Jim Thorpe -- All-American

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.

This is a powerful story of the trials and tribulations of Jim Thorpe, a hero in the true sense of the word. Burt Lancaster plays the extremely talented Native American Indian. We see the football heroics at Carlisle College; being stripped of his coveted Olympic medals, and the sinking into an alcoholic oblivion.

Charles Bickford plays Pop Warner, Thorpe's coach at Carlisle. Phyliss Thaxter is the patient and concerned sweetheart. Also in the cast are Suni Warcloud, Jack Big Head and Al Mejia. The legendary Michael Curtiz directs. Lancaster is excellent as the multi-talented Thorpe, from the hills of Oklahoma.

Parts of this movie were filmed at Bacone College and Indian Bowl in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

This was an enjoyable, interesting biography and another instance of Burt Lancaster giving an intense acting performance.

Sure, this is revisionist history here but it did show both the good and bad sides of Thorpe, one of America's all-time greatest athletes who excelled almost a century ago. Some still think he is the best athlete ever in the history of the United States.

Lancaster was in great shape to play Thorpe which helped make him look convincing as a top athlete. Charles Bickford was very good as "Pop Warner," Thorpe's dedicated coach and a famous sports figure in his own right. Phyllis Thaxter was wholesomely attractive as Jim's wife. None of the leading actors who were Native Americans, as Thorpe was, are played by actual Indians but that's classic Hollywood. It takes away from some of the realism of the film.

The movie features a good mix of melodrama and sports and interesting characters. It's good entertainment.

Not being much of an athlete myself, it follows that I am no sports fan but, sometimes, movies dealing with that topic have managed to be engrossing for me nonetheless and, to some degree, the film under review is another such example. At 38, Burt Lancaster is absurdly overage playing renowned Native American athlete Jim Thorpe as a student but, overall, he is ideally cast as the man who became known as "America's greatest athlete of the first half of the twentieth century." I would not really know but Thorpe's feat of excelling in just about every sport he tried his hand (or feet) at – from racing to long jump, from javelin to high jump, from baseball to football, etc. – is probably unparalleled in the history of sports. As a biopic, it follows the standard pattern of similar Hollywood fare: from rebellious childhood to uneasy student to formidable athlete to Olympic champion, followed by first professional and later personal tragedy and the subsequent, gradual fall from grace (including divorce and public humiliation). Equally typical of the genre, however, is the heavy streamlining of the subject's life that, in this case, jettisons Thorpe's other two wives and his Hollywood career as an extra in several notable films like KING KONG (1933) and WHITE HEAT (1949). Prolific director Curtiz adds another biopic to his repertoire (even if it fails to scale the heights of the best of them) and the cast is rounded up by Charles Bickford (as Thorpe's coach and conscience), Phyllis Taxter (as his first wife), Steve Cochran (as his rival in love and football team-mate!), Dick Wesson (as his best friend) and Nestor Paiva (as his resigned but sensible Indian father). By sheer coincidence, just yesterday I came across Kon Ichikawa's acclaimed documentary of the 1964 Olympics, TOKYO OLYMPIAD (1965) and, under the circumstances, I could not pass up a chance to acquire it!

For anyone who watches this film, I think they should seriously consider this one since its real awe-inspiring. Jim Thorpe was truly a REAL American icon not because of what he did for the world of sports; but because he was a Native American First Nations person who had achieved a heck of a lot in his life which as a result made him out to be very famous! :D I don't know if anyone knows this or not but Jim was the very first NFL commissioner way before Pete Rozelle and all those other guys came into the picture. Of course, he super excelled at the football with the track and field activities. So he was really a multi-sport personality.

But........... anyways........ this is why I gave this film a 7 out of 10.