Great White Hope, The

Great White Hope, The (1968), a play by Howard Sackler. [Alvin Theatre, 556 perf.; Pulitzer Prize, Tony, NYDCC Awards.] To the dismay of racists, Jack Jefferson ( James Earl Jones), a black prizefighter, rises to the top of his profession and becomes the heavyweight champion. But even some people who would not consider themselves racists bristle at Jefferson's arrogant, impolitic behavior. He flaunts his wealth and, worse, flaunts his white girl friend, Ellie ( Jane Alexander). Arrested by the authorities for breaking racial laws, the pressures finally drive Ellie to suicide. To the joy of many, Jack is toppled by a white fighter, but not before he has first pounded his opponent to a pulp. Based on the career of Jack Johnson, this gripping, magnificently mounted blank‐verse drama was initially presented at Washington's Arena Stage before producer Herman Levin brought it to Broadway, one of the first such transfers from regional theatre. Howard SACKLER (1929–82) was born in New York and educated at Brooklyn College, served as a record director, screenwriter, and poet, as well as author of several plays mounted in regional theatres, before he was represented on Broadway by this play. His subsequent plays, such as Goodbye, Fidel (1980), were shortlived.