Baer, Max

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'''Maximilian Adalbert "Madcap Maxie" Baer''' (February 11, 1909 – November 21, 1959) was a famous [[United States|American]] [[boxing|boxer]] of the 1930s, onetime [[List of Heavyweight Champions|Heavyweight Champion of the World]], and [[actor]].
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'''Maximilian Adalbert "Madcap Maxie" Baer''' (February 11, 1909 – November 21, 1959) was a famous [[United States|American]] [[boxing|boxer]] of the 1930s, onetime [[List of Heavyweight Champions|Heavyweight Champion of the World]], and [[actor]]. One of the most devastating right-handed punchers in heavyweight history, Baer was a wise-cracking [[performer]] whose ring antics entertained boxing audiences during the [[Great Depression]].
  
Possessing perhaps the most powerful right hand in heavyweight history, Max Baer was a flashy performer who wise-cracked and clowned his way through his career. Although he never fully realized his tremendous potential, Baer won the heavyweight title, and his showmanship entertained an America rocked by the Great Depression. Born in Omaha, Baer moved with his family to Colorado and then to California. He dropped out of school after eighth grade to work with his father on a cattle ranch, where he built his great physical strength doing range work.
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Baer turned pro in 1929 and won 22 of his first 24 fights, nine with first-round knockouts. However, in 1930, Baer's opponent [[Frankie Campbell]] died as the result of a Baer knockout. Two years later, another Baer opponent, [[Ernie Schaaf]], died following a bout with [[Primo Carnera]], and Schaaf's death was partially attributed to the beating he had earlier suffered from Baer. While keeping up his clowning and even profiting from his "killer" image in public, Baer was reportedly internally shaken by these deaths.
Early in his career, Baer trained with a zeal he did not demonstrate later. He turned pro in 1929 and won 22 of his first 24 fights, nine with first-round knockouts. Baer was in supreme condition and dangerous in the ring. In 1930, he was charged with manslaughter when Frankie Campbell, brother of baseball player Dolph Camilli, died as a result of a Baer knockout. Ultimately cleared of criminal charges, Baer was suspended from fighting in California for a year.
 
  
Baer quit boxing for several months after Campbell's death, then lost four of his next six fights, partly because of his reluctance to go on the attack. One victor, Hall of Famer Tommy Loughran, told Baer that he was looping and telegraphing his punches. Jack Dempsey helped Baer shorten his punches and took an interest in him for the rest of his career. In 1932, Baer knocked Ernie Schaaf unconscious in the tenth round of what had been a fairly even fight. Not long after, Schaaf died following a bout with Primo Carnera. The death was attributed in part to the beating administered by Baer.  
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The zenith of Baer's career came in 1933 when he donned shorts emblazoned with a [[Star of David]] and beat the highly touted German fighter [[Max Schmeling]] at [[Yankee Stadium]] before 60,000 fans, during the height of the [[Nazi]] era. Baer then took the heavyweight championship title from Primo Carnera in 1934.
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{{toc}}
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Baer also starred in films and was a well known man about town before marrying in 1935. At the height of his career, Baer shockingly lost the title to James J. Braddock, the "[[Cinderella Man]]," in his first defense. For the next six years, Baer compiled a record of 30-4. He then retired, working as a [[film]] and [[television]] [[actor]] and in a successful [[nightclub]] act. He also refereed [[boxing]] and [[wrestling]] matches. Baer died of a heart attack at age 50 in Hollywood, in 1959.
  
In 1933, in the best fight of his career, Baer beat Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium before 60,000 fans. Baer hammered Schmeling so thoroughly, referee Arthur Donovan stopped the fight in the tenth round. Now in line for the world heavyweight title, Baer fought Primo Carnera in 1934. At the Madison Square Garden Bowl, before a throng of 50,000, Baer knocked the giant Carnera down eleven times in eleven rounds.
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==Early life and boxing career==
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Baer was born in [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], [[Nebraska]], the son of a Jewish [[Germany|German]] immigrant Jacob Baer (1875–1938) and Dora Bales (1877–1938). The family moved to [[Colorado]] before siblings Bernice and Buddy were born. In 1921, when Max was 12, they moved to [[Livermore, California|Livermore]], [[California]], to engage in cattle ranching. Baer's father was also a butcher, and Max often credited his carrying heavy carcasses of meat for developing his powerful shoulders.
  
