When We Were Kings (1996)
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- PG
- 1h 28min
- Documentary, Sport
- 14 Feb 1997 (USA)
- Movie
Boxing documentary on the 1974 world heavyweight championship bout between defending champion, George Foreman, and the underdog challenger, Muhammad Ali.
Director:
Stars:
Awards:
- Won 1 Oscar. Another 11 wins & 5 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Muhammad Ali | ... |
Self
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| George Foreman | ... |
Self
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| Don King | ... |
Self
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| James Brown | ... |
Self
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| B.B. King | ... |
Self
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| Mobutu Sese Seko | ... |
Self (President of Zaire)
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| Spike Lee | ... |
Self
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| Norman Mailer | ... |
Self - Writer
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| George Plimpton | ... |
Self - Writer
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| Thomas Hauser | ... |
Self
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| Malick Bowens | ... |
Self - Artist
(as Malik Bowens)
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| Lloyd Price | ... |
Self - Concert Promoter
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| The Spinners | ... |
Themselves
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| Miriam Makeba | ... |
Self
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Drew Bundini Brown | ... |
Self - Ali's Ass't Trainer
(as Drew 'Bundini' Brown)
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Odessa Clay | ... |
Self - Ali's Mother
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| Howard Cosell | ... |
Self - ABC Sports
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Wilton Felder | ... |
Self
(as The Crusaders)
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| Joe Frazier | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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Wayne Henderson | ... |
Self
(as The Crusaders)
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Stix Hooper | ... |
Self
(as The Crusaders)
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Jim Jacobs | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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Stewart Levine | ... |
Self - Festival Producer
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| Sonny Liston | ... |
Self (archiveFootage)
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Alan Pariser | ... |
Self - Festival Coordinator
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Danny 'Big Black' Rey | ... |
Self - Performer
(as 'Big Black')
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Dick Sadler | ... |
Self - Foreman's manager
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Joe Sample | ... |
Self
(as The Crusaders)
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Philippé Wynne | ... |
Self
(as The Spinners)
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Zach Clayton | ... |
Self - Referee (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Angelo Dundee | ... |
Self (uncredited)
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Lola Love | ... |
Self - Dancer (uncredited)
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| Archie Moore | ... |
Self (uncredited)
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| Ken Norton | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Jersey Joe Walcott | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Directed by
| Leon Gast | ||
Produced by
| Leon Gast | ... | producer |
| Taylor Hackford | ... | producer |
| Vikram Jayanti | ... | co-producer |
| Keith Robinson | ... | co-producer |
| David Sonenberg | ... | executive producer |
Cinematography by
| Maryse Alberti | ||
| Paul Goldsmith | ||
| Kevin Keating | ||
| Albert Maysles | ||
| Roderick Young | ||
Editing by
| Leon Gast | ||
| Taylor Hackford | ||
| Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte | ... | (as Jeffrey Levy-Hinte) |
| Keith Robinson | ||
Editorial Department
| Jamie W. Billett | ... | post-production assistant |
| Donald Blank | ... | post-production assistant |
| Wendy Caplin | ... | assistant editor |
| Joseph Fusco | ... | post-production assistant |
| Mark Ginsberg | ... | color timer |
| Sara Spolan | ... | post-production assistant |
| Stan Sztaba | ... | negative matcher |
| Terry Tragianopoulos | ... | assistant editor |
| Joe Violante | ... | advisor: Technicolor |
