2004 04 24 -- ed note: Russell got in touch to wish "my old man" well, and allowed me to ask him a few questions re CM:
What kind of conditioning/ideal weight did you try to achieve:
My weight in my various roles: Jim 176 lbs - Jack 228 - Wigand up to 250+ - Maximus 190 - Johnny 168 - Sid 180 - Terry 195 --- The difference now is no heavy weights at all. Weight sessions are with very low weights like 4 pounds or thera-band. I have taken physio excercises with Errol Alcott who designed a complete muscle workout based on that recovery programme. It works quite well. All the major muscle groups get worked but you don't fatigue or stress your joints and tendons. There is also an emphasis on aerobic excercise.
How is Renee to work with?
Renee has brought a much needed energy expansion to the set. After weeks of boxing and depression scenes, the Braddock family is now complete and the kids get lots of laughs from all. Renee and I did a couple of very emotional scenes last week. There were lots of tears from the crew. It is very unusual to effect everyone like that, but also lots of fun because it brings everyone closer together as a working unit, gives everyone confidence that they are spending their energy on something special.
Can you share some technical information on the filming?
As to the technical aspects of the filming, in the ring on Friday, 82 set ups were completed. Ron absolutely smashed his previous record, almost unheard of -- shootin' at the shrine*, rocking the garden.
* Folks in Toronto call the old Garden "the Shrine."
Anything on Braddock as a person?
Braddock info: Some people will be critical that Braddock's weight for the Baer fight was 191 1/2, but he was 6'3" (RC is 5' 11 1/2"). He was 17 pounds at birth. His middle name is really Walter. He was born on the same block as the original Madison Square Garden. One of his jobs after boxing was working on the Verrazano Bridge.
2004 11 30 From Russell:
"Strength and honour" came from me saying "forza et honorum" to Ridley. It was a two word tag "like" that of Sydney Boys High, "veritate and virtute," not the actual.
At school we were taught to translate that as truth and virtue. Simple.
A lot of these interviews have cut out the relative explanation and just gone for the end result.
I wanted to find a Latin tag line as powerful as the motto of my first (of three) high schools. I wanted the line to be the Latin specific of the two words I thought represented Max. That’s what I presented to Ridley, in pigeon Latin, forza et honourum -- he asked what does that mean? I said strength and honour. He said, say that then.
On Cinderella Man, "vincit qui se vincit" - he conquers who conquers himself.
Thanks to mnc
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