Le chevalier du stade

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.

Another of those great old biopics they did so well back in Hollywood's heyday. This one's from Warner Bros. and is directed by Michael Curtiz. It stars Burt Lancaster as Jim Thorpe, a Native American athlete who excelled in many sports in the first half of the Twentieth Century. He even won two gold medals at the 1912 Olympics, only to have them taken away from him on a technicality. As is the case with most biopics, then and now, liberties are taken with the facts of Thorpe's life for the purpose of telling the story in a more condensed and dramatic way. This is always a point of contention for many. As I've said in the reviews for numerous biopics before, it really doesn't bother me. I find that biographical pictures today are just as 'wrong' as then and for worse reasons. The main difference seems to be back then they glossed things up and tried to focus on the positive parts of a notable person's life story, whereas today the negatives are focused on and, in many cases, rumors and innuendo are passed off as fact.

However you feel about the authenticity of these kinds of movies, it's hard to deny they were often very well-done dramas with great acting and top production values. Here we have a fine performance from Lancaster, as well as Charles Bickford as Thorpe's coach, Pop Warner. A solid supporting cast is another plus. The sports scenes are all fun and manage to incorporate old footage with the new nicely. Overall, it's not my favorite classic Hollywood biopic, or even in my top ten, but it's an entertaining one about an important figure in American sports. Definitely worth a look if you don't have a bug up your rear about the historical accuracy of biographical movies.

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.

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.

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.