| Jeff Mack | ... | colorist: dailies (uncredited) |
Production Management
| St. Clair Bourne | ... | unit manager |
| Ossie Brown | ... | unit manager |
| Barrie Singer | ... | production manager |
| Robert Warmflash | ... | post-production supervisor |
Sound Department
| Robert Cardelli | ... | sound editor |
| Bill Daly | ... | location sound coordinator |
| Gene Defever | ... | location sound recordist |
| Bernard Fox | ... | location sound coordinator |
| Petur Hliddal | ... | location sound recordist |
| Gary Kelgern | ... | sound recordist: concert sound |
| Ed Lockman | ... | location sound recordist |
| Alan Manger | ... | sound recordist: concert sound |
| William Markle | ... | sound post-production |
| Tony Miller | ... | location sound recordist |
| Frank Morrone | ... | re-recording mixer / sound mixer |
| Mark Paturet | ... | location sound recordist |
| Randal Shepard | ... | location sound recordist |
| Tony V. Stevens | ... | stereo sound consultant: Dolby |
| Christopher L. Stone | ... | sound recordist: concert sound (as Chris Stone) |
| Richard Wells | ... | location sound recordist |
| Shane Zarintash | ... | location sound recordist (as Shane Zarantash) |
| Yuri Gorbachow | ... | noise reduction engineer (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Joe Arcidiacono | ... | assistant camera |
| Michael F. Barrow | ... | gaffer |
| Howard L. Bingham | ... | still photographer |
| Joseph Calloway | ... | additional cinematographer (as Joseph W. Calloway) |
| Everett Easton | ... | gaffer |
| Robert Fletcher | ... | additional cinematographer |
| Wardell Gaynor | ... | additional cinematographer |
| Jack Harris | ... | additional cinematographer |
| Larry Kirsch | ... | key grip |
| Bob Kragen | ... | key grip |
| Norman Leigh | ... | gaffer |
| Roy Lewis | ... | additional cinematographer |
| Bill McManus | ... | concert lighting director |
| Roland Mitchell | ... | additional cinematographer |
| Dave Samuel | ... | gaffer (as David Samuel) |
| Karma Stanley | ... | additional cinematographer |
| Egon Stephan Jr. | ... | camera technician (as Egon Stephan) |
| Burleigh Wartes | ... | additional cinematographer |
Music Department
| Peter Denenberg | ... | post music mixing |
| Scot McCracken | ... | music supervisor |
| Rick Rowe | ... | music premix |
Additional Crew
| Jonathan Angier | ... | production assistant |
| Larry Bullard | ... | production assistant |
| Frank D'Angelo | ... | production assistant |
| Ronnie Dee | ... | musician/vocalist |
| Bill Durborow | ... | coordinator: Das Films Ltd. |
| Richard Edelen | ... | production assistant |
| Kenneth D. Freundlich | ... | legal |
| John Ginnes | ... | production coordinator |
| Eileen Greene | ... | coordinator: Das Films Ltd. |
| Cynthia Henry | ... | production assistant |
| Bob Hewitt | ... | production assistant |
| Laurie Horsley | ... | production assistant |
| Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte | ... | avid services (as Jeffrey Levy-Hinte) |
| Peter Lasoff | ... | production assistant |
| Stewart Levine | ... | concert producer |
| Louise Marshall | ... | production coordinator |
| Hugh Masekela | ... | concert producer |
| Chip Monck | ... | concert line producer |
| Don Nolan | ... | 35 mm blow-up |
| Alan Pariser | ... | festival coordinator |
| Lloyd Price | ... | concert producer |
| Andréa Timpone | ... | coordinator: Das Films Ltd. (as Andrea Timpone) |
| Rick Wardell | ... | production assistant |
| Richard Warner | ... | production assistant |
| Peter D. Graves | ... | executive marketing consultant (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Lonnie Ali | ... | special thanks |
| Ray Arcel | ... | in memory of |
| Damon Bingham | ... | special thanks |
| Drew Bundini Brown | ... | in memory of |
| Cassius Clay Sr. | ... | in memory of |
| Odessa Clay | ... | in memory of |
| John Condon | ... | in memory of |
| Harold Conrad | ... | in memory of |
| Howard Cosell | ... | in memory of |
| Cus D'Amato | ... | in memory of |
| Richard Durham | ... | in memory of |
| Paula Frank | ... | special thanks |
| Geri Spolan Gast | ... | special thanks |
| Eugenie Gavenchak | ... | special thanks |
| Lawrence Grauman | ... | in memory of |
| Alex Haley | ... | in memory of |
| Harvey Horowitz | ... | special thanks |
| Jim Jacobs | ... | in memory of |
| Marvin Kohn | ... | in memory of |
| Sonny Liston | ... | in memory of |
| Joe Louis | ... | in memory of |
| Malcolm X | ... | in memory of |
| Rocky Marciano | ... | in memory of |
| Elijah Muhammad | ... | in memory of |
| Barney Nagler | ... | in memory of |
| Sugar Ray Robinson | ... | in memory of |
| Luis Sarria | ... | in memory of |
