Number One

If you can get past not seeing Charlton Heston in his usual stereotypical, larger than life epic roles you may enjoy seeing him take a turn at a modern drama as a normal human.

This movie is "very late 60's style" which is fun to watch now with it's flashback scenes and sixties lingo.

Great supporting cast and good chemistry all around. It's also neat seeing Heston in his sexier than usual love scenes.

Heston's performance is solid. You can feel his pain and bitterness. I highly recommend this film for Heston fans, sports fans and sixties film buffs.

Mr. Heston and director Tom Gries teamed up in the late 60s and early 70s to make three woefully under-appreciated movies. One of those is Number One.

This one happens to be the lowest rated of the three here on IMDb. I'm shocked that its rating is a lowly 5.6. I believe this gem deserves greater recognition.

The movie is about a once great quarterback who's a few years past his prime. The movie itself isn't really about football. As in Will Penny with the Western setting, football is the backdrop for a character study which goes much deeper.

I believe this movie is especially potent today in the aftermath of the recession which saw a lot of older people in this country lose their jobs through no fault of their own. They have to ask themselves, what was it all for? And... what do I do now? Mr. Heston plays Ron "Cat" Catlan, the aforementioned quarterback. His status with the New Orleans Saints seems to be in question. His wife is too busy for him. An exotic new woman isn't the answer but at least she listens to him.

This movie explores the questions we'll all ask ourselves one day if we haven't already, and does so admirably.

Charlton Heston is the star quarterback for the New Orleans Saints..... and he's forty and thinking about retiring. The people around him are all younger than he, admiring and envious, management, who don't really care, and wife Jessica Harper, who has been listening to him talking about retiring for half a decade.

It's a well done rather melancholy portrait of a man who doesn't want to give up what makes him special. Bruce Dern, unlikable as always, gave up the game a decade earlier and now is the biggest car dealer in the state. He doesn't know why Heston won't quit and come make money with him. Only one, old, non-star player, now working in the oil fields, seems to have any idea of what Heston is going through.

Heston gives one of his mostly-stoic-then-cursing roles, and he's very good.

This movie didn't do well at the box office; they never distributed it overseas, figuring that no one cares about American football except Americans. I think A.E. Housman would have liked this movie.

Chuck Heston is not a football star, but an actor playing one. I laugh at the comments made by the other comments here; expecting Chuck to play like a pro. That's why they call it acting.

Truthfully, football is only a backdrop for a story about a faded legend trying to hold on to his career by the skin of his teeth. It's an interesting tale of all of us; facing the reality of old age.

Being that this was filmed in the late 1960s, it has a real 60s flair to it, which to me makes it kind of neat. I liked the "surprise" ending.

Number One is not the greatest movie ever made, but it is a decent entertaining flick.

During the life of Charlton Heston, he often selected to personify men who lived larger than life. Yet, for all of his superior talent, he often said he liked to portray ordinary men in ordinary lives. One exceptional film was 'Will Penny.' Here is another. The movie is called " Number One. " In this role he plays NFL football Quarterback, Ron Catlan. For several years he has been the mainstay player for the New Orleans Saints and has proved to be an exceptional individual. Years ago, he was selected to be the Quarterback and has taken the team to a number of play offs and a Superbowl. During the up-ward climb, men have come to respect and admire him, in addition he has garnered the praise and accolades of both his fans and his team mates. Indeed, everywhere he is seen, both professional men and adoring women seek him out. But that was then, now-a-days, he is being reminded by his coach (John Randolph) that time is catching up to him. Former team players like Richie Fowler (Bruce Dern) who are successful businessmen, advise him to quit football soon and market his name to an advantage. Yet, 'Cat' feels his present career can last several more years and doesn't want forced retirement. Hoping for the best, he plays as if his skill will last beyond his present ability. Roy Jenson makes a brief appearance. ****