Jim Thorpe: All American [VHS] Overview
This reverential, well-crafted 1951 biopic starring the hulky Burt Lancaster as Native American Olympian Thorpe is hardly the definitive word on one of our greatest track stars, but it does remind us how unfair and demeaning it once was for athletes of color. Concentrating on Thorpe's track and football victories (he also excelled at boxing, swimming, and golf), director Michael Curtiz and screenwriters Douglas Morrow and Everett Freeman (working from Thorpe's autobiography) chart their hero's rise from reservation poverty to Carlisle College track star to 1912 Olympic decathlon/pentathlon winner. Thorpe was stripped of his medals when it was learned that he had taken a few bucks as a football player. Lancaster is even better at playing Thorpe in the depths of drunkenness and despair than in his jock heyday. Charles Bickford is Pop Warner, the legendary coach who encouraged Thorpe to go for the gold, and Phyllis Thaxter appears as the athlete's supportive wife. Thorpe, who served as technical adviser, died two years after this film was released. Thirty years later, the International Olympic Committee overturned the earlier ruling and returned Thorpe's medals to his family. "What does it mean now?" a bitter Lancaster was quoted as saying at the time. --Glenn Lovell
Customer Reviews
Is not generally known, but the king of Sweden was so impressed with the performance of Jim Thorpe at the Games with victory in the decathlon and Pentehlon he wanted to meet him in person. The king gave him a special memory, and said: "Lord, you are the greatest athlete in the world" to the humble Jim Thorpe replied "Thanks, King."
Now I want to say that there are some unforgettable scenes, and performance in this film. The movie is greatEntertainment, but "Casablanca" director Michael Curtiz, Max Steiner's musical score to take a pronounced "dark side" for the story of this drama = semi biographical.
The general impression is that you get from this story is the birth of a great sports-God, in a hard way through the world in an attempt to demonstrate its value is handled hampered by unfortunate accident. We are with the impression that Jim is abandoned by his wife and the overwhelming impact on his marriage leftand life through the death of his young son in later years, it sinks to drink and bitterness. In a way that tends to be stereotypes about the dangers of alcohol and other elements common these days to enforce derogatory in nature.
In fact, Jim was married with three different women in his life and had many children. We feel that he is nothing real coaching job, but transferred to play football until he became too oldto compete. In fact, he has to play and his coach, even if it is extended, it was usually very productive. His young son in his first marriage, died from the epidemic of influenza that killed millions of state and was not really much of a trend different from that to portray the film.
The positive elements "Pop" Warner, the use of the technique of "flashback and a wonderful time of the formation of Thorpe at Carlisle Indian School, PA. Its appearance in footballJim is funny and quickly learns that football is the way to get girls. The football scenes are brilliant victories and Olympic moments are perhaps the highlight of the film. Overall, Burt Lancaster gives a credible performance and would like this picture as well, see with your boy, if we recommend watching the black and white film with patience, which I understand is a problem of today's world to see in our children and always appreciated. Guys, what's missing!
If you arethe area above Allentown, Pennsylvania, be sure to stop and to honor the resting place of the best athletes in the world. He is a city at a time, as Mauch Chunk, which translates to "Bear Claw" from the Indian original, and is now called Jim Thorpe in honor of the great man was known to bury!
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