The Great White Hope is a 1967 play written by Howard Sackler, later adapted in 1970 for a film of the same name. The play was first produced by Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and debuted on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in October 1968, directed by Edwin Sherin with James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander in the lead roles. The play won the 1969 Tony Award for Best Play and the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Subsequent touring companies of the play featured Brock Peters and Claudette Nevins in the lead roles. The play is based on the true story of Jack Johnson and his first wife, Etta Terry Duryea, the controversy over their marriage and Duryea's death by suicide in 1912.
| Written by | Howard Sackler |
| Characters | Jack Jefferson, Eleanor Backman, Goldie, Tick, Pop Weaver, Dixon, Clara, Cap'n Dan, Al Cameron, Mama Tiny, Scipio |
| Date premiered | 1967 |
| Place premiered | Arena Stage, Washington, D.C. |
| Original language | English |
| Subject | Pugilism, racism |
| Genre | Drama |
| Setting | years before and during WWI |
About The Great White Hope
Biographical drama based on the lives of champion boxer Jack Johnson and his first wife, Etta Terry Duryea. James Earl Jones and Jane Alexander received Best Actor and Actress Academy Award nominations for their performances.
Achievement of The Great White Hope
The film was adapted from the 1967 Howard Sackler play of the same name.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About The Great White Hope
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Latest information about The Great White Hope updated on July 28 2021.
