Rare title fight footage to appear in Johnny Kilbane documentary

Rare title fight footage to appear in Johnny Kilbane documentary


Anton McNulty
antonmcnulty@mayonews.ie

RARELY seen archive footage of the 1912 world title fight in which Cleveland-born boxer, Johnny Kilbane was crowned world champion will be shown as part of a documentary on the boxer to be premiered in Cleveland next month.
‘A Fighting Heart’, the epic story of Johnny Kilbane, the longest-reigning World Featherweight Champion of all time, will be premiered at the prestigious Cleveland International Film Festival in April.
Kilbane, who became the World Featherweight Champion in 1912, was the son of an Achill-born emigrant to Cleveland and was undefeated champion until he lost his crown in 1923.
A new film chronicling Johnny Kilbane’s life was directed and co-produced by Achill man Des Kilbane, originally from Dooniver, and tells the story about the boxer’s life from his tough early life growing up in The Angle on Cleveland’s Westside to his elevation to World Boxing Champion in 1912.
Kilbane’s big breakthrough came in February 1912 when he defeated reigning champion Abe Atell in front of 10,000 people in Los Angeles. He became the darling of Cleveland and his return to the city on St Patrick’s Day has gone down in city folklore when 200,000 came out to greet their new champ.
It was not believed that any footage of the film had survived but the film was discovered by Sylvester Stallone’s brother Frank and parts of it will be shown in A Fighting Heart.
“The 100-year old volatile nitrate film was in a fragile state when discovered by Sylvester Stallone’s brother Frank in a warehouse in Los Angeles and had to be painstakingly restored. This archive footage was deemed to be lost forever but most of it was in good condition and it will be seen for the first time in the film. It also includes very rare footage of Johnny at home with his family,” explained Des, who says he is a distant relative of the former champ.
The documentary was commissioned by TG4 and in conjunction with Midas Productions, and tells of Johnny Kilbane’s life, a rags-to-riches story that begins on Achill Island, and finishes in Cleveland, Ohio, where Johnny Kilbane both entertained and served his community until his untimely death in 1957.
Des explained he heard stories of Johnny Kilbane as a young boy growing up in Achill but did not realise the stature he held in the boxing world.
“When I was a child I remember my father talking about Johnny Kilbane visiting Achill in the early 1920s when Johnny was still the World Champion. There was such a sense of excitement on the island that all the boys wanted to be boxers. Then in the late 1980s I picked up a copy of The Book of Lists, where celebrities pick their favourites in their chosen fields. Mike Tyson was the world champ at the time and he picked Johnny at number seven which really amazed me. So the idea was always there but it wasn’t until I found Kevin O’Toole’s website on Johnny (Kevin’s great grandfather) that it came to fruition.”
A Fighting Heart also explores the theme of Irish emigration to the US, the role of Irish workers on the construction of the Erie Canal and, more specifically, the cultural, social and historical links between the communities of Achill Island and Cleveland, Ohio that still exist strongly today.
As part of the Local Heroes competition strand, the documentary will get two screenings on April 7 and 9 at the Tower City Cinemas. In addition there will be a special screening at the historic Capitol Theater based in Cleveland’s Westside which Johnny himself frequented.

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