Final answer:
Jim Braddock was a professional boxer before the Great Depression, a time when films often depicted the struggle of individuals against corporate greed and economic challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
Before the Great Depression, Jim Braddock was a professional boxer. His life, as depicted in films about that era, typically portrays him as a hard-working individual, mirroring the common man struggling against larger economic and societal forces. Although some motion pictures have shown characters like Braddock as successful businessmen, in reality, Braddock was indeed a boxer before the economic downturn of the Great Depression. The era's films often highlighted themes of the average person combatting the greed of banks and corporations, which is a reflection of the struggles many faced during the Great Depression.