Owens Owned These Games

It was 70 years ago today that Jesse Owens won the 100 meters in the Berlin Olympics, on the way to four gold medals over the next seven days, and his achievements are as alive now as they were when he electrified the world.

In 1964, I decided to take Owens back to Germany to film him for my first one-hour documentary, “Jesse Owens Returns to Berlin.” I was taking a big chance personally. But I believed his story had to be told then, as it bears repeating now.

Before the 1936 Games, there was much doubt as to whether the United States would send a team to Berlin.

Many did not want to go because of Germany’s Nazi government.

The United States Olympic Committee sent President Avery Brundage on a fact-finding trip to Berlin. He came back with a glowing report about how well the Nazis had prepared for the Games and he received Joseph Goebbels’ and Adolf Hitler’s promise that no Jewish persecutions or propaganda would take place during the Games.

Owens did not have to worry about his stay in Berlin. The German people and press loved him.

It is well known that he received more than 100 marriage proposals. The fact that he was married with a 2 1/2 -year-old daughter was no hindrance to Frauleins who, without question, made him the most popular athlete in Berlin.

Whenever he took a walk, he was followed by fans. The crowd responded to his preliminary victories as if the gold medal had been won. After his gold-medal victory in the 100 meters, he received a 10-minute standing ovation.

It was that victory that began the myth that persists today. Did Hitler deliberately avoid congratulating Owens as he had other gold medal winners?

Through the years, Owens and I had many talks about the stories that followed his 100. It turned out to be one of the all-time great Olympic myths.

On the afternoon of the first day of competition, two Germans and one Finnish athlete were ushered to Hitler’s box, where the German dictator congratulated the gold-medal winners in full view of 100,000 spectators.

Later that same afternoon, Cornelius Johnson of the United States won the high jump. As the U.S. anthem was about to be played, it began to rain and Hitler and his entourage quickly left the stadium. Johnson did not get a greeting from the Fuhrer.

The next day, Owens won the 100. The American press went to work quickly and newspapers throughout the country headlined, “HITLER SNUBS JESSE.”

To reporters who would listen, Owens was adamant in refuting the story. If anybody was snubbed, he said, it was Cornelius Johnson. Owens could convince no one he was not snubbed. After years of denying he was snubbed, Owens capitalized on the myth and soon Hitler’s “snub” became part of his speeches.

When we finally finished with the film and interviewing of Owens for the documentary, I asked him every possible question imaginable. He answered with truth and also in intimate details of his life. Finally I said, “Jesse, are you sure you told me everything?” and he nodded.

But then he added, “There was one thing I didn’t tell you about, but it might be interesting.”

Owens then told me the story of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, the great African American entertainer. This is exactly how he told me the story, and I wonder how in heaven did he not know it was a good story.

Owens returned to the United States, given receptions in Cleveland and New York. He was greeted with a ticker-tape parade, one of the few times a black athlete was so honored. Thousands of spectators lined the streets and Owens took the time to warmly shake hands and shout a few words to the well-wishers.

When the parade was halted for a few minutes in New York, Robinson, who produced the homecoming festivities, rushed to Owens’ car and handed him a brown paper bag, which he stuffed in his pocket.

Later that day, he took a train to New York from Cleveland. Having been without food all day, he remembered the bag, which he thought held a sandwich.

Inside was a note that read, “From your friends in Harlem.” Owens was shocked, for in the bag were 10 $1,000 bills.

Bud Greenspan is an Olympic historian and documentarian who is working on his ninth official Olympic film, this one from the 2006 Winter Games in Turin. He also is developing a made-for-television movie on the 1936 Summer Olympics.