Burt Reynolds and Jake LaMotta 1971

Burt Reynolds guest hosts this 1971 edition of "The Tonight Show" and welcomes a variety of veteran boxers, including "Bronx Bull" Jake LaMotta

[@sergeantwarden471]

Those old time fighters always came off as gentlemen. Even in todays screwed up society, fighters usually come off as respectful and gentlemanly. I respect them more than any other athletes.

[@javierdenardo2607]

Roman gladiators

[@chukesobialo5706]

Love the pride in the way those old school fighters carried themselves..

[@LS-ki9ft]

"I don't want to be a character actor". That's hilarious. The world is a less funny place without Burt Reynolds. God bless and may he rest in peace.

[@gregoryeastwood9068]

All of those middle aged boxers in the audience wore suit and ties. Awesome.

[@mayuquitomayu4743]

I think your observation could be extended- nowadays no one wears a suit unless they are dead, getting married, interviewing for a job or selling something you cannot afford.

[@tonyzanowic7442]

10 great, tough old time fighters!

[@MrFirstdance2000]

Burt was an awesome host. Fun, witty, and the greatest laugh!

[@johnyerkov1553]

So many talented boxers in one place Willie Pep had the most wins of any boxer ever

[@oreokookie1000]

I met willie in hartford ct. in the mid '70's. My grandpa knew him, he shook my hand and said" hey kid"...it was like a vice, hurt like hell!

[@oreokookie1000]

@@geewhizz1970 very funny...no I'm not a powder puff, you friggin' idiot....just a guy who who gave his life to Christ in 1983, after seeing all kinds of shit in the 60's and 70's....why don't you come to new haven here, and we will settle it...funny how you guys talk a good game under the cloak of the internet! hahahahahaha...phony!!!

[@Jay-bo7bo]

No, Len Warwick has the most wins of all time with 342

[@trajan75]

My Godfather Steve Belloise was a great fighter of the 1940's. He was consistently ranked as the leading MIddleweight. contender. He missed his chance at the title because right after Pearl Harbor he enlisted in the Navy. After the war LaMotta got the title shot and Uncle Steve lost the elimination bout to Sugar Ray Robinson who then went on to beat LaMotta. Uncle Steve remained in the Naval Reserve and trained many sailors at Ft. Schuyler Naval Station in the Bronx. He was a wonderful man.

[@DGA2000]

Your Godfather was a great fighter. He stepped into the ring with lots of greats and held his own beating guys like Ceferino Garcia and Tommy Bell

[@wineitfoods]

John Barone WOW John, you Godfather was once heck of a middle weight. He fought some of the best guys.

[@adampowell5481]

Interesting story mate

[@trajan75]

@@wineitfoods Thank you.

[@trajan75]

@@DGA2000 Thank you.

[@stevephlyer]

Burt Reynolds, the best guest-host ever of The Tonight Show. And this is almost 10 years before Martin Scorsese made The Ranging Bull movie about Jake La Motta. Jake wrote in the book that he presented to Burt, that he thinks he would be the only person he would trust to play him, wow! Robert De Niro did a wonderful job playin La Motta, no doubt, but I think Burt could've made a fantastic boxer as well.

[@davidarango4679]

Bert wouldn't have been able to mimic a true Bronx accent. De Diro was not only Italian, but a Bronx native himself. His accent was natural, perfect choice to play La Motta

[@FranzSanchez-ky9up]

Burt was brickin' it. I can't blame him.

[@samcole9262]

Your Godfather fought in an era with some of the toughest men ever to walk this earth.. look how many amateur and pro fights they had before even getting a shot. and there were just 8 belts and weight classes

[@tomitstube]

hilarious. mcmahon set reynolds up pretty good. it's amazing someone could take the punishment jake did and still be alert and alive at 90 years old.

[@Danimal77]

He reminds me of the Paulie character from Rocky.

[@vincentfisher1603]

No way boxers would be treated this way on any tv show now.

[@chukesobialo5706]

I love Burt Reynolds

[@jurjyzaidan5540]

