The Great John L._
Portrait of legendary fighter John L. Sullivan, aka "The Boston Strong Boy", and his meteoric rise to become the first gloved World Heavyweight Champion. But the famed boxer is no match for the two women with holds on him, love struck actress Kathy Harkness and the real love of his life, beautiful but unyielding Anne Livingstone.
Starring
Linda Darnell, Greg McClure, Barbara Britton
Updated Feb 16, 2026
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Year context
The Great John L. was released 81 years ago in 1945.
Overview
Portrait of legendary fighter John L. Sullivan, aka "The Boston Strong Boy", and his meteoric rise to become the first gloved World Heavyweight Champion. Bu...
The Great John L. is a Drama film with a runtime of 1h 36m.
CAST (20)
Linda Darnell
Anne Livingston
Greg McClure
John L. Sullivan
Barbara Britton
Kathy Harkness
Otto Kruger
Richard Martin
Wallace Ford
McManus
George Mathews
John Flood
Robert Barrat
Billy Muldoon
Joel Friedkin
Michael Sullivan
SS
Simon Semenoff
Mons. Claire
Harry Crocker
Arthur Brisbane
Rory Calhoun
James J. 'Gentleman Jim' Corbett
J.M. Kerrigan
Father O'Malley
Fritz Feld
Claire's manager
LS
Lee Sullivan
Mickey Steele
Eddie Kane
Promoter
Jerry Maren
Midget
Ernie Adams
Waiter (uncredited)
GB
Guy Bellis
(uncredited)
Ted Billings
Fight Spectator (uncredited)
Freddie Steele
(uncredited)
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Great John L. about?
Portrait of legendary fighter John L. Sullivan, aka "The Boston Strong Boy", and his meteoric rise to become the first gloved World Heavyweight Champion. But the famed boxer is no match for the two women with holds on him, love struck actress Kathy Harkness and the real love of his life, beautiful but unyielding Anne Livingstone.
How long is The Great John L.?
The Great John L. has a runtime of 96 minutes (1h 36m).
Who stars in The Great John L.?
The cast of The Great John L. includes Linda Darnell, Greg McClure, Barbara Britton, Otto Kruger, Wallace Ford.
What is the rating of The Great John L.?
The Great John L. has a rating of 5.0 out of 10 based on 2 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (1)
Drama