Jim Thorpe -- All-American (1951)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Russell Birdwell (biography)
Frank Davis (additional dialogue)

Release Date:

24 August 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport

Plot:

The triumph and tragedy of Native Anerican Jim Thorpe, who, after winning both the pentathlon and decathlon in the same Olympics, is stripped of his medals on a technicality.

Plot Keywords:

Native American | Coach | Carlisle College | Pentathlon | Decathlon

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Jim Thorpe
Charles Bickford	...	Glenn S. 'Pop' Warner
Steve Cochran	...	Peter Allendine
Phyllis Thaxter	...	Margaret Miller
Dick Wesson	...	Ed Guyac
Jack Big Head	...	Little Boy Who Walk Like Bear (as Jack Bighead)
Sonny Chorre	...	Wally Denny (as Suni Warcloud)
Al Mejia	...	Louis Tewanema
Hubie Kerns	...	Tom Ashenbrunner

Also Known As:

Man of Bronze (UK)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

At the Carlisle Indian School, when we first see Jim at the blackboard, he is erasing a formula: I = E/R. This is Ohm's law (1827), in which, in an electrical circuit, you can determine I (current, in amps), E (voltage, in volts), or R (resistance, in ohms) by knowing two of the three values.

Quotes:

Jim Thorpe: Which one of you is Lacey?
Ed Lacey, Sportswriter Punched by Thorpe: I'm Lacey.
Jim Thorpe: Well I'm Thorpe!
[punches Lacey]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Golden Girls: Have Yourself a Very Little Christmas (#5.12)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Let the Rest of the World Go By

High-Class Cinema.

Emotional and heartfelt story of athlete Jim Thorpe (superbly portrayed by Burt Lancaster), a multi-faceted individual who dominated several sports of the early-20th Century. The film follows the title character from his youth at his reservation (Thorpe was a Native American) and proceeds through his college, professional and Olympic careers. Tragedy strikes on more than one occasion though as the super-star goes into a tail-spin, feeling that his nation and even God have turned their backs on him (due to his Olympic medals being stripped and the death of his young son). Through it all the film is told in wonderful flashbacks by Coach "Pop" Warner (the always outstanding Charles Bickford). Definitely worth a look. An under-rated and somewhat ignored gem from the director of "Casablanca" (Michael Curtiz). 4.5 out of 5 stars.