Baer was now at the height of his fame. He starred in a movie, The Prizefighter and the Lady (banned in Germany because Baer's grandfather was Jewish), and lived the high life. He was romantically linked to innumerable starlets, socialites, chorus girls, and Broadway actresses before marrying in 1935.
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In 1929, Baer turned professional, progressing steadily through the ranks winning 22 of his first 24 fights. However, a ring tragedy little more than a year later almost caused him to drop out of boxing for good. Baer fought [[Frankie Campbell]] on August 25, 1930, in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] and, with only two blows, knocked him out. After lying on the canvas for nearly an hour, Campbell was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he eventually died of massive brain hemorrhaging. An autopsy revealed that Baer's devastating blows had knocked Campbell's entire brain loose from the connective tissue holding it in place within his cranium.
  
Baer frittered away the title to James J. Braddock in his first defense. He fought with an injured right hand, and his half-hearted, joking effort lost him the fifteen-round decision. He had been champion for a year. Three months later, Joe Louis demolished Baer in four rounds.
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Baer was charged with [[manslaughter]], but was eventually acquitted of all charges. Nevertheless, the California State Boxing Commission banned him from any in-ring activity within the state for the next year. Baer gave purses from succeeding bouts to Campbell's family and helped put his children through college, but lost four of his next six fights. He fared better when [[Jack Dempsey]] took him under his wing. Dempsey taught the fighter—who relied on an all-out display of superior strength—how to shorten his punches for greater efficiency and to avoid counter shots.
  
Baer continued to fight for another six years, compiling a record of 30-4 in that time. In retirement, Baer acted, had a successful nightclub act both individually and with Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom, and refereed boxing and wrestling matches. Baer's son, Max Jr., became famous in his own right for playing the role of Jethro Bodine in the long-running television comedy series, The Beverly Hillbillies.
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The Campbell incident earned Baer the reputation as a "killer" in the ring. Campbell's death was also used for promotional purposes to make Baer seem dangerous. This publicity was further sensationalized by Baer's 1932 rematch with [[Ernie Schaaf]], who had bested Baer in a decision a few years earlier. At the close of the tenth and final round, Baer hit Schaaf in the temple with what some witnesses claimed to be the hardest right hand that ever connected in boxing. Schaaf was saved by the bell, but he ended up losing the bout by decision. Several minutes passed before Schaaf was revived enough to stand under his own power.
  
== Early life ==
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Schaaf was never quite the same after that bout. He complained frequently of headaches and his ring performance lagged immensely in succeeding bouts. Six months after the Baer fight, Schaaf died in the ring after taking a left jab from the Italian behemoth [[Primo Carnera]]. Although Carnera was vilified as a "man killer," others claimed that Schaaf had died as a result of damage previously inflicted by Baer.<ref>The allegation that Baer was responsible for damaging Schaaf's brain has since been refuted by information gathered from Schaaf's autopsy.</ref> The death of Campbell and accusations over Schaaf's demise profoundly affected Baer, even though he was ostensibly indestructible and remained a devastating force in the ring.
  
'''Maximilian Adalbert Baer''' was born in [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]], [[Nebraska]], the son of a Jewish [[Germany|German]] immigrant Jacob Baer (1875&ndash;1938) and Dora Bales (1877&ndash;1938). His older sister was Fanny Baer (1905&ndash;1991), and his younger sister and brother were Bernice Baer (1911&ndash;1987) and boxer-turned-actor Jacob Henry Baer, better known as [[Buddy Baer]] (1915&ndash;1986).  
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===At the top===
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The highlight of Baer's career came in 1933 when he beat the highly touted German fighter [[Max Schmeling]] at [[Yankee Stadium]] before 60,000 fans. Baer's trunks displayed an embroidered [[Star of David]], which Max swore to wear in every bout thereafter. Baer pummeled Schmeling and referee Arthur Donovan stopped the fight in the tenth round. Schmeling was [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s favorite, and Baer immediately became the champion of Jews, those who identified with Jews, and those who despised the Nazis' racial policies.
  
