This black & white WWIl era morale film features footage from the 1927 classic boxing match which featured Jack Dempsey vs Gene Tunney. It also has a “By Request” segment about animals “speaking for themselves” which features hilariously campy animation and singing cows (and likely inspired a few “talking mule” films!). This is circa the mid-1940s, apparently post-war so likely 1946-48.
Opening titles: Navy Edition Army-Navy Screen Magazine presents Sports…and still champion (:06). Boxer Jack Dempsey, in the United States Coast Guard, clowns around with some of his Navy men (:35). Dempsey visits the front (:48). James Joseph “Gene” Tunney, an American boxer stretches (:59). He teaches the men calisthenics (1:01). Tunney boxes with a recruit (1:08). Title card: Jack Dempsey vs Gene Tunney – September 22, 1927, Chicago, IL, the boxers enter the ring (1:18). Controversial round 7 of the fight, the ”Long Count” is applied to the name of this fight because when Tunney was knocked down in the seventh round, the first time in his career, the count was delayed due to Dempsey’s failure to go to and remain in a neutral corner. Whether this “long count” actually affected the outcome remains a subject of debate; after Tunney stands back up he finishes the round without incident (1:36). Title card: Round 10 of the fight, Dempsey shoves Tunney down, the round goes back and forth (3:43). The fight is over. Tunney wins in a unanimous decision (5:03). Title card: By Request, animals speak for themselves (5:13). By Request was a famous segment in the Screen Magazine, where G.I.s would send in questions to be answered or requests for something or someone to appear in the show. Here, a female hostess answers a questions about animals, as G.I. Joe misses his pets and farm animals (5:20). With clunky special effects, monkeys on a tree speak (5:56). A fox looks around (6:20). An alpaca (6:44). A skunk (7:10). Donkeys (7:30). A goat digs through trash (8:05). Cattle grazes in the west; a cow wanders; a group of cows sing (8:40).
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
