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Boxing documentary on BBC4 at 9pm tonight if anyone wanted to catch it :
Murder in Soho: Who Killed Freddie Mills?
A real-life murder mystery about the life and untimely death of a national boxing hero, who is often described as Britain's first sporting celebrity. Set in 1960s Soho, the film delves into the world of UK and US organised crime, with gangland figures such as the Krays, boxing, gambling, police corruption and a string of brutal unsolved murders that would become synonymous with the name Freddie Mills.
With access to eight hours of previously unseen home movies, this is an intimate portrayal of a man who rose from the humble surroundings of the fairground boxing booth to become world light-heavyweight champion and became a household name appearing on television and in films. But it all ended on 25 July 1965, when he was found shot dead in the back seat of his car.
Fifty years after his death, his family still challenge the coroner's verdict of suicide. They have always maintained he was murdered. High-profile gangsters such as Eddie Richardson give first-hand accounts of the criminal underworld that existed at the time, and ultimately a man comes forward who claims to have been involved in the murder of Freddie Mills. It is a piece of testimony that could finally conclude a 50-year mystery for Freddie's family and allow a British boxing great to be remembered for the man he was and his achievements in life, rather than for the single day of his death.
Murder in Soho: Who Killed Freddie Mills?
A real-life murder mystery about the life and untimely death of a national boxing hero, who is often described as Britain's first sporting celebrity. Set in 1960s Soho, the film delves into the world of UK and US organised crime, with gangland figures such as the Krays, boxing, gambling, police corruption and a string of brutal unsolved murders that would become synonymous with the name Freddie Mills.
With access to eight hours of previously unseen home movies, this is an intimate portrayal of a man who rose from the humble surroundings of the fairground boxing booth to become world light-heavyweight champion and became a household name appearing on television and in films. But it all ended on 25 July 1965, when he was found shot dead in the back seat of his car.
Fifty years after his death, his family still challenge the coroner's verdict of suicide. They have always maintained he was murdered. High-profile gangsters such as Eddie Richardson give first-hand accounts of the criminal underworld that existed at the time, and ultimately a man comes forward who claims to have been involved in the murder of Freddie Mills. It is a piece of testimony that could finally conclude a 50-year mystery for Freddie's family and allow a British boxing great to be remembered for the man he was and his achievements in life, rather than for the single day of his death.
Murder in Soho: Who Killed Freddie Mills?
9pm, BBC Four
What is it about boxers and gangsters? All too often the two worlds collide with fatal consequences, and 60s London was a hotbed of nefarious goings-on involving dodgy geezers and ingenue stars of the fight game. This engrossing film is a real-life murder mystery about boxer and all-round nice guy Freddie Mills, who became light heavyweight world champion in 1948 but was found dead in the back of his car in a Soho backstreet in 1965. Ornery villains protest their innocence, but something stinks.
9pm, BBC Four
What is it about boxers and gangsters? All too often the two worlds collide with fatal consequences, and 60s London was a hotbed of nefarious goings-on involving dodgy geezers and ingenue stars of the fight game. This engrossing film is a real-life murder mystery about boxer and all-round nice guy Freddie Mills, who became light heavyweight world champion in 1948 but was found dead in the back of his car in a Soho backstreet in 1965. Ornery villains protest their innocence, but something stinks.
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