Baer's father was a butcher. The family moved to [[Colorado]] before Bernice and Buddy were born. In 1921, when Maxie was 12, they moved to [[Livermore, California|Livermore]], [[California]], to engage in cattle ranching. Baer often credited working as a butcher boy carrying heavy carcasses of meat for developing his powerful shoulders.
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[[Image:Baer-Louis.gif|thumb|150px|Baer knocked down by Joe Louis]]
  
== Professional boxing career ==
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Now in line for the world heavyweight title, Baer fought [[Primo Carnera]] in June 1934 at [[Madison Square Garden]] before a throng of 50,000. Baer knocked the giant Carnera down 11 times, winning in the eleventh round to take the championship. Then, on June 13, 1935, one of the greatest upsets in boxing history transpired in [[Long Island City, New York]], as Baer fought down-and-out boxer [[James J. Braddock]]. After a grueling back-and-forth battle, Braddock won the heavyweight championship of the world as a 10-to-1 underdog. Braddock took heavy hits from Baer, but kept coming at Baer until he wore Max down. At the end, the judges gave Braddock the title in a unanimous decision. The fight has since become a boxing legend.
  
Baer turned professional in 1929, progressing steadily through the ranks. A ring tragedy little more than a year later almost caused him to drop out of boxing for good. Baer fought [[Frankie Campbell]] (brother of Brooklyn Dodgers star [[Dolph Camilli]]) on August 25, 1930, in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] and with only two blows, knocked him out. Campbell never regained consciousness. After lying on the canvas for nearly an hour, Campbell was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he eventually died of massive brain hemorrhaging. An autopsy revealed that Baer's devastating blows had knocked Campbell's entire brain loose from the connective tissue holding it in place within his cranium.
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Baer's career, however, was far from over. For the next six years, Baer compiled a record of 30-4. In a 1935 fight, Baer fought Joe Louis and was knocked out in the fourth round, the first knockout Baer suffered in his career. He fought [[Lou Nova]] in the first televised heavyweight prizefight on June 1, 1939, on WNBT-TV in New York. His last match was another loss to Nova, in 1941.  
  
The incident earned Max the reputation as a "killer" in the ring. Campbell's death was used for promotional purposes to make Baer seem dangerous. This publicity was further sensationalized by Baer's return bout with [[Ernie Schaaf]], who had bested Baer in a decision a few years earlier. At the close of the 10th round, Baer nailed Schaaf square in the temple with what some witnesses claimed to be the hardest right hand that ever connected in boxing.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Schaaf was saved by the bell, though he ended up losing the bout by way of decision.  Several minutes passed before Schaaf was revived and able to stand under his own power. Schaaf was never quite the same after that bout. He complained frequently of headaches and his ring performance lagged immensely in succeeding bouts. Six months after the Baer fight, Schaaf died in the ring after taking a left jab from the Italian behemoth [[Primo Carnera]]. Although Carnera was vilified as a "man killer," others claimed that Schaaf had died as a result of damage previously inflicted by Baer.  This has since been refuted by information gathered from Schaaf's autopsy [http://www.ibroresearch.com/Articles/Max%20Baer%20and%20Death%20of%20Ernie%20Schaaf.htm]
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Baer boxed in 84 professional fights from 1929 to 1941. In all, his record was 72-12-0 (53 knockouts), which makes him a member of the exclusive group of boxers to have won 50 or more bouts by knockout. Baer defeated the likes of [[Walter Cobb]], [[Kingfish Levinsky]], [[Max Schmeling]], [[Tony Galento]], and [[Tommy Farr]]. He was ''Heavyweight Champion of the World'' from June 14, 1934, when he knocked out [[Primo Carnera]], to June 13, 1935, when his reign ended with the Braddock fight.
  
The death of Campbell and accusations over Schaaf's demise profoundly affected Baer, even though he was ostensibly indestructible and remained a devastating force in the ring. According to his son, actor/director [[Max Baer Jr.]]:<blockquote>My father cried about what happened to Frankie Campbell. He had nightmares. "In reality, my father was one of the kindest, gentlest men you would ever hope to meet.  He treated boxing the way today's professional wrestlers do wrestling:  part sport, mostly showmanship. He never deliberately hurt anyone." He helped put Frankie's children through college.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/315414p-269806c.html|title=Jethro says Opie distorts Baer facts|publisher=New York Daily News|date=2005-06-03}}</ref></blockquote>In the case of Frankie Campbell, Baer was charged with [[manslaughter]]. Baer was eventually acquitted of all charges, but the California State Boxing Commission still banned him from any in-ring activity within the state for the next year. Baer gave purses from succeeding bouts to Campbell's family, but lost four of his next six fights. He fared better when [[Jack Dempsey]] took him under his wing.
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==Baer as entertainer==
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Baer's [[film|motion picture]] debut was in ''[[The Prizefighter and the Lady]]'' ([[1933 in film|1933]]) opposite [[Myrna Loy]] and [[Walter Huston]]. In this [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] movie he played Steven "Steve" Morgan, a bartender turned boxer. Featured were Baer's upcoming opponent, [[Primo Carnera]], as himself and [[Jack Dempsey]], also as himself, acting as the referee.
  
