MUHAMMAD ALI - ME WHEE

Filmmaker's note

At the age of 18 and living in the Bronx I traveled to Miami Beach by bus with $24.00 in my pocket with the intention of continuing my boxing career that I started in the army and becoming the great jewish hope. We took an apt. on 6th St. around the corner from the 5th St. gym. After a few sparring sessions with the pro’s that dream faded real fast. I met Chris Dundee at the gym whose brother Angelo later became Ali’s trainer. He became an asset later when I started to put the film together. I financed the film personally with the help of some close friends including Associate producer Steve Levitt and my brother editor Dick Stone. Everyone on the crew worked pro bono because they respected Ali and wanted to be a part of making the film for the love of it. Film making at it’s best. In order to get approval to make the film I travelled to Chicago and met with Herbert Muhammad the son of Elijah Muhammad the head of the black muslims. I traveled with Ali in Vegas, Miami and in his training camp in Deer Lake PA. What I remember most about the experience of making the film is walking around his training camp with him talking about his upcoming fight with Joe Frazier which went down in history “Thrilla In Manilla”. Muhammad Ali was larger than life but would always take the time to talk to children. He was an example to his people and to all americans. He was arguably the most famous person in the world in the 1970’s, He will be missed and will always be remembered. I am blessed to have been a small part of his life.