Race: Jesse Owens Biopic
- wwetvsports21
- Feb 4, 2016
- 2 min read
Before the world saw Usain Bolt smashing world records with lightning speed. there was a young American by the name of Jesse Owen who broke records in the early part of the 20th century. In 1984, Carl Lewis reminded everyone of the days of Jesse Owens winning in multiple categories in the Olympics (record breaking four gold medals in 1936). That same year NBC aired a biopic on the legend that covered the trials and tribulations of his life.
In the movie, it debunked the myth created by the American government that Hitler snubbed by Jesse Owens. "Hitler didn't snub me – it was FDR who snubbed me. The president didn't even send me a telegram." were the words in the broadcast which stunned parts of the nation in 1984.
The movie did have some inaccuracies though such as the origin of the name Jesse. He was really born "J.C." for James Cleveland and the NBC movie declared it was his high school coach who couldn't hear well that pronounced his name wrong as Jesse. According to Jesse Owen's wikipedia, it was his teacher that called him Jesse which stuck with him for the rest of his life.
According to fellow American athlete James LuValle, who won bronze in the 400 meters, Owens arrived in Berlin to a throng of fans, many of them young girls, yelling "Wo ist Jesse? Wo ist Jesse?" Many of them had come with scissors and had begun snipping at Owens' clothing, forcing him to retreat back onto the train. After that, when Owens left the athletes' village, he usually had to go with some soldiers to protect him.[12] In contrast, Adolf Hitler was using the games to show the world a resurgent Nazi Germany.[13] He and other government officials had high hopes that German athletes would dominate the games with victories. Meanwhile, Nazi propaganda promoted concepts of "Aryan racial superiority" and depicted ethnic Africans as inferior.[13][14] Owens countered this by winning four gold medals.
Jesse Owens: Enduring Spirit chronicles the life and times of a Big Ten icon. This 30 minute documentary takes a look back at the trials and triumphs of one of Ohio State University's greatest athletes. Interviews featuring Bill Cosby, Archie Griffin, and Stephanie Hightower. This program debuted on the Big Ten Network on January 3, 2012.
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