In 1933, Baer fought heavyweight [[Max Schmeling]] at [[Yankee Stadium]]. His trunks displayed an embroidered [[Star of David]][http://www.pugilistica.com/BoxingArchive2/MaxBaerVSJamesBraddockCenterRingAction1935MaxSmile1.JPG], which Max swore to wear in every bout thereafter. He dominated the rugged fighter from [[Germany]] into the tenth round when the referee stopped the match. Because Baer defeated Schmeling, [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s favorite, and Baer had a half-[[Jew]]ish father, he became popular among Jews, those who identified with Jews, and those who despised the Nazis' racial policies.
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On March 29, 1934, ''The Prizefighter and the Lady'' was officially banned from playing in [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] at the behest of [[Joseph Goebbels]], [[Adolf Hitler]]'s minister of Propaganda and Public Entertainment. When contacted for comment at [[Lake Tahoe]], Baer said, "They didn't ban the picture because I have Jewish blood. They banned it because I knocked out Max Schmeling."
  
===''Cinderella Man''===
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Baer acted in nearly a score of movies, including ''[[Africa Screams]]'' (1949) with [[Abbott and Costello]]. A clown in and out of the ring, Baer appeared in a popular [[vaudeville]] act and on his own TV [[variety show]]. He appeared in Humphrey Bogart's final movie, ''[[The Harder They Fall]]'' (1956), opposite [[Mike Lane]] as Toro Moreno, a fictionalized version of [[Primo Carnera]].
  
On June 13, 1935, one of the greatest upsets in boxing history transpired in [[Long Island City, New York]], as Baer fought down-and-out boxer [[James J. Braddock]]. After a grueling back-and-forth battle, Braddock won the heavyweight championship of the world as a 10-to-1 underdog. Braddock took heavy hits from Baer, but kept coming at Baer until he wore Maxie down. At the end, the judges gave Braddock the title in a unanimous decision. The fight has since become a boxing legend.
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Baer's nightclub act, both individually and with boxer [[Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom]], was a big success. He also refereed [[boxing]] and [[wrestling]] matches. Baer's son, Max Jr., achieved fame in the the role of Jethro Bodine in the long-running television comedy series, ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]''. However, Baer died before he could see his son achieve entertainment fame.  
  
Max Baer boxed in 84 professional fights from 1929 to 1941. In all, his record was 72-12-0 (53 knockouts), which makes him a member of the exclusive group of boxers to have won 50 or more bouts by knockout. Baer defeated the likes of [[Walter Cobb]], [[Kingfish Levinsky]], [[Max Schmeling]], [[Tony Galento]] and [[Tommy Farr]]. He was '''Heavyweight Champion of the World''' from June 14, 1934, when he knocked out the massive, 125-kg (275-pound) [[Primo Carnera]], to June 13, 1935, until his reign ended in the aforementioned Braddock fight.  
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Baer additionally worked as a [[disc jockey]] for a [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] [[radio programming|radio]] [[radio station|station]], and for a while he was a [[Professional wrestling|wrestler]]. He also served as public-relations director for a Sacramento automobile dealership and referee for boxing and wrestling matches.
  
Baer fought [[Lou Nova]] in the first televised heavyweight prizefight, on June 1, 1939, on WNBT-TV in New York. His last match was another loss to Nova, in 1941. Baer and his brother, Buddy, both lost fights to [[Joe Louis]], Buddy's two losses to Louis coming in world title fights. In their 1935 fight, Louis knocked Baer out in the fourth round, the first KO Baer suffered in his career. [http://www.latimes.com/features/magazine/west/la-tm-baer01jan07,1,2251502.story?coll=la-headlines-west]
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==Personal life==
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Baer married twice, to actress [[Dorothy Dunbar]] (married July 8, 1931 - divorced 1933), and then to Mary Ellen Sullivan (married June 29, 1935 - until his death, in 1959). With Sullivan, he had three children, actor [[Max Baer Jr.]] (born 1937), James Baer (born 1941), and Maude Baer (born 1943). During a separation from his first wife, Max had an affair with [[movie star]] [[Jean Harlow]].  
  
