JESSE’S GIRLS
Owens’ daughters happy that younger generations can watch their legendary dad’s triumphs and travails
Marlene Owens Rankin’s memories of her dad, the legendary athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Hitler’s Germany, include much more than his accomplishments as a world-class runner.
Joined by her sister Beverly Owens Prather, Rankin sat down for a recent interview to share her thoughts about “Race,” a movie (opening Friday) about Owens, but also to reflect on what it was like to grow up in the Owens household.
“First of all, Daddy never met a stranger,” said Rankin, Owens’ middle daughter. “Everybody was ‘Champ’ to him. He made everyone feel like they were a champion when they were with him. That was just his way.”
Of course, to achieve the heights that Owens reached in track and field, he clearly possessed amazing determination.
“Daddy was really naturally resilient, and it’s difficult to say where, exactly, that came from,” Prather said. “But I think a lot of his inner strength came from his family. He had strong family ties.”
Owens’ three daughters, including oldest child Gloria Owens Hemphill, grew up in Chicago and continue to live here. All are completely supportive of the effort achieved by “Race” director Stephen Hopkins and the film’s producers.
“If we weren’t, we wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you right now,” Rankin said with a smile. “We wouldn’t support the film if it hadn’t been done right.”
“But they did get it right,” Prather said. “They listened to us, and they got it right. ... Plus Stephan [James, who portrays Jesse Owens] is outstanding— simply great.”
Asked what they felt were the most important things for the filmmakers to get straight, Rankin didn’t hesitate:
“It’s simply a case of getting the facts right. For us, it was most important for them to really depict the family— especially my mother and father— correctly. We wanted them to really be reflected as who they were and how they lived. They achieved that, and that’s what makes us so happy about ‘Race.’ ’’
The film depicts their father’s straying from their mother, early in the couple’s relationship, something the daughters say was difficult to watch.
“It was something that happened. It was true,” Rankin said. “It is part of his story, and his remorse and our mother’s forgiveness is also an important part of the story.”
Like her father, Rankin attended Ohio State, where she met his coach, Larry Snyder, portrayed by Jason Sudeikis in the film.
“When I went to Ohio State, Larry was still there,” Rankin said. “I got to know him very well. In fact, he and I flew out to California to appear on [the once-popular TV show] ‘This Is Your Life’ with Ralph Edwards. Larry was truly a part of our lives, too, and it’s great the film reflects that his relationship with Daddy endured far after the Olympic Games.”
It’s well-known that many honors for Owens didn’t come until after his death in 1980, so Rankin quietly noted that “Race” is now part of his posthumous legacy and will “inform younger generations about what he accomplished. ... It’s been a long time coming. It’s well-deserved, and it’s well-done. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.”