In 1968 Muhammad Ali had plenty of time to go see a show. The previous year he had refused his induction into the draft because of his religious beliefs and his objections to the war in Vietnam. As a result he was stripped of the heavyweight title and also his boxing license. He could no longer ply the trade that had made him famous around the world.
But he could go to the Broadway premiere of The Great White Hope. The shot by LIFE photographer Bob Gomel of Ali posing with his fists raised outside the theater marquee is the most popular image of Ali in the LIFE photo store, and it’s one that has deep resonance if you know the story behind it.
The play was a fictionalized version of the life of Jack Johnson, the first Black boxer to become heavyweight champion of the world. After becoming champ Johnson’s successful title defense against a heavily hyped white challenger set off race riots around the country. So like Ali, Johnson knew what it was like to be at the center of a national maelstrom.
LIFE’s story about Ali at the premiere happened to be written by a true journalistic heavyweight, Pete Hamill. Hamill captured the scene outside the theater of Ali being given a king’s welcome at a time when his political stances had made him a pariah to many Americans. “You see, they know who the real champion is,” Ali said as fans surrounded him. “They don’t forget. All the rest is sparring partners.”
Inside the theater Ali couldn’t help but notice the similarities between his own story and that of the embattled Johnson. “Hey, this play is about me,” Ali remarked. “…Only the details are different.”
After the show Ali went to meet to the star of the show, James Earl Jones. When Ali arrived backstage, Jones was in the shower. The boxer hollered, “Get out of the shower, Jack Johnson. Muhammad Ali’s here.”
Jones came out and the two men chatted while Jones was still in his bathrobe. Ali told the actor how with a few changes, the story of The Great White Hope would be the story of Ali. To which Jones responded, “Well, that’s the whole point.”
Even while Ali was at that moment in time caught up in strife and barred from boxing—he would come back in 1970 after losing three and a half years of his prime—Ali declared on the night of the premiere that he had no regrets about his choices.
“I’m happy,” Ali said, “’cause I’m free. I’ve made the stand all black people are gonna have to make sooner or later: whether or not they can stand up to the master.”
Muhammad Ali at the Broadway premiere of the play “Great White Hope,” 1968.
Bob Gomel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Muhammad Ali at the Broadway premiere of the play “Great White Hope,” 1968.
Bob Gomel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Muhammad Ali at the Broadway premiere of the play “Great White Hope,” 1968.
Bob Gomel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Muhammad Ali posed in front of a promotional image at the Broadway premiere of the play “Great White Hope,” 1968.
Bob Gomel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Muhammad Ali spoke with actor James Earl Jones after the Broadway premiere of “The Great White Hope,” in which Jones starred, 1968.
Bob Gomel/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
