kings follows a fight fan's unforgettable journey into the dark heart of American
Grenze
2004-08-03
In February 1986 they received the call of a fatherland that no longer exists: four young GDR citize
Not a War Story
2017-06-30
Hollywood collides with a group of veterans who are tired of the typical PTSD and valor-portrayed mo
Stolen Ground
1993-01-01
In US society, people of East Asian heritage are often perceived through an obscuring lens of ethnic