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.

Hi, my name is luciano, i saw the film and I was stupefied of the film, and now i was visiting web pages and i found this one and i am proud of can contact the james j braddock page.

What an awesome life. A great hero, role model, and human being. Truly an inspiration for life.

Terrific job on this website.
The fact that it is managed by the relatives makes it that much more interesting.
The movie touched me in that both of my parents grew up in the depression and to hear their stories and to watch Ron Howard's portrayal actually made me feel ill knowing two people I love so much had to endure life as it was for the down and out in the 1930's.

After reviewing many of the prior messages it is difficult to find words to add. I have heard Cinderella Man did not do well in the theaters - and am ashamed my husband and I did not go ourselves. I rented the movie and he bought it for our collection the next day. Thank you for sharing this amazing story with the rest of us - both James and Mae were amazing people and together, unstoppable!

What an incredible story. What a true hero. Thank you for sharing his story with us. Wish there were more people like him.

After I have gone through the film, was inspired like everyone in the world. i was moved particularly on how he pulled his pride for the love of his family and his undying determination to win against the odds. this movie is a great tribute to JB, his proud family and the entire human race. May this film serve as inspiration to all athletes.

Very inspiring story, Men of that outstanding character should recieve more recognition for what they have done for themselves and their community.

My husband is the great- great- great nephew of Joe Louis. After watching Cinderalla Man we learned that James was not only a great boxer but a great gift to mankind. Thank you for sharing such a great man with all of us.

James Bradock is not just a World Champion, through this movie he has redefined moral integrity in a world in which most people have forgotten what integrity really means. Where I live, in Europe everybody complains about everything, although people are richter than ever before, they always find someone to blaim for their bad luck. Nobody would ever restitute social benefits and nobody would ever work as hard as James Bradock did. He did not organise the unions or arouse fanaticism, he just worked harder for his own destiny. But also his wife was a shiny idol. She was admirable in her way handling all these difficult situations and loving her man selflessly the way he was.

What a story, hard to belief, that it is indeed a true story.

What a great gentleman. He inspires me. Way to go Jim.

My mother had told me about John Braddock and the impact his success had had on the North Dakota community she lived in as a child. The winter of 1933 (a tough year for most of America, not just Braddock or my mother's family), my grandparents supported their six children on oatmeal and raisans for two meals a day, and considered themselves lucky to be living on a farm where they had been able to grow the oats the summer before. When John Braddock began his comeback bid, people would gather in my grandparents' kitchen to listen to the fights because the idea that a working class man who was very much like them was going up against Max Baer, whom they considered to be a rich man who fought dirty, gave them hope that they might make it through another winter.

I really liked Cinderella Man, it was a lot better than I thought it would be. I think the best thing about Mr. Braddock is that he was a great dad and husband. And he never gave up. My mom loved the movie and she doesn't like boxing! We are learning more about James J Braddock and the Great Depression now. Thanks. Dylan age 10

Growing up in my grandparents house, I heard many stories from both them and my mother about what it was like living through the Great Depression. We were quite poor in the early 60's and 70's, but my grandparents never complained about not having very nice things or much money. I have always been inspired by the hardships they endured and the courage I know they displayed each day to not only keep their family together and alive, but to make their children feel secure. But I must say, I never really had a good mental picture of those times and what it must have been like for them, until I saw the film "Cinderella Man", and subsequently read more about the life of James J. Braddock. Thank you! Being family of this great man, I can't imagine being more proud of your heritage.

I do not have time to read all 139 pages (so far) of this guestbook, but just wanted to add my thank you very very much to James Braddock III, for this great website. What a great honor! My wife and I know nothing about boxing, but the movie ispired us and made us cry, too. James, you deserve a championship for making this site possible.

wat a movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Never thought that jimmy had to go through all this tio become the world heavyweight champ.
But there is 1 thing that is the theme of the movie, DETERMINATION.
There areent many movies that i have watched and cried ,and Cinderella Man is one of them.

The lives of James J Braddock and Mae are truly an inspiration. Makes you look at what you have and not take it for granted.

I watched the Movie, Cinderella Man on Jan. 1st, 2006. I asked my Dad, John Duncan Jr., who had been a bantam-weight boxer in the Army, if he knew of Jimmy Braddock. He certainly did. Said he was a great boxer. Said he beat both Max and Bobby Baer - who were "dirty" fighters. Everyone he knew were thrilled with Jimmy's victories. Like the movie pointed out, a victory for the "common people". I thought Russell Crowe looked very similar to your picture of James J. Braddock. A very good movie. I'm going to buy it to send to my Dad who is 86 years young. My Dad can also sing, whistle, and yodel. He is also Scots (and Irish, German & Indian). The Indian ancestry came about when my gr-grandfather (Duncan) married one of the daughters of the Chickasaw Chief. Grandpa Duncan said his grandfather told him this of the Scots-Chickasaw union: "You can mix Scots with anything and come up with a superior Product!"
Obviously, James J. Braddock was also a "superior product".
I am so glad this movie was made. Thank you for the family information in this wonderful website.

What an awesome movie! I never imagined I would enjoy it as much as I did, as I am not a boxing fan, just a Russell Crowe fan. Awards to all who were involved in making this movie so that this man's story could be told to those of us who otherwise would not have discovered it on our own. What an incredible production. To the family: What a legacy you have been given. I was truly inspired by this man.

my daughter and i just rented cinderella man and i have not been as impressed with a movie as i was with this one in years. we have gone thru very hard times the last few years and I could identify with his struggle, especially having to put his pride behind him. he was such an incredibly decent man which is substantiated by the many comments of friends and family on this site. what a great thing it would be for our young people if they had sports heros like Mr. Braddock to look up to today. the best legacy we can leave our children is Faith and Integrity. Mr. Braddock certainly did that.

My family and I just finished watching this incredible movie. It was so inspirational and powerful and extremely tense! We almost turned it off to research if he won the fight! I was so touched by his charactaer and the love he and his family shared. Russell and Renee were amazing - as always. Ron Howards has done it again - told a powerful story with incredible force and passion. Thank you - thank you. I am an English teacher and will remember this film when I am teaching the triumph of the common man vs the tragedy of the common man. What an inspiration! God bless you all! We need more heroes like Jim and Mae Braddock!

The Braddock children had an amazing father. They must be proud of his success and conquest. I would like to say I was touched by his life story, I am Canadian and never heard of James J. Braddock. I hope that his memory lives on in his great grandchildren. With much Respect.
MJ Robbins, North-Bay, Ontario Canada

I just finally got a chance to sit down and watch Cinderella Man . I knew a little about James J. Braddock, but I got a chance to learn much more about his life and struggles when I sat down and watched the movie. From the commercials the movie didn't seem all that great, but after seeing across Jimmy's name in an older boxing magazine I had to sit down and watch the movie. Everyone is right this movie is such an inspiration to those of us who have wanted to give up before. All there really left to say is thank you to Jimmy and his family. Also the producers and writers of this movie deserve a great deal of credit for sitting down and writing this and making it seem as if you knew Jimmy and his family. The cast did a real good job acting this out and helped me realize that eventhough I may not have everything I need/want, if I work hard and long enough I can get those things.

Watched Cinderella man finally last night. Great movie. This website is great! Glad to find it. Was surprised to see how much Russel Crow did resemble Jim Braddock. What a great man Braddock was!

Makes me very proud to be Irish.
What a great man. Thank you for sharing.

I just watched one of the most inspiring movies
I have ever seen. A man of integrity, a man of
conviction, and a man of heart. Truly an amazing story! I had to go on-line and research
more of the life of this incredible man and fighter... God bless you... Allan P. Talbert