James J. Braddock - Guestbook

Welcome to the official guestbook of the James J Braddock website. Due to spam, we have been forced stop guestbook entries.

My husband & just watched the movie and loved it. We were most impressed with James Braddock's character, his true character. What a man, I love to hear of people who were decent human beings and who have a purpose in what they accompolish in life. Thanks for making a movie like this, it out shines all of the other garbage that's out there these days.

THE ONLY THING GOOD ABOUT THE MOVIE WAS THAT JIM BRADDOCK WAS A GOOD FAMILY MAN PERIOD.
THE REST OF THE MOVIE WAS FALSE,
MAX BAER WAS POORLY PORTRAYED.
BAER WAS A GREAT PERSONALITY AND GREAT COMEDIAN NEVER WOULD REALLY HURT ANYONE. THE PICTURE WAS NOT TRUE OF FACTS.

Just finished watching the movie, it was okay but not of true fact. Max Baer was not a bad person the way the movie made him out to be. My father knew him when he was fighting and told me stories about him. Baer was a very likeable fellow who never said anything bad about anyone he fought. How come they do not make a movie of the career of Baer it would be more interesting than Braddock who was really not a good fighter. Braddock would not fight anyone for 2 years when he won the title. When he faced Joe Louis it was all over.

Just finished watching the movie and I must say it was inspirational, heartwarming, and one of the best comebacks I have ever seen. Great web site too. Kuddos to the Braddock children and family.

We just watched the movie and are watching it again right now. I thought it was great. I am a big boxing fan. As far as the negative comments being made, there are always additives to make a story and I didn't even look at the way the other characters were portrayed. I'm sure there is NO ONE who has every second of that time period documented to know what was really said so it had to be made up. Great movie!!! Interesting website, too. Thanks!

My husband and I loved the movie! I cheated and checked your website to find out what happened in the Baer fight but was still on the edge of my seat during the fight scenes. Who cares what some of these people have said - James J. Braddock fought with heart. That's what makes boxing exciting!

We loved the movie. If anyone ever wondered what it must have been like to live thru the depression, that portrayal really hit it home. My favorite line in the movie was when the reporter asked him what he was fighting for. The reply: Milk.

Just saw the movie,a nd was deeply moved. Was not familiar with the history. What an inspiration Mr. Braddock was for so many. Even nowadays, movie watchers should be inspired to make the most they can out of their lives, even when falling on hard luck. Kudos to James II for managing this site. God Bless you and your family!

Gentlemen:

I really did not like the movie as it was supposed to be a factual story.
Max Baer was the better fighter and by reading his life story he never said
bad things about anyone he faced in the ring. Baer came into the ring with 2 bad hands and could hardly fight, if you see the original film of the fight you would know what i am talking about. I agree with some of the other postings about Baer. Baer was a colorful fighter who brought comedy into a ring full of sweat, blood and tears. He killed 2 men in the ring and really held back fighting. By reading old newspaper clippings he donated a lot of his money to the widow of the first fellow he killed (Campbell) so they should really make a film of MAX BAER career it would be more interesting.

I thought the movie was terrible, very slow moving and the portrayal of Max Baer as a arrogant and evil man was pure false. Max Baer Jr. (See Max Baer on the internet) says that Ron Howard did a false portrayal of his dad.
A movie that tells a real story of a person should be done with facts and not fiction. The real Max Baer was a great fighter who brought color in the fight game when it needed it. Baer joked and made funny gestures to the crowd when he fought. The man in reality was a Showman not a fighter.

a noble hero of the people.

The movie was great. James certainly fought like an irishman.

Just saw the movie, it was great. Jim Braddock eptimizes what a great american is like.

I bought the movie and really liked most of it, but the part of the portrayal of Max Baer. I am 72 and grew up with stories and my collection of 16MM Films of the original fight of Baer and Braddock. My dad met Baer in New York and saw the Baer Galento fight in 1940. He told me Baer was the most kindest person he ever met and respected Braddock and his family the most of any fighter he fought. No way would he have said those awful things to Mae Braddock he was not that type.
Baer killed Campbell in 1931 and really changed after that to resort into a clown in the ring. In fact he fought a fight and gave all the money to Campbell's widow. The film would have been great if Baer was portrayed as he really was in real life, just a loveable man with a great heart.

Unbelievable! Simply amazing. Just finished watching the movie myself. I was jumping around my house during the fight. Feels good to be alive!

Great movie. Great Story.

A couple things about some of the criticism of Max Baer's portrayal in the movie. First, it is a movie - - entertainment. It reads at the very beginning that it is BASED on a true story. Every story needs a villain. Baer is one of the obvious villains to set up a dram, along with the crulelty of the Depression, and the brutal, greeedy nature of the boxing establishment.

