Boxing becomes a popular subject early on, attracting a wide audience. The athlete is transformed into a movie hero and a star. Filmed reports attest to his ability to captivate audiences, as in W.K.L. Dickson’s Leonard-Cushing Fight (1894) or in The Johnson- Jeffries Fight (1910). In 1912, an Olympic year, Max Linder will play a sportsman in three pictures: Max Linder Does All the Sports, A Jockey for Love and Max boxeur par amour (Love and Boxing in the UK). In the latter flick, Max succeeds – if only through his antics – in winning over the woman he loves, daughter of champion Jack Jeffroies (a nod to James Jeffries?), who will only consent to marry the man who can defeat her. To avoid being knocked out like the other suitors, Max covers her with a flurry of kisses, and she finally gives him her glove … and her hand. The boxing match, within the framework of the romantic plot, brings forth the image of a modern joust, where the lady is no longer a mere spectator, but champion of the contest. Narrative and comedic elements – from the referee’s countdown to the inter- round recovery, from the clamorous crowd to the quick succession of blows – allude to the familiar conventions of big, popular matches, while simultaneously portraying an entertaining campaign of seduction.

Carole Fodor