Mendoza the Magnificent:
The Man Who Revolutionized Boxing
IN PRODUCTION
Throughout history, there have been athletes who have transformed various aspects of particular sports, but a few heroes – such as Joe Louis, Mohammed Ali, Babe Dickerson, Althea Gipson – have also changed the society in which they live.
One of the most revolutionary figures of modern sports was Daniel Mendoza, an English boxer in London’s gritty East End at the turn of the 18th century. This son of Sephardic Jews became a living legend when he wrote The Art of Boxing, a definitive manual that remains unsurpassed. Mendoza devised strategy, footwork, and a volley of rapid-fire punches that astonished his opponents and transformed the sport of pugilism from street brawl to the “sweet science” of boxing. At 5’ 7” and 160 pounds, he became the only man ever to hold both middleweight and heavyweight championships. Moreover, as a stalwart defender of his Jewish faith and a vigilant protector of the abject and the downtrodden, Mendoza became one of the most famous working-class heroes of his day. Celebrated throughout the western world as an icon of British cleverness and fearless pluck, he was the prototype of today’s celebrity athlete. All of contemporary boxing and much of today’s emphasis upon the powerfully central role of sports within any society can be traced to this source in the “Light of Israel”: Mendoza the Magnificent.
Nan-Tom Film Arts International brings to the screen the amazing and inspirational story of Daniel Mendoza in a compelling documentary tour de force: Mendoza the Magnificent: The Man Who Revolutionized Boxing. Through the dark streets, gaming parlors, and treacherous social circles of Regency London, our guide will be the opinionated Mr. Pierce Egan. In the 1790s, this charismatic young sportswriter was boxing’s earliest impresario. The articles that he published in the manly “turf and ring” journals of the day provide immediate, eyewitness accounts of the Mendoza fights and an insider’s view of the high-stakes sports bets being staked every night in gentlemen’s clubs. Egan later collected and republished his boxing articles as Boxiana: Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism (1813), and then launched his own monthly journal of popular sports culture, the hugely successful Life in London (1821-1828), for an upper-class readership of sports fans and gamblers.
Two hundred years later, Daniel Mendoza and Pierce Egan spring from the screen in Mendoza the Magnificent, brought back to life by a sportswriter in the 21st century whose compelling interest resurrects the grit and the excitement of these two gloriously intertwined lives.
Website: www.nantomfilmarts.com
Producer's Statement
Throughout time, there have been a few courageous individuals who have challenged stereotypes, reached higher than others thought possible, and in so doing transformed society. Regardless their background, or station in life, such individuals have, more often than not, altered the course of history for the good, both within their lifetime and beyond. One such man was Daniel Mendoza.
Mendoza, son of Sephardic Jews, born in the east end of London on July 4th, 1764, became a living legend. At age 23 years old, he wrote: The Art of Boxing, a definitive manual that remains unsurpassed. And, to this day, Daniel Mendoza remains the only middleweight boxer in history to capture the heavyweight championship of the world.
More significantly, Mendoza was a seminal figure in another important respect. His stature in sport and society, and his enormous popularity, successfully challenged the widespread anti- Semitism of late Georgian England. While The British Nationalization Act of 1753, crassly nicknamed “The Jew Act”, allowed for the inclusion of Jews as subjects of the British Empire, after centuries of persecution, the Tories, who called it “an abandonment of Christian faith”, met the act with great opposition. Thus, the British Empire’s upholding of Christian ideals in this fashion meant that British Jews faced a grim future with little hope of achievement or leadership in public affairs.
But Daniel Mendoza, a former tea merchant’s assistant, rose above such obstacles. As a “scientific” boxer, and a champion of the downtrodden, Mendoza achieved an enthusiastic and proud following among the Jews of London, who called him “Light of Israel”. He became such a celebrity in England that songs and plays were written about him. His bareknuckle matches drew both aristocrat and street vendor. His public appearances filled theaters. Portraits of “Dan the boxing man” and his pugilistic conquests were popular subjects for artists of the day, and commemorative medals were struck in his honor.
Mendoza was the first Jew to be welcomed into the Court of St. James, becoming friends with, and greatly admired by, George III and, led by the Prince of Wales, receiving the support of the British monarchy. It was Daniel Mendoza’s unprecedented success and popularity, his boxing achievements, as well as his teaching and mentoring throughout England and beyond, that inspired Jews and others of all generations to see that it was, indeed, possible to achieve greatness, respect, and admiration in a society and culture in which they had for so long been marginalized and disparaged.
In short, Daniel Mendoza was a revolutionary architect in the time of revolutions, i.e. the French Revolution and American Revolution. His accomplishments and success can be pointed to as the first of its kind to lead the way for other oppressed groups. All this makes the story of his overcoming such incredible obstacles all the more astonishing.
Nan~Tom Film Arts International takes great pride in presenting:
Mendoza the Magnificent: The Man Who Revolutionized BoxingRonald A. Marsh
President/Executive Producer
rmarsh@nantomfilmarts.com 617 595 8287About the Filmmaker
RON MARSH, DIRECTOR
Ron Marsh has produced, directed and written several documentaries for PBS audiences, including The Cross and the Star: Jews, Christians, and the Holocaust, Of Stars and Shamrocks: Boston’s Jews and Irish, Creating Harmony: The Displaced Person’s Orchestra from St. Ottilien from the I’m In Here Series, Rick’s Eyes on the Prize: Running with Team Hoyt and I, Claudia: In the Deaf Community of Nicaragua. Ron Marsh has a broad focus on the daily heroism of people who struggle against their own physical limitations and communities that struggle against social injustice. More specifically, he examines how these individuals and groups have each over come obstacles and resolved conflicts in ways that can teach and inspire us.
Donate to the Production of Mendoza the Magnificent
Send your contribution by check made out to The National Center for Jewish Film with "Mendoza" written in the memo line.
Send to: The National Center for Jewish Film
Brandeis University, Lown 102 MS053
Waltham, MA 02454
Call 781-736-8600 Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm EST with your Visa or Mastercard.
Donations are tax deductible. Gifts over $250 will receive a letter for tax purposes.
As a fiscal sponsor, The National Center for Jewish Film serves as a non-profit tax-exempt umbrella organization that accepts and administers contributions made to select film projects. Fiscal sponsorship allows filmmakers to solicit and receive tax deductible donations from individuals and gifts from foundations without having to create a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.
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