Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed
2008 | 75m | English
Popularity: 0.2 (history)
| Director: | Ouisie Shapiro |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Ouisie Shapiro |
| Staring: |
| An American story. Traces the career of Joe Louis (1914-1981) within the context of American racial consciousness: his difficulty getting big fights early in his career, the pride of African-Americans in his prowess, the shift of White sentiment toward Louis as Hitler came to power, Louis's patriotism during World War II, and the hounding of Louis by the IRS for the following 15 years. In his last years, he's a casino greeter, a drug user, and the occasional object of scorn for young Turks like Muhammad Ali. Appreciative comment comes from boxing scholars, Louis's son Joe Jr., friends, and icons like Maya Angelou, Dick Gregory, and Bill Cosby. | |
| Release Date: | Feb 23, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Ouisie Shapiro |
| Writer: | Ouisie Shapiro |
| Genres: | Documentary |
| Keywords | training, world champion, racism, soldier, professional athlete, heavyweight boxer, joe louis |
| Production Companies | HBO Sports |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 29, 2026 Entered: May 02, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Joe Louis | Self (archive footage) |
| Joe Louis Barrow Jr. | Self |
| Dick Gregory | Self |
| Jack Johnson | Self (archive footage) |
| Liev Schreiber | Narrator |
| Randy Roberts | Self |
| Gerald Early | Self |
| Maya Angelou | Self |
| Bill Cosby | Self |
| Jimmy Carter | Self |
| Paul Schulder | Self |
| Lester Rodney | Self |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Ouisie Shapiro | Writer, Director |
| Ultan Byrne | Editor |
| Name | Title |
|---|
| Organization | Category | Person |
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Popularity History
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| 2024 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
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| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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| 2025 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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