The Great White Hope (film) here. Jones later contributed commentary to a documentary about Jack Johnson that would sum up this film, saying: "To know the story of Jack Johnson is to know that it is a study in hubris." However, critical opinion of the film has declined in recent years. "The Great White Hope" currently maintains a 43% "Rotten" approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 7 reviews, indicating mixed-to-negative reviews. Critic Vincent Canby referred to the film as "One of those liberal, well-meaning, fervently uncontroversial works that pretend to tackle contemporary problems by finding analogies at a safe remove in history" while critic Emanuel
The Great White Hope That's my story!" Ali was fighting being drafted into the Army at the time on grounds of being a conscientious objector. "The Great White Hope" premiered at the Arena Stage in December, 1967. The initial production at Arena Stage, paid for in part by two grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, was so well-received that the entire original cast, including James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander, moved to Broadway. It was the first time the cast of a regional theater production was brought to Broadway. The play opened on Broadway on October 3, 1968, and closed on January