Baer was inducted into the [[Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1968, the [[World Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1984 and the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1995. The 1998 Holiday Issue of ''Ring'' ranked Baer # 20 in ''"The 50 Greatest Heavyweights of All Time."'' In ''Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers'' (published in 2003), Baer is ranked number 22.
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At the time of his death on November 21, 1959, Baer was scheduled to appear in some television commercials, which he had planned to do in [[Los Angeles]], before returning to his home in Sacramento. After refereeing a boxing match in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], Baer traveled to Los Angeles and checked into the Roosevelt Hotel in [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]]. While shaving in the morning, he suffered a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] and summoned a doctor. He eventually died in the hospital. Baer is interred in Saint Mary's Mausoleum, in Sacramento.
  
==Acting==
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==Legacy==
Baer's [[film|motion picture]] debut was in ''[[The Prizefighter and the Lady]]'' ([[1933 in film|1933]]) opposite [[Myrna Loy]] and [[Walter Huston]]. In this [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] movie he played Steven "Steve" Morgan, a bartender that the Professor, played by Huston, begins training for the ring. Steve wins a fight, then marries Belle Mercer, played by Loy. He starts seriously training, but it turns out he has a huge ego and an eye for a women. Featured were Baer's upcoming opponent, [[Primo Carnera]], as himself, whom Steve challenges for the championship, and [[Jack Dempsey]], as himself, former heavyweight champion, acting as the referee.
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Max Baer's legacy is somewhat mixed. On one hand he was a great fighter, with one of the hardest right-hand punches in heavyweight history. However, he will forever be known for contributing to the deaths of two opponents, one in the ring and the other soon after. His antics of clowning in the ring and taunting his opponents further contributed to his negative image. However, he was able to put his theatrical sense to use in films, television, and a nightclub act. Today, Baer is remembered mostly for his defeat of Max Schmeling, the heavyweight champion of the Nazis, who were shocked to see a part-Jewish fighter beat their man. His portrayal in Ron Howard's film ''Cinderella Man'' does not due him justice, portraying him in caricature without crediting him with the redeeming qualities which, by nearly all accounts, he possessed.
 
 
On March 29, 1934, ''The Prizefighter and the Lady'' was officially banned from playing in [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] at the behest of [[Joseph Goebbels]], then [[Adolf Hitler]]'s minister of Propaganda and Public Entertainment, even though it received favorable reviews in local newspapers as well as in [[Nazi]] publications. When contacted for comment at [[Lake Tahoe]], Baer said, "They didn't ban the picture because I have Jewish blood. They banned it because I knocked out Max Schmeling."
 
 
 
Baer acted in almost 20 movies, including ''[[Africa Screams]]'' (1949) with [[Abbott and Costello]], and made several [[television|TV]] guest appearances. A clown in and out of the ring, Baer also appeared in a [[vaudeville]] act and on his own TV [[variety show]]. Baer appeared in Humphrey Bogart's final movie, ''[[The Harder They Fall]]'' (1956), opposite [[Mike Lane]] as Toro Moreno, a fictionalized version of [[Primo Carnera]], whom Baer defeated for his heavyweight title. [[Budd Schulberg]], who wrote the book from which the movie was made, portrayed the Baer character, "Buddy Brannen," as bloodthirsty, and the unfounded characterization was reprised in ''Cinderella Man''.
 
 
 
Baer additionally worked as a [[disc jockey]] for a [[Sacramento, California|Sacramento]] [[radio programming|radio]] [[radio station|station]], and for a while he was a [[Professional wrestling|wrestler]]. He also served as public relations director for a Sacramento automobile dealership and referee for boxing and wrestling matches.
 
 
 
==Family==
 
Baer married twice, actress [[Dorothy Dunbar]] (married July 8, 1931-divorced 1933) and Mary Ellen Sullivan (married June 29, 1935-his death 1959). With Sullivan, he had three children, actor [[Max Baer Jr.]] (born  1937), James Baer (born  1941) and Maude Baer (born  1943). During a separation from his first wife, Max had an affair with [[movie star]] [[Jean Harlow]].
 
 
 
Baer never lived to enjoy the TV and movie success of his son, [[Max Baer Jr.]] (who played Jethro Bodine in the television series ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies]]''). At the time of his death on November 21, 1959, Baer was scheduled to appear in some TV commercials, which he had planned to do in [[Los Angeles]] before returning to his home in Sacramento.
 