A few comments were made here about why there are no Black fighters on the show ... These fighters were gathered for the Sports Illustrated-sponsored exhibition "rematches" that were fundraisers for the United Cerebral Palsy Fund. The ones who participated in the fundraiser were those who volunteered. And the ones who appeared on this episode of the Tonight Show were not the only ones who were invited, but the ones who agreed to appear on the show...And Chico Vejar (the one who is dressed stylishly hip and not wearing a formal suit) is Latino. The rest just happened to be either Italian or Irish. As for Burt Reynolds, Ed McMahon really put him on the spot like he had never been before (or since) by thoroughly deflating Burt's Hollywood "tough guy" image and ego when confronting REAL tough guys ... Some of them true boxing legends: Willie 'Will-o-the-wisp' Pep; Francis 'Chico' Vejar; Steve 'Ginks' Belloise; Joey Giardello-The Bad Boy of Boxing; Carmen Basilio; The Raging Bronx Bull Jake LaMotta, etc. In probably his entire public life, Burt Reynolds NEVER looked so nervous, uneasy, and embarrassed as he did in this talk show appearance. Jake LaMotta good-humoredly "destroyed" Burt Reynolds in this talk show episode. Being a top ENTERTAINER, Reynolds' wit managed to get him through. What really matters here is not why there are no Black boxers present at this talk show, but that the fighters who are present display and evoke a certain dignity, class, and elegance which they also did before and after their professional bouts in the ring (during weigh-ins and press conferences)...And NOTHING like so many of the gutter level, foul-mouthed, shameless, show-boating degenerates that have disgraced the sport of boxing in the past 40+ years (i.e., from about 1980 onward).

[@kc1973able]

If you watch a few of the Hagler fights you will see Burt in the crowd.

[@kevindean1327]

Tom Jones too.

[@necoslayerofdragons7champi882]

Should have added Pedro montanez to that roster. He fought Henry Armstrong and Louis Ambers,and had close to 200 pro fights

[@trajan75]

Thank you for remembering.

[@marco27c1]

September 13, 1971, Burt's second shot as guest host.

[@coldwinter5710]

Burt was the 1st "actor" Johnny asked to host the show. Up to that point, only comedians got the nod. That is saying a whole lot about how highly Johnny felt about Burt.

[@robatsea2009]

I do have nearly the full episode of the broadcast, and in fact if you look elsewhere on my channel you'll see Burt interviewing Charo from later in the same show. The broadcast date is concrete. I know some have argued Jake looks older here but it's tough to contrast personal perceptions against concrete proof. You're absolutely right that admitting to error on YT is a very scarce occasion, so you deserve kudos for having the good manners to do so.

[@SRNF]

Ive never seen Burt Reynolds so scared in my life.

[@billlozier5551]

Was this in New York? What year? Burt is tremendous here. Had he not become a legendary movie star he could have become a legendary host. He had so much charisma and charm and could be so funny.

[@joeambrose3260]

Yes. NYC. Sep '71

[@tangobango9653]

Sounds like a lineup of Mafioso’s!

[@mirazusta2002]

Agree, quite something, and they look real tough guys.

[@IMRUSTYJAMES]

love this thanx

[@seanoxborough5830]

Filmed and recorded from mars😊

[@robatsea2009]

Unfortunately I do not post entire programs, clips only. The boxing segment was just this brief bit - they were not on the entire show.

[@robatsea2009]

@JEROME021000 Sorry but the broadcast date is September 13, 1971. Burt Reynolds guest hosted, and his guests were Alex Karras, Charo, and The Amazing Kreskin; the boxers were only part of a brief segment. When this episode was shot "The Tonight Show" was still based in New York, and moved to California in May 1972. There are episode guides for the series online where you can easily confirm the broadcast date.

[@clarencewright9841]

The great black fighters who was kicking all those guys asses

[@spikevalhalla88]

No way this can be 1971. Look up "The Way it Was" with JL and Curt Gowdy. The show ran from 74-78 and Jake looks much younger than on the Tonight Show.

[@Revolver1981]

Aye old Jake was a mad boozer for quite a time man.🍻

[@joeambrose3260]

It is 71. This is NY, the show moved to California in 72

[@coldwinter5710]

@@joeambrose3260 Correct!

[@rawandy666]

Rip

[@chops5070]

its hilarious how there are more than a hundred comments and almost no one notices🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️😂😂

[@robatsea2009]

The recording was sent by a friend, and it is a full show; unfortunately I do not have the Jan.21 episode.

[@leslievaughn1047]

Chico and da men..

[@trajan75]

@Chris2O09 Thank you. Enjoy the holidays

[@scottjo63]

If I could remember, Burt did great job guest hosting on the Tonight Show, A lot better then Jay Lenno not and David Letterman not he did it for a entire week one time. When his movie career died down he should had done his own show, I think he would had stayed on top a little better then Chevy Chase, Arsenio Hall. Arsenio had Eddie Murphy behind him why he made it, but it didn't last as long as it should. Especially with Whoopi Goodberg promoting him in the movie Ghost.

[@coldwinter5710]

@Just think Correct! Burt won a Golden Globe & an Emmy for his TV show Evening Shade. I do wish, as I'm sure he did too!, that he made better career choices overall. He should have made more quiet, dramatic roles. The dramatic roles he did do, I always felt were some of his very best & most overlooked. He was an extremely talented, multifaceted actor & he sold that talent short far too often.

[@robatsea2009]

LaMotta guested on "The Tonight Show" twice - the first was Sept. 13, 1971 (which this clip is from) and a few months later on January 21, 1972. The show was shot in New York at that time before relocating to California in May 1972.

