Comments on Joe Louis Doc

Just finished watching the HBO documentary on Joe Louis. Like all of HBO's documentary work, it was expertly done if not entirely groundbreaking for those familiar with Louis. What was if not inaccurate, but skewed, was the portrayal of Max Schmeling. While there was a brief segment showing Schmeling sent to the front lines after being KO'd by Louis, the documentary didn't do enough to distance Schmeling from the Nazi regime. Schmeling was not a Nazi and did not support the Nazis. In fact Schmeling risked his life to save Jews. When the documentary mentions that Schmeling was given Coca Cola distribution rights in Germany and became a millionaire, it links him to Nazis, which is inappropriate. Schmeling was a great man who was a pallbearer at Louis' funeral and helped Louis financially.

After the documentary in an interview by Max Kellerman with Wladimir Klitschko, Klitschko mentions that Schmeling was a hero of his and that he had goosebumps when he met him.