Jim Thorpe -- All-American

Jim Thorpe was a Native American who after reluctantly leaving his Oklahoma reservation, went on to become one of the greatest athletes that America produced. Naturally things aren't all wine and roses, and this is a tale that hits both the light and dark of human achievement.

Being English and not over familiar with the later life of Jim Thorpe, i can't attest to the accuracy of this particular biopic, so {perhaps a bonus} i can only judge this piece solely as the roller-coaster picture it turned out to be. What we get is a great story of a man who was permanently pushing himself to be better, and yes to be accepted for his racial background that he felt was hindering him to his ultimate goals. From an unaware angry young man to an all encompassing sports star, Jim Thorpe pushed the boundaries of each discipline he took on. Be it Baseball, Football, and total domination in Track & Field, Jim Thorpe was an incredible man who's story probably deserves better than this picture was able to give us. That's not to say that this Michael Curtiz picture is found wanting, because it's a very solid and impacting piece, i just feel that it doesn't quite reach the glorious heights that Thorpe himself reached.

Burt Lancaster stars as Thorpe, and it's a great bit of casting, physically he's perfect {he trained hard to capture believability in the role}, and he enthuses a great deal of emotion with the character, particularly during the darker parts of the story. Also standing out is Charles Bickford as Glen "Pop" Warner , a crucial mentor and voice of reason to Thorpe, whilst i'll raise a glass to the bright as a button performance of Phyliss Thaxter as Thorpe's wife Margaret, she is asked solely to carry the female weight in the picture and layers it perfectly. Sometimes uplifting, and at times inspirational, Jim Thorpe-All American is still an ultimately sobering experience, and it's with the sobering side of the picture that i come out of it with a rating of 8/10.