DON KING: ONLY IN AMERICA (TV)
Summary
This television drama portrays the controversial life of professional boxing promoter Don King. Beginning in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1954, King kills a small-time hood who breaks into his house to collect a debt. Cleared of wrongdoing in the shooting, King develops a reputation in local clubs with the help of his friend, singer Lloyd Price. King begins paying off the mob in order to move into territory in New York City, but Price refuses to be associated with them. In 1966, King beats a man to death while trying to collect money: he is charged with second-degree murder and imprisoned. There, King finds his calling, and upon his release, he persuades Price to set up a meeting with heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali. He stages a benefit with Ali, and King's bombastic attitude insults people but also draws them into his clan. Following the benefit's success, King meets Hank Schwartz, president of the largest closed-circuit television company in the U.S. Confident that closed-circuit television is the future of boxing, King persuades Schwartz to join his business. In 1973, King promotes Joe Frazier in a bout with Olympic gold medalist George Foreman, and King promptly abandons Frazier for the winner. Persuading top contenders to leave their white promoters, King lures the top talent in boxing and begins courting Ali. He plans the fight of the century between Ali and Foreman, cons Foreman into signing a blank contract, and gives him a downpayment for the yet-to-be-scheduled fight. Price even offers King an image enhancement, and the fight's press conference, staged in Zaire, Africa, turns into a spectacle that sets a precedent for future ones. After Ali's amazing victory, King still lacks respect in boxing and has a falling out with Price. After an ill-fated bout, King assumes control of Ali's career and stages the next great fight, Ali versus Frazier; but once Ali wins, King is shunned. In a new approach, King pursues young, raw talent, and his tactics pay off as he assumes total control over his fighters, even representing both fighters in the same ring. When King orchestrates a fight between an aging Ali and challenger Larry Holmes, Ali suffers a beating and Holmes becomes heavyweight champion, giving King control of the boxing world. Ali files a lawsuit against King and promptly retires, but King manages to persuade him to drop all charges. When the FBI speaks with Holmes about King's business tactics, the boxer promptly severs all ties. But King introduces a new boxer, Mike Tyson, whose talent and ferocity is later undermined by a loss to James "Buster" Douglas and a jail term for rape. Years later, Tyson returns to fight champion Evander Holyfield for a second time and the bout turns to chaos when Tyson bites off pieces of Holyfield's ear. Confident that his career is not at an end, King sees Price at an airport and tries to remedy his mistakes.
(This program contains adult-oriented language and content.)
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: November 15, 1997 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:55:30
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:52273
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Blacks - Sports; Boxing - Drama; Drama; Sports - Drama; African-American Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 1997
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Thomas Carter … Executive Producer
- David Blocker … Producer
- David Gaines … Associate Producer
- James M. Freitag … Associate Producer
- John Herzfeld … Director
- Elizabeth Bardsley … Researcher
- Steve Blacher … Researcher
- Kario Salem … Writer
- Jack Newfield … Based on the book by
- Anthony Marinelli … Music by
- Ving Rhames … Cast, Don King
- Vondie Curtis Hall … Cast, Lloyd Price
- Jeremy Piven … Cast, Hank Schwartz
- Darius McCrary … Cast, Ali, Muhammad (See also: Clay, Cassius)
- Keith David … Cast, Herbert Muhammad
- Gabriel Casseus … Cast, Jeremiah Shabazz
- Loretta Devine … Cast, Connie Harper
- Brent Jennings … Cast, Dick Sadler
- Lahmard Tate … Cast, Carl King
- Danny Johnson … Cast, Larry Holmes
- Bernie Mac … Cast, Bundini Brown
- Donzaleigh Abernathy … Cast, Henrietta King
- Lou Rawls … Cast, Harold Logan
- Teddy Atlas … Cast, Richie Giachetti
- Jarrod Bunch … Cast, George Foreman
- Ron Leibman … Cast, Harry Shondor
- Don Elbaum … Cast, himself
- Sarah Scott Davis … Cast, Diane Holmes
- Michael Gilio … Cast, Tony Panzarella
- Ken Lerner … Cast, Bob Arum
- Simon Templeman … Cast, Keith Bradshaw
- Jennifer Griffin … Cast, the Notary Public
- Brad Garrett … Cast, the Assassin
- Fofo Lukata … Cast, Mobutu
- Kurt Andon … Cast, Lou
- Ntare Mwine … Cast, the Emissary
- Loni-Kaye Harkless … Cast, Mrs. Jackson
- David Kirkwood … Cast, Mr. Jackson
- Robby Robinson … Cast, Sam Garrett
- Tanisher Sornson … Cast, the Fetisher
- James Black … Cast, Ernie Shavers
- Detective Bob Tonne … Cast, himself
- K.J. Penthouse … Cast, Charles Wepner
- Jim A. Douglass … Cast, the Autograph Seeker
- Michael Bowen … Cast, the Boxing Spectator
- Michael Blanks … Cast, James "Buster" Douglas
- Israel Cole … Cast, Joe Frazier
- Clifford Couser … Cast, Mike Tyson
- Everton Davis … Cast, Evander Holyfield
- King Ikpitan … Cast, Tony Tucker
- Kevin Grevioux … Cast, Leon Spinks
- Carlos Monroe … Cast, James "Bonecrusher" Smith
- Collier, Denorvell "Dee" … Cast, Pinklon Thomas
- Alan Woolf … Cast, Scram
- Cara Delizia … Cast, Teen Girl #1
- Amanda Fuller … Cast, Teen Girl #2
- Jennifer Crustal … Cast, Hank's Secretary
- Robert Fraade … Cast, the Businessman
- Leilani Maree … Cast, the Stripper
- Abetoro Makinde … Cast, the African Woman
- Bob Minor … Cast, Bad Ass #1
- Big Daddy Wayne … Cast, Bad Ass #2
- Marco Verdier … Cast, Bad Ass #3
- Jack Newfield … Cast, the Reporter in Zaire
- Felice Perri … Cast, Detective John
- Gwen McGee … Cast, the Screaming Woman
- Keana Hall … Cast, the Woman in Bed
- Josh Dempsey … Cast, Foreman's Sparring Partner
- Pat Connolly … Cast, the Referee
- Ron Hall … Cast, the Stunt Soldier
- Eugene Collier … Cast, the Stunt Prisoner
- Kurek Ashley … Cast, the Sideman
- Mark Thompson … Cast, Reporter #2
- James Keane … Cast, Reporter #3
- Tijjani Abba … Cast, the Soldier
- Jin-Jin Reeves … Cast, Back-Up Singer #1
- Sandra Chriss … Cast, Back-Up Singer #2
- Rudy Costa … Cast, the Sax Player
- Chris Gregory … Cast, the Boxing Announcer
- Larry Michael … Cast, the Boxing Announcer