| Lana Shabazz | ... | in memory of |
| Barrie Singer | ... | in memory of |
| Shelley Sonenberg | ... | special thanks |
| Michael Spolan | ... | in memory of |
| Burleigh Wartes | ... | in memory of |
| Fred Wesley | ... | special thanks |
| Brian Wierda | ... | in memory of |
| Philippé Wynne | ... | in memory of (as Felipe Wynne) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Gramercy Pictures (I) (1996) (United States) (theatrical)
- Becker Entertainment (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Filmcoopi (1997) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
- PolyGram Film Distribution (1997) (France) (theatrical)
- PolyGram Filmed Entertainment Distribution (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
- Sogepaq Distribución (1997) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Vitória Filmes (1998) (Portugal) (theatrical)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (Australia) (VHS)
- FOX (2016) (Netherlands) (tv)
- HBO Max (2020) (United States) (video) (VOD)
- Image Entertainment (United States) (laserdisc)
- National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1999) (United States) (tv) (broadcast premiere)
- PolyGram Video (1997) (Netherlands) (VHS)
- PolyGram Video (2002) (United States) (DVD)
- Rai Sport (2016) (Italy) (tv)
- Scanbox Entertainment (1997) (Sweden) (VHS)
- Scanbox Entertainment (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
- The Criterion Channel (2022) (United States) (tv) (streaming)
- Universal Home Entertainment (2005) (United Kingdom) (DVD)
- Universal Pictures Video (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
- Universal Pictures Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Acme Soundworks Studio (post-music mixing)
- Broadview Productions Ltd. (production services)
- Cynosure Films (titles)
- Four Media Company (videotape transform)
- Mercury Records (soundtrack)
- Post 391 (avid services)
- Sapex Scripts (post-production script services)
- Sundance Film Festival (festival)
- The Effects House (35 mm blow-up)
- Todd-AO Studios (West) (score mixed at)
- World Cinevision Services (negative matchback)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
It's 1974, Muhammad Ali is 32 and thought by many to be past his prime. George Foreman is ten years younger and the Heavyweight champion of the world. Promoter Don King wants to make a name for himself and offers both fighters five million dollars apiece to fight one another, and when they accept, King has only to come up with the money. He finds a backer in Mobutu Sese Seko, the dictator of Zaire and the "Rumble in the Jungle" is set. A musical festival, featuring the America's top black performers, like James Brown and B.B. King, is also planned.
Written by Gary Dickerson |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | The untold story of the Rumble in the Jungle See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
Additional Details
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Box Office
| Cumulative Worldwide Gross | $4,771,473 |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | When the film won the Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary, George Foreman and Muhammad Ali came to the stage with the filmmakers to show they had made peace. Foreman helped Ali, stricken with Parkinson's Disease, climb the steps to the stage. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited from The Rumble in the Jungle (1974). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Am Am Pondo See more » |
| Quotes |
Muhammad Ali:
It is befitting that I leave the game just like I came in, beating a big bad monster who knocks out everybody and no one can whup him. That's when little Cassius Clay from Louisville, Kentucky, came up to stop Sonny Liston. The man who annihilated Floyd Patterson twice. HE WAS GONNA KILL ME! But he hit harder than George. His reach is longer than George's. He's a better boxer than George. And I'm better now than I was when you saw that 22-years old undeveloped kid running from Sonny Liston. I'm experienced now, professional. Jaws been broke, been knocked down a couple of times, I'm bad! Been chopping trees. I done something new for this fight. I done wrestled with an alligator. That's right. I have wrestled with an alligator. I done tussled with a whale. I done handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail. That's bad! Only last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalised a brick! I'm so mean I make medicine sick! Don King: Bad dude! Muhammad Ali: Bad, fast! Fast! Fast! Last night I cut the light off in my bedroom, hit the switch and was in the bed before the room was dark. See more » |