 
 
Since Max Baer Sr. was unable to defend himself from Ron Howard's unflattering portrayal in ''Cinderella Man'', the task of rehabilitating his father's reputation has fallen to Max Baer Jr. [http://www.latimes.com/features/magazine/west/la-tm-baer01jan07,1,2251502.story?coll=la-headlines-west]
 
  
==Death==
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'''Recognition:'''
After refereeing a boxing match in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], Baer traveled to Los Angeles and checked into the Roosevelt Hotel in [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]]. While shaving in the morning, he suffered a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]] and summoned a doctor. Although Baer hung on for a while, he eventually died in the hospital.
 
  
Baer is interred in Saint Mary's Mausoleum, Sacramento.
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*Inducted into the [[Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1968; the [[World Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1984; and the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]] in 1995.
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*The 1998 Holiday Issue of ''Ring'' ranked Baer number 20 of ''"The 50 Greatest Heavyweights of All Time."'' In ''Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers'' (published in 2003), Baer is ranked number 22.
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*Max Baer Park in Livermore, California, is named for him, as is another a park in Sacramento.
  
==Legacy==
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Filmography (partial):
Filmography:
 
 
*"[[The Prizefighter and the Lady]]" (1933)
 
*"[[The Prizefighter and the Lady]]" (1933)
*"[[Africa Screams]]" (1949) - with his brother, Buddy
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*"[[Africa Screams]]" (1949)—with his brother, Buddy
 
*"[[The Harder They Fall]]" (1956)
 
*"[[The Harder They Fall]]" (1956)
*Portrayed In: "[[Cinderella Man]]" (2005) - depiction is disputed by Baer's family
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* Portrayed In: "[[Cinderella Man]]" (2005)
 
 
 
 
*There is a park named for Max Baer in [[Livermore, California]], which he considered his home town, even though he was born in Omaha.
 
*There is also a park in Sacramento named after him.
 
*He was honored by the [[Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame]].
 
  
 
==Notes==
 
==Notes==
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==References==
 
==References==
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*Fleischer, Nat. ''Max Baer: The Glamour Boy of the Ring''. Press of C.J. O'Brien, 1949.
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*Schaap, Jeremy. ''Cinderella Man James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History''. Houghton Mifflin, 2005. ASIN B000UEYUYI
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*Universal Studios. ''Cinderella Man'' (DVD), 2005. ASIN B000ARTN31
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
* [http://www.maxbaer.org/ The True Story About the Life of Max Baer]
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All links retrieved November 8, 2022.
* [http://www.MaxBaerBoxer.com Site about Max Baer]
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* {{imdb name|id=0046368|name=Max Baer}}. ''www.imdb.com''.  
* {{imdb name|id=0046368|name=Max Baer}}
 
* [http://tesla.liketelevision.com/liketelevision/tuner.php?channel=790&format=movie&theme=guide Watch Max Baer in Africa Screams]
 
* [http://www.searchforvideo.com/sports/boxing/max-baer/ Max Baer clips]
 
* [http://www.ibhof.com/baer.htm International Boxing Hall of Fame biography]
 
 
 
 
 
  
[[Category:art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
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[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
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[[Category:Biography]]
 
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Latest revision as of 00:53, 9 November 2022


Max Baer
Baermaxcutkirkpic.jpeg
Statistics
Real name Maximilian Adalbert Baer
Nickname Livermore Larupper
Rated at Heavyweight
Nationality United States of America
Birth date February 11, 1909
Birth place Omaha, Nebraska
Death date November 21, 1959
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 84
Wins 72
Wins by KO 53
Losses 12
Draws 0
No contests 0

Maximilian Adalbert "Madcap Maxie" Baer (February 11, 1909 – November 21, 1959) was a famous American boxer of the 1930s, onetime Heavyweight Champion of the World, and actor. One of the most devastating right-handed punchers in heavyweight history, Baer was a wise-cracking performer whose ring antics entertained boxing audiences during the Great Depression.

Baer turned pro in 1929 and won 22 of his first 24 fights, nine with first-round knockouts. However, in 1930, Baer's opponent Frankie Campbell died as the result of a Baer knockout. Two years later, another Baer opponent, Ernie Schaaf, died following a bout with Primo Carnera, and Schaaf's death was partially attributed to the beating he had earlier suffered from Baer. While keeping up his clowning and even profiting from his "killer" image in public, Baer was reportedly internally shaken by these deaths.

The zenith of Baer's career came in 1933 when he donned shorts emblazoned with a Star of David and beat the highly touted German fighter Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium before 60,000 fans, during the height of the Nazi era. Baer then took the heavyweight championship title from Primo Carnera in 1934.

