BERLIN (dpa) – They were enemies in the ring – but years after their epic bout and the world war that interruped their lives, Joe Louis and Max Schmeling became friends.
“Joe and Max,” the story of a boxing friendship, has finished shooting at the Babelsberg Studios just outside of Berlin after a tight 31 day schedule.The 20 million-mark (around 9 million dollars) film project, whose story covers a time span of 20 years, has moved to the United States for post-production chores.Financed by International West Pictures and jointly produced by Starz Encore and the Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA), the movie is designated for exploitation on U.S. cable television with eventual theatrical release planned for Germany and the German- speaking territories.According to the trade publication Film Echo and Film Woche, producer and co-script writer Mike Karz was inspired by stories of the fight from his father-in-law, which prompted him to carry out extensive print media research in the U.S. and libraries and archives in Germany.His movie recounts the fates of Joe Louis, the “brown bomber,” and Max Schmeling, dubbed in the U.S. press as “the German fascist,” who pulled off one of heavyweight boxing’s greatest upsets.The fight between the 30-year old Schmeling and his nine year younger black American took place on June 19, 1936, at New York’s Madison Square Garden.Sports writers gave the German no chance against Louis, who had become boxing’s number one by a series of sensational knockouts. But Schmeling, who told reporters after the fight that “I had seen something” in watching films of previous Louis fights, sent the champ reeling to the floor in the 12th round, a sad day for the black community, while white boxing fans rejoiced.Germany’s Nazi propaganda machine run by Joseph Goebbels lost no time in attempting to exploit the victory for Hitler’s master race ideology.But in the return bout on June 22, 1938, a vengeful Louis knocked out the hapless Schmeling in two minutes and four seconds of the first round. The vexed Nazi government dropped Schmeling immediately and after the war broke out in 1939, sent the paratrooper to the front lines.In recounting the story, director Steve James noted that both athletes had been “marionettes, whose fate reflected the times.” After World War Two, Louis continued his career with a series of knockouts against what he called “the bum of the month.”Badly managed financially and allegedly exploited, Louis eventually faced serious tax problems and, far beyond his prime, was forced to continue boxing until 1950.For his part, Schmeling became a land owner and operator of a successful American soft drink franchise in Hamburg. The two former antagonists were finally able to implement their pledge of friendship in an emotion-charged reunion after the war.Karz has lined up popular German actor Til Schweiger to play the part of Schmeling and American actor Leonard Roberts for Louis. Schweiger, who normally would enter the ring as a light heavyweight, tips the scales at 169 pounds and bears scant physical resemblance to Schmeling.Following arduous training for the fight scenes, Schweiger, who had been on a special, low fat diet, said his figure had changed so much “that even my wife would hardly recognize me.”Roberts, who notes that most American children have never heard of Louis or Schmeling, explains why he thinks the brown bomber lost the first bout.“Louis had elegantly shown mastery of the difficult times and did not take himself so seriously. He was also shocked when he lost to an opponent for the first time. I intend to bring out this aspect of his personality.”By redesigning sets at Babelsberg into Harlem and Chicago streets, and using as a location Leipzig’s main station which resembles New York’s Grand Central Station, the producers were able to avoid shooting in the U.S. for cost-saving purposes.Schmeling has been invited as guest of honour to the German premiere, which could take place sometime next year. But health reasons prevented the 95 year-old boxing legend from visiting the Babelsberg set during the filming.
