The inspiring true story of the rivalry and unlikely lifelong friendship between the greatest heavyweight boxing champions of their time, "The Brown Bomber" Joe Louis and "The Black Ulan of the Rhine" Max Schmeling will come to life in the STARZ! Pictures original movie JOE AND MAX (www.starzmovies.com).

JOE AND MAX explores the ironic difference between the truth of historical events and the way those events and their participants were presented to the public. The world needed to see Louis and Schmeling as enemies; however, they came to see themselves as friends.

Boxers Joe Louis and Max Schmeling were each manipulated by their respective governments and the press because of the escalating tensions between the United States and Germany in the late 1930's.

Neither country was ready to go war with the other, so they used Louis and Schmeling to do it. White America initially dismissed Louis because of his race, then conveniently embraced him as a role model.

Schmeling was incorrectly labeled a Nazi, first by the German government and then by the American press. In truth, all either man wanted was to become the heavyweight champion.

In spite of being convincingly hyped as political "enemies" by the two countries on the brink of war, they overcame it all and recognized the similarities in their situations, identified with one another, and as result, forged a life-long close friendship.

JOE AND MAX will have its world premiere on the pay television movie channel STARZ! At 8:00pm (ET/PT) on March 9, 2002.

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