Baer also starred in films and was a well known man about town before marrying in 1935. At the height of his career, Baer shockingly lost the title to James J. Braddock, the "Cinderella Man," in his first defense. For the next six years, Baer compiled a record of 30-4. He then retired, working as a film and television actor and in a successful nightclub act. He also refereed boxing and wrestling matches. Baer died of a heart attack at age 50 in Hollywood, in 1959.

Early life and boxing career

Baer was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of a Jewish German immigrant Jacob Baer (1875–1938) and Dora Bales (1877–1938). The family moved to Colorado before siblings Bernice and Buddy were born. In 1921, when Max was 12, they moved to Livermore, California, to engage in cattle ranching. Baer's father was also a butcher, and Max often credited his carrying heavy carcasses of meat for developing his powerful shoulders.

In 1929, Baer turned professional, progressing steadily through the ranks winning 22 of his first 24 fights. However, a ring tragedy little more than a year later almost caused him to drop out of boxing for good. Baer fought Frankie Campbell on August 25, 1930, in San Francisco and, with only two blows, knocked him out. After lying on the canvas for nearly an hour, Campbell was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital, where he eventually died of massive brain hemorrhaging. An autopsy revealed that Baer's devastating blows had knocked Campbell's entire brain loose from the connective tissue holding it in place within his cranium.

Baer was charged with manslaughter, but was eventually acquitted of all charges. Nevertheless, the California State Boxing Commission banned him from any in-ring activity within the state for the next year. Baer gave purses from succeeding bouts to Campbell's family and helped put his children through college, but lost four of his next six fights. He fared better when Jack Dempsey took him under his wing. Dempsey taught the fighter—who relied on an all-out display of superior strength—how to shorten his punches for greater efficiency and to avoid counter shots.

The Campbell incident earned Baer the reputation as a "killer" in the ring. Campbell's death was also used for promotional purposes to make Baer seem dangerous. This publicity was further sensationalized by Baer's 1932 rematch with Ernie Schaaf, who had bested Baer in a decision a few years earlier. At the close of the tenth and final round, Baer hit Schaaf in the temple with what some witnesses claimed to be the hardest right hand that ever connected in boxing. Schaaf was saved by the bell, but he ended up losing the bout by decision. Several minutes passed before Schaaf was revived enough to stand under his own power.

Schaaf was never quite the same after that bout. He complained frequently of headaches and his ring performance lagged immensely in succeeding bouts. Six months after the Baer fight, Schaaf died in the ring after taking a left jab from the Italian behemoth Primo Carnera. Although Carnera was vilified as a "man killer," others claimed that Schaaf had died as a result of damage previously inflicted by Baer.[1] The death of Campbell and accusations over Schaaf's demise profoundly affected Baer, even though he was ostensibly indestructible and remained a devastating force in the ring.

At the top

The highlight of Baer's career came in 1933 when he beat the highly touted German fighter Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium before 60,000 fans. Baer's trunks displayed an embroidered Star of David, which Max swore to wear in every bout thereafter. Baer pummeled Schmeling and referee Arthur Donovan stopped the fight in the tenth round. Schmeling was Hitler's favorite, and Baer immediately became the champion of Jews, those who identified with Jews, and those who despised the Nazis' racial policies.

Baer knocked down by Joe Louis

Now in line for the world heavyweight title, Baer fought Primo Carnera in June 1934 at Madison Square Garden before a throng of 50,000. Baer knocked the giant Carnera down 11 times, winning in the eleventh round to take the championship. Then, on June 13, 1935, one of the greatest upsets in boxing history transpired in Long Island City, New York, as Baer fought down-and-out boxer James J. Braddock. After a grueling back-and-forth battle, Braddock won the heavyweight championship of the world as a 10-to-1 underdog. Braddock took heavy hits from Baer, but kept coming at Baer until he wore Max down. At the end, the judges gave Braddock the title in a unanimous decision. The fight has since become a boxing legend.

Baer's career, however, was far from over. For the next six years, Baer compiled a record of 30-4. In a 1935 fight, Baer fought Joe Louis and was knocked out in the fourth round, the first knockout Baer suffered in his career. He fought Lou Nova in the first televised heavyweight prizefight on June 1, 1939, on WNBT-TV in New York. His last match was another loss to Nova, in 1941.

