Even with Flynn crowding in, Langford wings in crushing hooks to Flynn’s head and body.

Sam Langford vs. Jim Flynn III

Vernon, California 3/17/1910

16mm Film Transfer

Image and Speed Restoration

18 Minutes

The great Sam Langford and longtime journeyman heavyweight Fireman Jim Flynn fought six times between 1908 and 1924. Langford’s career has been well documented, including on this website (ref. http://www.boxing.com/pocket_battleship_sam_langford.html), and Langford is regarded as among the best boxers of all time. Three of the Langford-Flynn fights were held when Flynn and Langford were in their relative primes, and the last three when both should have been long retired. Langford won all but the second match. In that fight, held in Los Angeles on February 8, 1910, The Oregonion reported, “Flynn went after Langford like a demon” from the first round on. “In the third round Flynn opened a gash over Langford’s right eye with a straight left and blood flowed down over the colored man’s face and chest. Flynn was forcing Langford when the round ended. The fourth, the fifth and sixth rounds were all Flynn’s, and by this time the crowd was beginning to believe Flynn would be the winner. Throughout the fight Referee Eyton was repeatedly forced to separate the men, and in all the clinches Flynn seemed to have the best of it.”

Let’s Do It Again

It was a rare losing effort for Langford. Unfortunately, no films of that fight exist today. The two fought their rubber match a month later on March 17, again in southern California. This time Langford delivered a sensational performance and knocked Flynn out in eight rounds. A film of that fight was made and much of it has survived.

The Film

Langford’s manager, Joe Woodman, was angling to get Sam a title fight with Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson, and after learning how successful Johnson’s films were, Woodman believed that a competing film of Langford would promote demand. The Langford-Flynn III fight was filmed by Sid Hester, who either operated or directed the camera that was used. Hester shot the film more as a photographer than a filmmaker, attempting to capture the scene from a distance rather than just the boxers. By this method, the fighters always remain in frame, and when the film was projected onto theater screens, the ring and the boxers appeared life-size. Today, on video and computer monitors, the footage runs at modern camera speeds, making the fighters compressed into tiny figures, flashing across the screen like animated characters. It’s nearly impossible to follow the action.

Like many early fight films, the movie was distributed to theaters and arcades, where copies were eventually used up and discarded. This version, however, was among those later acquired and controlled on the black market. The film suffered further damage over the years until producer Bill Cayton and archivist Jim Jacobs purchased the 35mm negative for their television programs in the 1950s. Since then, marginal and poor copies have circulated among collectors with multiple uploads to YouTube and other video sharing sites.

The 16mm print I own is taken from the surviving master, and while the quality is no better than the source, the print is clean and free of scratches. Still, I was skeptical that much could be done to enhance, let alone restore, the film. I was wrong. No sooner had I made the first adjustments to speed and exposure, an exciting a surprisingly competitive fight began emerge. For boxing fans like myself, the most enticing moment in the film is perhaps before the fight actually begins. With the camera positioned inside the ring, we see Langford enter through the ropes, followed by Flynn. Both look relaxed and confident as they greet each other directly in front of the camera. Langford, busy chewing gum, allows Flynn to inspect his wrapped hands. This fleeting moment gives us a clear look at their faces, and with Flynn three inches taller and fifteen pounds heavier, we see the size difference between the two men.

The Restoration

First, I slowed the film speed down nearly 50%. With old footage shot at frame rates as low as 12-15 frames per second (USA video is 30fps), it’s hard to gauge what “real time” is. I started by looking at people in the audience and officials walking around the ring, who were good references for casual movement. Having watched hundreds of fight films, I also have a good idea how boxers move on screen and how fast punches generally travel. I settled on a speed that’s still jerky, slightly fast in places, but relatively accurate. Aside from the physical deterioration of the movie, there are extensive gaps, jump cuts, and sections out of order. The opening of rounds one, two, five, and seven appear to be genuine. Round cards are displayed from the audience as the boxers stride from their corners. Sections of rounds one and two however are the same, as are late portions of rounds five and seven. The referee’s hat, which he removed after several rounds, will suddenly disappear off his head like a magic trick. During round seven, Langford slips and cartwheels back into action. It’s an amazing maneuver. The same footage also appears in round five, but Langford’s floor exercise moment is cut.

Despite the flaws, the pace and the ferocity of the battle are vivid. Flynn was a very tough and determined slugger. He charged straight in, liked working in close, and traded gamely with Langford. The knockout punch, which Flynn did not see, rendered him unconscious for several minutes. Narrator Gene Ward tells the story that once Flynn was revived he flew into a rage and had to be restrained. Nothing like this appears in the film. Zooming in on the post-fight scene, we see Langford shake hands with an official before putting on his robe and quickly exiting the ring. As the camera continues to roll, the remaining onlookers, corner men, and officials crowd into the ring, surrounding Flynn, who remains unconscious on his stool. There appears to be genuine concern. At one point, the film crew yells down to the ring for people to move out of the way. Ward’s cheerful post-fight commentary contrasts with the unfolding drama. The film begins to resemble the aftermath of the fatal Carnera-Schaaf fight, or the morbid crime scene atmosphere at the finish of the Liston-Martin fight, where Sonny lay on the canvas like a shooting victim. Finally, at the end of the film, Flynn comes around. He receives applause from the crowd as he slowly rises from his stool and makes his unsteady way out of the ring.

Magic Sam

Langford does more than live up to his reputation in this film. He was a far more exciting and engaging boxer than Jack Johnson. Johnson enjoyed strategic combat, but deliberately fought at a pace that was slow, even for the time period. As this film testifies, Langford was in constant motion. An aggressive and brilliant infighter, Langford never fails to find punching room. Even with Flynn crowding in, Langford wings in crushing hooks to Flynn’s head and body. He uses whatever offense tactics he needs, including holding and hitting, shoving and palming with an open glove. What impressed me most was how thoroughly modern Langford appears. Smart, fluid, savvy and raw, versatile and athletic, Langford was a complete pugilistic package that would have been a force, if not a champion, in any era.