[@mikeh.8155]

where's part 2??

[@paulgerardhosty9909]

Hi, what happened to the sound?? Has got to be about the worst I've heard. Did Jake punch out the mike?

[@1060michaelg]

I wouldn't want to wish anyone to lose their house.

[@robatsea2009]

@JEROME021000 The broadcast date of the episode is September 13, 1971.

[@jareddicarlo7816]

Only a few months before Johnny left for Burbank.

[@scottjo63]

Well, Burt Reynolds before Martin Scorsese, who knew. This is a treat to watch Burt vs Jake Lamotta whoaaa Burt would had lost if Jake was mad at his wife again.

[@Mrsilenciobackgammon]

This is great, thanks.

[@VIPrice]

sweet as could you put the rest of it up? cheers

[@robatsea2009]

Sorry but the broadcast date is September 13, 1971. Burt Reynolds guest hosted, and his guests were Alex Karras, Charo, and The Amazing Kreskin; the boxers were only part of a brief segment. When this episode was shot "The Tonight Show" was still based in New York, and moved to California in May 1972. There are episode guides for the series online where you can easily confirm the broadcast date. LaMotta was only on "The Tonight Show" twice - Sept.13 1971 and Jan.21 1972.

[@spikevalhalla88]

Okay, I saw the video of Alex Karras and Charo and looked up the guide, so I guess you are right. The only explanation? Maybe he dyed his hair a few years later? Or the color in the video is off? I still say he looks younger on "The Way It Was " episode

[@sebasssebas6865]

burt died last year lamotta year before

[@ElMattador89]

lol the only guy i'd trust to play me...glad burt reynolds didnt star in raging bull'

[@JEROME021000]

it's not in 1981?

[@daveyboy_]

Where was tranmitted from . One small step for man came in clearer

[@wmbrown6]

This was the last New York set of "The Tonight Show," inaugurated fall 1971; its last ever use was when Johnny Carson did three weeks' worth of shows that aired from Nov. 13 to Dec. 1, 1972, more than six months after the program "permanently" moved to Burbank.

[@hammeringhank5271]

Lamotta was a middleweight not a heavyweight

[@JenniferM13]

I think he meant a heavyweight at the time of filming.. Jake was a little heavy here.

[@oncall21]

Jake fought as a middleweight and then later as a light heavy weight before retiring.

[@coldwinter5710]

@@JenniferM13 Agreed

[@Realtarquinn]

I also dont believe that its from 1971 because LaMotta was born 1922 - so look at him: he looks much older than 49. And that Burt Reynolds is 45 old at this show (instead of 35) is more probable for me than LaMotta could be 49.

[@coldwinter5710]

It was indeed 1971 as this show was in New York. The show moved to L.A. in 1972. Burt always looked older than he was in his prime, his regularly sunkissed wrinkly forehead & mustache helped with that.

[@heinzbecker9056]

Ok thx, wow my post was 7 years ago :-(. Im 44y old now but I would say I look like his grandson compared to LaMotta if he really was only 49 back then.

[@jamesmonteverde5538]

He looks older because he was obese at the time.

[@VIPrice]

man thats classic. where did you get ahold of this footage? cheers for putting it up. do you happen to have the rest of this show? or the jan 21st episode when jake is back on?

[@railcar123]

Willy Pep is the ref in "Raging Bull".

[@maxkol4380]

Wow! Great piece of trivia! Thanks

[@indiglo1971]

Former WWF referee Jack Lotz was also in Raging Bull.

[@schmittyhanrahan8126]

See interview of Willy Pep conducted by Angelo Dundee on YT

[@patbackus7668]

Dem days are over lol

[@Carlson-oy2ir]

Most were Italians and a few Irish. No More!

[@indiglo1971]

Carmen Basilio?

[@gp7910]

Oh yeah...Basilio was definately Irish.

[@rickrick5041]

So where is the fight between them?

[@rickrick5041]

What happened with the fight?

[@23iamthegreatest]

@robatsea2009 Good stuff man

[@blueduck5589]

Not a black man amongst them. No surprise; this was 1971.

[@jamesmonteverde5538]

Oh poor boy -- Coley Wallace was doing a movie at the time. No big deal. All these got together for a charitable cause, and I'm sure Joe Frazier would have been there if he was in town.

[@spikevalhalla88]

Yes, I see that in the episode guide that BR was the guest host, but it does not list Jake Lamotta as a guest. I'm sure BR guest hosted more than once. I'm not saying that you are incorrect, I'm saying that in the "The Way It Was Episode", he looks years younger, so I'm just not convinced yet.. Did you look it up the show with Curt Gowdy as host?

[@clarencewright9841]

what about the great black fighters

[@jamesmonteverde5538]

what about them?

