Number One

In the final scene when Catlan is crushed by the Dallas defense (actually portrayed by Saints players Mike Tilleman, Dave Rowe and Fred Whittingham), neither Heston nor the producer felt the hit on him was realistic enough, so Heston asked them to cut loose to make it look authentic. On the second take, the trio slammed the actor to the ground, breaking three of his ribs!!

As for a better actor to play this part or the "realism" as criticized below, Hogwash. I can't think of many actors back then or NOW that would take a hit like Heston did for any movie.

I enjoyed the show, LOVED the football scenes, liked the 60's look and feel of the show, and still love watching Charlton Heston movies. May he R.I.P.

Some have argued that Heston is not convincing as an NFL quarterback. I disagree. He was six feet three and 200-odd pounds, which is more than large enough, especially during the 1960s. Moreover, Heston worked out with the NFL players on set and even suffered a cracked rib, courtesy of Doug Atkins. AND CH was in his mid-40s.

No, I believe the problem with "Number One" is the screenplay. Catlan (have also seen it spelled as "Catlin") isn't an especially sympathetic character; in fact, he's rather a jerk. He leaves a lot to be desired regarding education and culture. His LIFE has been the NFL.

Now, Heston gets all those qualities, but doesn't suggest anything more admirable. Although in one of the late scenes, after Cat has committed adultery with Diana Muldaur (many men WOULD have done so with DM at her sexiest, as here; but I digress:)), he talks about his life and career with his long-suffering spouse (the excellent Jessica Walter). Here he is vulnerable, and sympathetic. Would that there were more such moments in the film.

But "Number One" remains worth watching. If you need a reason, well, it is the first film to depict at least adequately what professional American football is truly like. "Brian's Song," "North Dallas Forty," "Semi-Tough," etc. came later--

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.

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.

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.