Second, Baer wice a nice guy in real life. No question. But he was regarded as arrogant during the time period of the movie. Whether this was misinterpreted or not due to his humor and care-free attitude is another question. The point is that there is a a degree of historical accuracy in Baer's portrayal.

Last, Baer was shown tapping gloves after his defeat to demonstrate sportsmanship and he was genuinely seriously concerned about hurting Braddock. He may have also wanted the fight cancelled because of his injured hands too. Who knows? Nonetheless, Braddock went into the fight a 10-1 underdog.

Incredible story! I just finished watching the movie and had to get more information on the guy. I'm big Boxing fan and I had heard him already and I knew he was champ - - only because I knew that Joe Louis beat him to win the title.

Now I need to know more about Braddock the man. A truly inspiring movie. Like very few movies, it really does make you want to be a better person . . . a good person . . . and honorable person.

Thank you Ron Howard and Braddock family for sharing this story.

Like most others, I just watched the movie and immediately needed to learn more and found this site. A remarkable story. Of course, we can expect that R. Howard took a bit of "dramatic license". Overall, the rags to riches story is trumped by the what a man will do for the love of his family story. The Braddock Family has a lot to be proud of.

The cost of renting the DVD was worth it. What you get from the movie is a great story, excellent casting, wonderful acting, and two hours of entertainment. What may surprise many people is the deep inspirational punch, available free of charge, that might just linger long enough for a spark to catch.

The family and relations of James J, Braddock can surely be proud of the incredible achievements, dedication to family, and pure unadulterated tenacity of this man who overcame adversity with the support and love of his wife and children. They were his heart and soul. No wonder he was a World Champ! How could he have been anything less? Just look at the Braddock family, “Winners” all. What a legacy!

Good work on the web site.
Regards

My boyfriend I just watched the movie last night, grreat movie. Found myself wanting to know more, came here. After reading some of the guests comments ended up going to a website on Max Baer. Details on Braddock were true, great family man but details on Max Baer were not. He too was a great man and I think those details should also of been in the movie.

A very motivational movie; James J. Braddock's name has been posted to my list of inspirational people.

I get the feeling there is a bit of an agenda with some people coming here to dump on the movie by do-called defending Max Baer.
I believe this is spurious.
How many of the people posting this stuff actually KNEW Max Baer? So how can they say what is 'fact' or not? Its all down to opinion after all.
All I 'know' is my dad always thought JJB a hero....and wanted him to knock MB into next week because he thought him 'arrogant'.
Indeed....not training hard enough (as some Baer defenders claim)for a match because you under-rate an opponent IS disrespectful and arrogant in my view. T
Regardless of the 'truisms' circulating about the 'real' Max Baer, the film does convey accurately the MOOD of popular opinion at the time. It also underlines the PUBLIC image Max Baer himself cultivated. (Whatever he later admitted to feeling in Private.)
Those who attack the movie for saying he killed 'two' men the ring as opposed to one were not paying proper attention!! The film makes it perfectly clear that the Promoter of the fight and Jimmy himself realized one of these men died later from complications that came to be associated with Max. It is the PRESS in the movie who say 'Two' men. And that is completely accurate too...because the Press did rev up that angle deliberately. Thats what the Press do!

I thought this website was about the man, not the movie...
JJB died before I was born, and I have never been much of a boxing fan (dont like fighting) but Ive heard great stories about this man from my father and grandfather. A great familyman who concurred his world and gave many people hope. Thank you for this great website!

I just watched the movie again for the 10th time in 2 days. Great movie, great man. I was born in Union City, NJ and went to school at St Joseph's in West New York and I am proud to be from the same area where Mr. Braddock lived and raised his children.

JUST READ THE PREVIOUS POSTING FROM MR. WITHERSPOON. I AGREE WITH HIM THE MOVIE WAS REALLY BAD. FIRST OF ALL BAER WAS A REALLY GOOD MAN, HE KILLED A MAN IN THE RING AND SUPPORTED THAT MAN'S FAMILY. MR. BAER WAS VERY STRONG AND COULD HAVE KILLED BRADDOCK EASILY, BUT WITH 2 BAD HANDS IMPOSSIBLE. RON HOWARD MADE BAER INTO A BAD CHARACTER. BAER IN REALITY WAS A COMIC AND LOVED PEOPLE. ACCORDING TO MY RESEARCH HE REALLY HATED TO FIGHT. BAER WAS IN MOVIES AND WAS A FUNNY PERSON WHO LOVED PEOPLE. MR. HOWARD NEVER MAKE A MOVIE WITH LIES. I THOUGHT THE MOVIE ABOUT BRADDOCK'S FAMILY WAS TRUE THOUGH AS BRADDOCK WAS A GOOD FAMILY PERSON.