[@JEROME021000]

in 1981 correction

[@Chris2O09]

@trajan75 Nice story :)

[@davee930]

Haha Jake doesn't clap once

[@kelvinkloud]

willie f'in pep.... it gets no bigger in boxing.

[@JEROME021000]

its in end 70s debut 80s 1981 sure watch the video " the way it was" in right lamotta est plus jeune thank you

[@spikevalhalla88]

Okay....Definitive proof that I am wrong(which NOBODY admits to on YT) A photo of La Motta and DeNiro together during the filming of Raging Bull! He looks much older. I see that you have been defending this point for a few years now. I think that this is your best proof(Without the full Tonight Show episode,of course)

[@reddwing4368]

No black boxers?¿?

[@jamesmonteverde5538]

Yeah, wonder why Frazier and Ali weren't there . . Oh my bad, they were booked at a later time.

[@robatsea2009]

Figures in the public eye will often go to measures (hair dye, face lifts, etc) to make themselves look younger, so that's entirely possible. If you look up Jake's listing on the IMDB you'll find the episode listing there. There used to be a comprehensive "Tonight Show" episode guide online where you could search by guests, year, etc but it doesn't seem to be around anymore.

[@rjplamf61]

@combatesdeboxeo it had to be 1971 because the Raging Bull came out in 1980 and also because when Jake hands Burt the book he wrote in it (i'm paraphrasing) the only actor I would want to play me.

[@lee1990lee]

wilie pep be4 jake

[@GCL777]

Burt was scared that he was going to get his toupee knocked off. Actor Robert Conrad was on the Merv Griffin show with Smokin Joe Frazier once and was offered a sparing match. Robert Conrad jumped to the occasion. Conrad was a ligament boxer. Conrad got his jaw jacked. Robert Conrad in later years was challenged to a boxing match on TV by Tony Danza , a former boxer, and Conrad took him up on the offer and knocked out Danza in the match. Conrad challenged Gabriel Kaplan to a foot race on TV and lost. Conrad was once challenged to an arm wrestling contest from a arm wrestling woman's champion and lost twice. Say what one may, at least Conrad had the guts to take the challenges, win lose or draw. And once Muhammad Ali had Clint Eastwood do the speed bag on a TV show. Eastwood impressed Muhammad All with his talents on the speed bag. People like Conrad and Eastwood were the general articular. Burt was good as an actor. He did good stunts in his movies when he was involved in them. But Burt was obsessed with his hair piece not flying off. So his tough guy status was very limited.

[@austntexan]

Dude, Robert Conrad had the worst Napoleon Complex in Hollywood. He jumped through hoops like a little trained chihuahua, he had to. He didn't command any of the roles Burt could get. Burt had nothing to prove during this era, with his best years still ahead of him. Robert Conrad is a footnote in Hollywood, whereas Burt owned that town for well over a decade. I'm not really sure what you mean by touch guy status either? Are you saying Burt wouldn't have fist fights with other actors or didn't participate in foot-races? So this makes​ him less manly? What other foot races have tough men participated in? Your litmus test for manliness is pretty funny.

[@jimmysapien9961]

Oh please

[@jamesmonteverde5538]

Conrad had such an EGO that they filmed an episode of Mannix about a star with an egotistical complex that was hated by the whole supporting cast. The actor who played the fool? Non other than Robert Conrad.

[@GCL777]

@@austntexan Not at all....I am a fan of Burt...He was one of the greats.....I am saying he didn't take chances on losing his toupee. Such as Sparing on TV with a boxer. Where as RC actually jumped loved to spar with boxers. By the by RC and Burt were very good friends.

[@GCL777]

@@jamesmonteverde5538 Yup, RC admitted that he had a huge ego.

[@fmsullivan1978]

Did someone beat Carmine Basilio handsome?

[@maximusmaxwell4392]

cant see a single black person surprised the racist card is not being played great fighters wonder how many are still alive beside lamotta

[@andrewjacks2716]

>Fascist >Leftards Pick one.

[@rickrick5041]

Sugar Ray Robinson was surely invited but probably had other things to do

[@chops5070]

You are right. Nothing racial about this. Like Rick Rick suggested, Sugar Ray Robinson and some of the other unworthy black fighters such as Joe Louis, Floyd Patterson, Henry Armstrong, etc, had other things to do🤷🏾‍♂️

[@jamesmonteverde5538]

No, actually in 1971 people knew their place and went to work. No time for nonsense - and Ali and Frazier were the Champs..

[@DaBearsManiac]

lol Lamotta never clapped

[@oldschoolmuscle4436]

Burt was afraid to get his wig knocked off.

[@pe6obutilkata]

Jake fuckin owned him :)

[@joaquinromero3318]

What's up, yo? It's really attractive. morning zip !!