Jim Thorpe -- All-American

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Jim Thorpe -- All-American was a 1951 biographical film produced by Warner Brothers and directed by Michael Curtiz, honoring the great Native American athlete who won medals at the 1912 Olympics and distinguished himself in various sports, both in college and on professional teams.

The film starred Burt Lancaster as Thorpe and featured some archival footage of both the 1912 and 1932 Olympics, as well as other footage of the real Thorpe (seen in long shots). Charles Bickford played the famed coach Pop Warner, who was Thorpe's longtime mentor. Bickford also narrated the film, which told of Thorpe's athletic rise and fall, ending on an upbeat note when he was asked by a group of boys to coach them. Phyllis Thaxter portrayed Thorpe's first wife. Warner Brothers used a number of contract players in the film, as well as a few Native American actors.^[1]

Burt Lancaster as Jim Thorpe

[edit] Credits

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Writing credits:
Russell Birdwell - biography (as Russell J. Birdwell)
Frank Davis - additional dialogue
Vincent X. Flaherty - adaptation
Everett Freeman - screenplay
Douglas Morrow - adaptation
Douglas Morrow - screenplay
Jim Thorpe - biography (as James Thorpe)

Cast:
Burt Lancaster ... Jim Thorpe
Charles Bickford ... Glenn S. 'Pop' Warner
Steve Cochran ... Peter Allendine
Phyllis Thaxter ... Margaret Miller
Dick Wesson ... Ed Guyac
Jack Big Head ... Little Boy Who Walk Like Bear (as Jack Bighead)
Sonny Chorre ... Wally Denny (as Suni Warcloud)
Al Mejia ... Louis Tewanema
Hubie Kerns ... Tom Ashenbrunner
Holly Bane ... Ed Lacey, Sportswriter Punched by Thorpe (uncredited)
Jack Baston ... King Gustav (uncredited)
Hal Baylor ... Player (uncredited)
John Close ... Canton Bulldogs Teammate (uncredited)
James Conaty ... Extra at Sports Dinner (uncredited)
Lew Fay ... Young Boy (uncredited)
Charles Finney ... Young Boy (uncredited)
Joe Gilbert ... Spectator (uncredited)
Roy Gordon ... Coach John McGraw, N.Y. Giants (uncredited)
Tim Graham ... Photographer (uncredited)
Billy Gray ... Jim Thorpe, as a child (uncredited)
Tom Greenway ... Coach Howard (uncredited)
Robert Harrison ... Locker Room Boy (uncredited)
Jimmy Hawkins ... Jimmy (little kid at vacant lot) (uncredited)
Timmy Hawkins ... Young Boy (uncredited)
Joe Haworth ... Indian (uncredited)
Chester Hayes ... Player (uncredited)
Sam Hayes ... 1932 Olympics Announcer (uncredited)
Mary Alan Hokanson ... Operator (uncredited)
Charles Horvath ... Player (uncredited)
Joe Kerr ... Chairman, Olympics Board (uncredited)
Edwin Max ... Football Manager (uncredited)
Anthony Mazzola ... Young Boy (uncredited)
Richard Mazzola ... Young Boy (uncredited)
Frank McFarland ... Chairman, Olympics Board (uncredited)
Cecil Mears ... Indian Student (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery ... Photographer (uncredited)
Eula Morgan ... Charlotte Thorpe (uncredited)
Jimmy Moss ... Jim Thorpe Jr. (uncredited)
Chris Munson ... Indian Athlete (uncredited)
Charles O'Brien ... Owner (uncredited)
Jimmy Ogg ... Bellboy (uncredited)
Nestor Paiva ... Hiram Thorpe (uncredited)
Edward Peil Sr. ... First Bartender (uncredited)
Jack Perrin ... Spectator (uncredited)
Frank Pharr ... Attendant (uncredited)
Norman Phillips Jr. ... Reporter (uncredited)
Paul Picerni ... Man on Speaker's Platform (uncredited)
Barry Regan ... Ticket Taker (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson ... Second Bartender (uncredited)
Nick Rodman ... Frank Pleasant (uncredited)
Peter Roman ... Young Boy (uncredited)
Nicky Sardegna ... Young Boy (uncredited)
Carl Saxe ... Quarterback (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre ... 1932 Olympics Reporter (uncredited)
Sarah Selby ... Miss Benton (uncredited)
Alex Sharp ... Player (uncredited)
Robert 'Buddy' Shaw ... Spectator (uncredited)
Bob Simpson ... New Player (uncredited)
George Spaulding ... Doctor (uncredited)
Bert Stevens ... Extra in Stands at Olympics (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan ... Barfly (uncredited)
Ken Swanson ... Wildcat (uncredited)
Bobby Taylor ... Young Boy (uncredited)
Phil Tead ... Chairman, Olympics Board (uncredited)
Max Terhune ... Farmer (uncredited)
Buddy Thaw ... Spectator (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel ... Motorcycle Cop (uncredited)
Charles Wagenheim ... Briggs (uncredited)
Max Wagner ... Assistant Coach, N.Y. Giants (uncredited)
Billy Wayne ... Dance Contest Manager (uncredited)
Robert Williams ... Lafayette Track Coach (uncredited)
Matt Willis ... Tom Michaels, Canton Bulldogs Coach (uncredited)

Produced by Everett Freeman
Original Music by Max Steiner
Cinematography by Ernest Haller
Film Editing by Folmar Blangsted
Art Direction by Edward Carrere
Set Decoration by William Wallace
Costume Design by Milo Anderson
Makeup by Gordon Bau
Second Unit Director: David C. Gardner
Assistant Director: Sherry Shourds (uncredited)
Sound by Oliver S. Garretson
Orchestration by Murray Cutter
Montage Director: David C. Gardner
Dialogue Director: Norman Stuart
Technical Advisor: Jim Thorpe

^[2]

[edit] Epilogue

Although Thorpe was stripped of his Olympic medals, after it was discovered he had played for a professional baseball team while still officially an amateur, he was reinstated years after his death in 1953.^[3]