Baer boxed in 84 professional fights from 1929 to 1941. In all, his record was 72-12-0 (53 knockouts), which makes him a member of the exclusive group of boxers to have won 50 or more bouts by knockout. Baer defeated the likes of Walter Cobb, Kingfish Levinsky, Max Schmeling, Tony Galento, and Tommy Farr. He was Heavyweight Champion of the World from June 14, 1934, when he knocked out Primo Carnera, to June 13, 1935, when his reign ended with the Braddock fight.

Baer as entertainer

Baer's motion picture debut was in The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933) opposite Myrna Loy and Walter Huston. In this MGM movie he played Steven "Steve" Morgan, a bartender turned boxer. Featured were Baer's upcoming opponent, Primo Carnera, as himself and Jack Dempsey, also as himself, acting as the referee.

On March 29, 1934, The Prizefighter and the Lady was officially banned from playing in Germany at the behest of Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler's minister of Propaganda and Public Entertainment. When contacted for comment at Lake Tahoe, Baer said, "They didn't ban the picture because I have Jewish blood. They banned it because I knocked out Max Schmeling."

Baer acted in nearly a score of movies, including Africa Screams (1949) with Abbott and Costello. A clown in and out of the ring, Baer appeared in a popular vaudeville act and on his own TV variety show. He appeared in Humphrey Bogart's final movie, The Harder They Fall (1956), opposite Mike Lane as Toro Moreno, a fictionalized version of Primo Carnera.

Baer's nightclub act, both individually and with boxer Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom, was a big success. He also refereed boxing and wrestling matches. Baer's son, Max Jr., achieved fame in the the role of Jethro Bodine in the long-running television comedy series, The Beverly Hillbillies. However, Baer died before he could see his son achieve entertainment fame.

Baer additionally worked as a disc jockey for a Sacramento radio station, and for a while he was a wrestler. He also served as public-relations director for a Sacramento automobile dealership and referee for boxing and wrestling matches.

Personal life

Baer married twice, to actress Dorothy Dunbar (married July 8, 1931 - divorced 1933), and then to Mary Ellen Sullivan (married June 29, 1935 - until his death, in 1959). With Sullivan, he had three children, actor Max Baer Jr. (born 1937), James Baer (born 1941), and Maude Baer (born 1943). During a separation from his first wife, Max had an affair with movie star Jean Harlow.

At the time of his death on November 21, 1959, Baer was scheduled to appear in some television commercials, which he had planned to do in Los Angeles, before returning to his home in Sacramento. After refereeing a boxing match in Phoenix, Baer traveled to Los Angeles and checked into the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. While shaving in the morning, he suffered a heart attack and summoned a doctor. He eventually died in the hospital. Baer is interred in Saint Mary's Mausoleum, in Sacramento.

Legacy

Max Baer's legacy is somewhat mixed. On one hand he was a great fighter, with one of the hardest right-hand punches in heavyweight history. However, he will forever be known for contributing to the deaths of two opponents, one in the ring and the other soon after. His antics of clowning in the ring and taunting his opponents further contributed to his negative image. However, he was able to put his theatrical sense to use in films, television, and a nightclub act. Today, Baer is remembered mostly for his defeat of Max Schmeling, the heavyweight champion of the Nazis, who were shocked to see a part-Jewish fighter beat their man. His portrayal in Ron Howard's film Cinderella Man does not due him justice, portraying him in caricature without crediting him with the redeeming qualities which, by nearly all accounts, he possessed.

Recognition:

  • Inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1968; the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1984; and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995.
  • The 1998 Holiday Issue of Ring ranked Baer number 20 of "The 50 Greatest Heavyweights of All Time." In Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers (published in 2003), Baer is ranked number 22.
  • Max Baer Park in Livermore, California, is named for him, as is another a park in Sacramento.

Filmography (partial):

  • "The Prizefighter and the Lady" (1933)
  • "Africa Screams" (1949)—with his brother, Buddy
  • "The Harder They Fall" (1956)
  • Portrayed In: "Cinderella Man" (2005)

Notes

  1. The allegation that Baer was responsible for damaging Schaaf's brain has since been refuted by information gathered from Schaaf's autopsy.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Fleischer, Nat. Max Baer: The Glamour Boy of the Ring. Press of C.J. O'Brien, 1949.
  • Schaap, Jeremy. Cinderella Man James J. Braddock, Max Baer, and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History. Houghton Mifflin, 2005. ASIN B000UEYUYI
  • Universal Studios. Cinderella Man (DVD), 2005. ASIN B000ARTN31

External links

All links retrieved November 8, 2022.

  • Max Baer at the Internet Movie Database. www.imdb.com.

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