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Nearly three weeks after the heavyweight championship prize fight between Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier in Jersey City on 2^nd July 1921, the French public were still waiting to catch a glimpse of their countryman unsuccessfully attempting to defeat Dempsey.   The reason for the delay was the 700,000 francs (approximately $54,000 in 1921) that the Fox Corporation was asking for the distribution rights at a time when French cinemas were nearly empty due to the hot weather and a lack of air conditioning.

Insiders reckoned a cut in price of fifty percent would be needed to generate interest from the cinemas.   In addition to the hefty price tag, the length of the film – over 1800 metres – was considered too long, especially as the actual fight itself made up only a small portion of the film.   The bulk of the film’s running time comprised of pictures of the construction of the ring and other incidental scenes which were not considered of sufficient interest to attract French audiences.

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