Stars: Burt Lancaster, Charles Bickford, Phyliss Thaxter
Best Quote: "I had a funny feeling watching Burt do the things I did...I don't think I was ever that handsome" - Jim Thorpe
Typical Hollywood Sports Biopic based on Jim Thorpe's 1950 autobiography. Like Pride of the Yankees (Lou Gehrig), or Follow the Sun (Ben Hogan) - the real story is sanitized, fictionalized and made more dramatic**. The whole thing was designed to inspire what Casey Stengel called "The Youth of America." - not tell the literal truth.
And there's nothing wrong with that, but it makes for a standard/mediocre movie. Unless you're a Lancaster or Jim Thorpe fan, I'd skip it.
Burt Lancaster
Lancaster does well in the athletic scenes, but even with darkened hair and makeup, he's about as Indian as Gregory Peck. Burt doesn't have to do much acting, and at 38 is a little to old for the HS scenes.
According to Thaxter, Lancaster didn't like doing "love scenes" and would rehearse endlessly in a mirror to get them right. This sounds correct. Although Lancaster is famous for his From Here to Eternity beach scene with Deborah Kerr - his filmography shows little romance. Lancaster made 40 films from 1946-1964 - but probably no leading man kissed fewer girls.
** = Thorpe, for example, had 3 wives, but movie Thorpe is only in love Phyllis Thaxter.
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