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:

Ed Guyac: Well, how do you feel, Chief?
Little Boy Who Walk Like Bear: Bed soft. Make Little Boy soft. How do you like things?
Ed Guyac: If every Indian was as soft as you, the population of this country would still be in Rhode Island.

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

Unforgettable Movie

I was 11 years old when saw this movie in India. I was absorbed and fascinated by the story and the sincerity of performance by Burt Lancaster. The movie gave a great boost to my interest in sports and helped make me work harder at track and field sports. I fell in love with Phyllis Thaxter because she is so beautiful. It was sad to see Burt portray the elderly but dignified Thorpe. I intend to make a visit to Jim Thorpe, PA and the Carlisle Indian School. They are just a few hours drive away from where I now live. It was clear from Burt's performance that he had great respect for the Native American and fully succeeded in bringing dignity and glory to Thorpe and his native ancestors. It was refreshing to see that the modern version of the proverbial "noble savage" was really noble and savage has no place in the description of the American Indian. It was an unforgivable affront to Thorpe, his family and his people for the International Olympic Commission to wrongly strip him of his medals only to return them posthumously to his family. Viswanathan