THE FIGHT PICTURES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 977, 18 November 1910, Page 6

THE FIGHT PICTURES.

t JOHNSON. AND JEFFRIES AT THE ] " ' OPERA HOUSE. ' , CT A va st audience attended.at the Opera , House last evening to see the first pret sentation in Australasia of the kineniato--3 graphic representation of tho. . Johnson--3 Jcflnes figlt for the championship of the 3 world, decided at Reno, Nevada, U.S A 3 °" J"'/ i hist. It can be said at'once ■ i i L ■ fi!l " IS unquestionably the best 5 fight picture yet seen in Australasia. byery detail, from the earliest scenes in ) the boxer s camps to' the -sawing of' tho . ring-ropes into pieces for souvenirs uy i tho crowd is.admirably shown. There j was scarcely a trace of flicker throughout the seventy minutes which the- film 1 ran. > As far as tho picture shown last night . is concerned, the story of the fight commenced with a scene in Jeffries's' camp, with the heavy-jowled ex-champion playing 'hearts" with some of his friends, • his hard-set face enlivened only by his 1 ever-working jaw, for Jeffries chews gum right through the chapter. Roosevelt, [ ex-President of tho United States, puts in an appearance, and is shown- shaking 1 hands with "the hopo of.the white race." 1 Jeffrie's spars with Borger before a crowd, ■■ ho skips, punches a ball; and does some ' road-running. A most interesting series of groups aud single studies of great fighters past and present, and eminent ' men in the sporting world pose life-size before the camera—a laughing, well-fed ■ lot. There were Joo Choynski, Bob Fitz- ' Simmon's, John 'L. Sullivan, Tommy 1 Bums, Bill Lang, Tom Sharkey, tho late ' Stanley Ketchell, "Battling" Nelson, Jack ' O'Brien, Tex 'Richard (the referee), Jim ', Corbett, J. A. Jordan (tho veteran "announcer"), the Hon. Tim Sullivan (stakeholder), Jack Gleesou (whom the spokesman last evening said did all the dirty ■work thero was to bo done, and got no ■ credit for it), and Jim M'Caruey (who ■ ; offered 110,000 dollars for the fight). 1 Johnson, lankey yet well-fleslied, his ; skin shining like black satin in tho ■■ sunshine, is shown skipping as light as a ; schoolgirl, shadow sparring, and swinging heavy men round clear of the ; | ground with his muscular neck, and other 1 evidences of his undoubted strength and '. muscular elasticity. Packed trains steaming into Reno; lively street scenes, and 1 the great stadium which seated 18,000 ■ people in course of erection are also de-' ■ picted. Crowds surgo outside the stadium ' at 6 a.m. on tho morning of tho fight, 1 ' uud above tho entrance aro tho prices "in plain figures," 50 dollars down to 25 dollars. Johnson hops into the ring in a dressing-gown, showing a gleam of ivory , as he grins pleasantly at tho great dol-lar-mill, and ■ Jeffries follows, less spry, : less confident looking. There is no handshake. Tho ring is cleared, the gong I bongs,, and the fight has begun.' As a spectacle tho whole scene is remarkable, , as a fight for. a fortune it is distinctly : disappointing. Fighting in clinches i Canio from America and it evidently : flourishes there. The men clinched from the first round, and tried "pointing" in , every conceivable way. Johnson appeared to bo a master of the art, and genj orally got the best of it, though the most inclined'to break away. The ro- . feree never caused the-men to break . once during tho fight. It was usually brought about by Johnson clutching Jcf- : fries s left wrist with his right hand and forcing his opponent off. AH tho oldtimo crouch of tho white man camo back, but tho lithe black fought boldly up- ; right nnd with admirable freedom.- The ; first four rounds were dull and uninteresting. Thereafter Johnson became . slightly more aggressive, and appeared . to get much the best of the clashes and. ■ ?ertamly the best of tho intermiablo in-fighting." In the sixth round the , black s lightning left made merry play, , and frequently, got home on his' oppoh- , ents face and neck. By the time the tenth round had finished Jeffries appeared to have lost much of his dash, and looked ]aded compared with the grinning negro, [ who looked.as eager and virile, as ever. . There were some brisk encounters in the l eleventh round, but the next two wero obviously Johnson's all the way. Then : camo the ■ fateful fifteenth. Johnson, 1 sound in defence, and attacking eagerly i planted two lefts and a right in lightning succession. The lost blow floored ! Jeffries, who took the count un till nine, , then rose to his foot, and was sent reeling ngainst the roues by another left. ; -Ho collapsed, fell through the ropes, i hanging to the lower one by his calves. ■ Ho was pushed back, and on to his feet ; by his friends at tho ring-side, staggered i round to tho other side, received another ; clip, and was counted out, amidst wild ■ excitement. "Without cessation, the picture'reeled on showing John ' Sullivan .'shaking Johnson by the hand, tho, men . leaving tho ring, and the crowd sawing up L the ropes, as mementos of tho battle, and . finally leaving the Stadium in solid - masses. In this ' manner last evening's [ audience were shown practically evoryt thing which took place at Reno, without . tho expenso and discomfiture of a hot . time in tho little mountain township of . tho Nevadas. Other excellent pictures \ were shown during the evening, but the , fight was "tho" thing.