Knute Rockne All American (1940)

The story of legendary Notre Dame football player and coach Knute Rockne.

Directors:

Lloyd Bacon, William K. Howard (uncredited)

Writers:

Robert Buckner (original screen play), Mrs. Knute Rockne (based upon: private papers of, and the reports of Rockne's intimate associates and friends) (as Mrs. Rockne)

Stars:

Pat O'Brien, Gale Page, Ronald Reagan

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pat O'Brien	...	Knute Rockne
Gale Page	...	Bonnie Skiles Rockne
Ronald Reagan	...	George Gipp
Donald Crisp	...	Father John Callahan, C.S.C
Albert Bassermann	...	Father Julius Nieuwland (as Albert Basserman)
John Litel	...	Committee Chairman
Henry O'Neill	...	Doctor
Owen Davis Jr.	...	Gus Dorais
John Qualen	...	Lars Knutson Rockne
Dorothy Tree	...	Martha Rockne
Johnny Sheffield	...	Knute - Age 7 (as John Sheffield)
Moreau Choir of Notre Dame	...	Moreau Choir (as The Moreau Choir of Notre Dame)
Nick Lukats	...	Harry Stuhdreher-One of The Four Horsemen
Kane Richmond	...	Elmer Laydon - One of The Four Horsemn
William Marshall	...	Don Miller - One of The Four Horsemen

Storyline

Lars Rockne and his family, including his four year old son Knute, emigrate to Chicago in 1892 from their native Norway. By his mid-twenties Knute saves enough to attend obscure Notre Dame University, where he excels in football and chemistry. He and a teammate develop the forward pass as an offensive weapon while working as life guards on summer break and use it to upset heavily favored Army in a historic game. After graduation Rockne becomes a teacher while coaching part-time but ultimately abandons academics to devote all his energies to football. During his tenure as head coach at the school, he develops such outstanding players as George Gipp, who dies prematurely from a strep infection, and the Four Horseman while introducing many innovative tactics including the backfield shift. Rockne, known for his staccato motivational speeches, devotes his life to maintaining the integrity of the sport he loves and promoting it as an integral component in the development of the American ...

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Plot Keywords:

norway | national film registry | football | forward pass | coach | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Modern Hero

Filming Locations:

Stage 12, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where Rockne is in bed with phlebitis and his doctor is exiting the room, there is a framed photograph of the real Knute Rockne hanging on the wall.

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Goofs

At 1:12:08, the position of books on the corner of the desk changes.

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Quotes

Knute Rockne: We haven't got any use for gamblers around here. You've done your best to ruin baseball, and horse racing, and this is one game that's clean and is gonna stay clean.

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Alternate Versions

For years TV prints of "Knute Rockne All-Amercian" deleted about 13 minutes of footage, including the famous "Win one for the Gipper" speech, for legal reasons concerning the George Gipps family. When the US video version was released in 1998, all the deleted scenes were restored, and seen for the first time since the original theatrical showings. The restored, complete print has since been released on DVD (as of 2006) and is now available for television viewings.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Invasion USA (1994)

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Soundtracks

Happy Land
(uncredited)
Traditional spiritual
Sung by Pat O'Brien as "Boarding House"

User Reviews

Straightforward Biopic

The story of legendary Notre Dame football player and coach Knute Rockne (Pat O'Brien).

This film is an early example of the great biopic. While I care nothing for Notre Dame football, I feel like this was a really well-made film. Was it accurate? I don't know. Likely some of Rockne's lesser qualities were probably glossed over. But it still tells the story and makes a great case for the role immigrants have played in shaping America.

The film is probably best remembered today for Ronald Reagan's role as "the Gipper". This is interesting, because even though the part is important, it is relatively small. Of all the parts Reagan played, it is interesting that this is the one that stayed with him forty years later.