Jim Thorpe – All-American (1951)

If you watch "Jim Thorpe--All-American" expecting to see a full account of the famous athlete's life, you'd be disappointed to know that it's pretty incomplete. However, it does capture the essence of the man and his many foibles (it IS a warts and all bio-pic). Plus, while Burt Lancaster looked almost nothing like the man, his athleticism was a definite plus (Lancaster having been an acrobat and very physical specimen). It's enjoyable, that's for sure.The film begins during Thorpe's childhood and difficulties his parents had getting him to stay at the residential Indian school. I have no idea if this really occurred--but it was pretty cool. Then the film jumps ahead to his entering Carlisle College--at which he distinguished himself as an amazing athlete. To Hollywood-ize Thorpe's life, the film makers created a romance. While it IS true that he married this woman, Thorpe was married three times and had many kids--whereas the other two marriages and all but his first child were omitted. I really don't see why--and it did seem dishonest only mentioning the one kid who died tragically.The rest of the film is reasonably accurate but also a bit sketchy at times. It DID show his many failings but again, this was very sketchy. The problem for me is that although Lancaster was dynamic, the film entertaining and the ending inspiring, it was woefully incomplete. In fact, his life was so much more complex and interesting that it is perhaps a better made as a mini-series--as 105 minutes isn't enough. Good...but not worthy to truly be called the life story of Jim Thorpe.

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!

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.

This was a great film, and was Lancaster at his best, he seemed so strong in this roll, winning almost everything he took part in had to be a sight to see, Thorpe was a good American, andshould never had his medals taken away, but that was life in those days. I know that he must have been really low at that time and disgusted with all of sports, I would have like to have seen him play but that was way before my time. The ending was sad, but it kind of left you wondering what he did do after sports.