Jim Thorpe -- All-American (1951) - full transcript
True story of Native American Jim Thorpe, who rose from an Oklahoma reservation to become a collegiate, Olympic, and professional star. After his medals are stripped on a technicality and his dream of coaching is shattered, Thorpe's life begins to unravel. His marriage to his college sweetheart ends, and he is a forgotten figure, except by Glenn 'Pop' Warner, his coach at Carlisle College.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the honorable Roy J. Turner,
Governor of the State of Oklahoma.
Ladies and gentlemen,
we are gathered here this evening
to express our pride and pay tribute
to a native son of Oklahoma.
But I think it is only fitting
that I forgo the honor
of making this presentation myself
and call upon a great gentleman
of whom we are also very proud,
even though he is not a native son.
May I present to you one of the immortals
of the world of sports,
the greatly beloved Pop Warner.
Thank you Governor Turner Mrs. Turner,
ladies and gentlemen.
I am of course highly honored
to make this presentation.
But this event
has special significance for me.
I feel a deep sense
of personal pride and pleasure.
Fifty years is a long time.
Many exciting people and events have
had their moment on the American scene.
Tonight we pay recognition to a man
who had more than a brief moment,
a man who, during the past half-century,
has carved a permanent place for himself
in all our hearts
and on this memorable occasion
I can't help but think back
to a young Indian lad
who grew up on a reservation.
As a boy, he roamed the woods
with his father, hunting and fishing.
Then one day he was faced
with the prospect of school,
that frightening institution
of the white man's world.
But being cooped up indoors
was more than young Thorpe could stand.
His father had deposited him
at the front door
and Jim left immediately by the back door.
And then, running with the wild grace
of a young deer,
the boy headed home.
Oh, Grandmother.
Jim.
Well, the boy is in school, Charlotte.
I think he'll stay there this time.
I took him far enough away so...
- Jim, how you get here?
- He ran.
You ran 15 miles?
Only 12 Pa. I came through the hills.
Did you hear that, Charlotte?
Twelve miles through the hills.
I hope he enjoyed it,
because he goes back to school tomorrow.
I'll run away.
You're his father.
You taught him all the things he likes to do.
Now, teach him what he has to do.
Jim.
Jim.
You're going back to school.
- No.
- Come here.
I ain't never took a whip to you Jim.
I ain't going to start.
Come here.
Look out there.
What do you see?
A coyote run where I've got my traps set.
What else?
The hollow cottonwood where the owl lives.
Three buzzards circling a dead lamb.
Do you see yellow fields of grain?
Do you see fat herds
grazing on young prairie grass?
- No.
- That's right.
You don't see nothing but a boy's world.
That's all you'll ever see
here on the reservation.
They'll give you a piece of land and you
can sit around wrapped in a blanket.
Or else you can try to
make something of yourself.
Be something.
Be what Pa?
Whatever you want to be boy.
It's all in the books,
and the books are in the schools.
But I don't like school.
You must change Jim, for your own good.
You must let the white man
teach you his ways.
Before you know it,
you'll be out in the world
with your head full of learning
and you'll make your people proud of you.
Do you want me to go away?
No boy. I'd rather have you here with me.
But I know it's the right thing to do
and I know something else.
What Pa?
If anybody wants something from you
he ain't going to get it by whipping you.
Twelve miles.
That was a mighty fine run lad.
The boy obeyed his father
and returned to school,
but he could never overcome his resentment
against this new way of life.
The Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania
was the site of the government's
famous Carlisle Indian School.
Here came Indian youths and maidens
from every tribe in the nation.
Shawnee, Cherokee, Sioux,
Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Chippewa,
some barely able to speak English.
But all eager to prepare themselves
for a new life.
Jim had promised his father
to finish his education,
so he found himself at Carlisle,
fulfilling that promise
but confused and uncertain.
A young man torn between the prospect
of discipline and confinement
and the simple outdoor life he had loved.
I was coaching at Carlisle in those days,
teaching the Indians what I knew
about the white man's games.
The job was fun but no snap.
When I wasn't coaching,
I was prowling around the campus
looking for material to coach.
- Here come some more.
- Oh, give them all copies.
You fellows learn these
by tomorrow morning, you hear?
Hey, hey, come here. Here's one for you too.
Hey, hey, frosh.
Come over here and get one of these.
Hey, you.
Yeah, you. Come here.
Hey, just a minute.
What's your name?
- Jim Thorpe.
- Do you have a tribal name?
- Wa-tho-Huck.
- What does it mean?
- Bright Path.
- Bright Path, eh?
Well, Bright Path,
do you know the school song?
- No.
- No sir.
That's right. Well, here are the words.
You memorize them,
be ready to sing for us tomorrow morning.
Oh, just a minute, Bright Path.
Do you speak Indian?
Yes.
Let's hear you recite
the Gettysburg Address in Indian.
- Why, I reckon I can't.
- You can't? Good.
Because when you recite
the Gettysburg Address,
you recite it in English.
Indian isn't spoken here.
- Hello Pete.
- Hello.
What you got here? Football material?
From his attitude,
I don't think he's even Carlisle material.
- Ever play football before?
- What's football?
What's...
- You don't know what football is?
- No.
Well, football, bright path,
is a white man's game
and it's played with a leather skin,
something like your suitcase here.
And the object of this game
is to take this leather skin
and try to run past Mr. Denny and me.
Well, frosh, come on. Run past them.
I'm sorry, Bright Path but
that's football, very rough game.
Indian boy got lot to learn.
Now you try it.
- Try what?
- Run past me.
Forget it Jim.
You got plenty of chance next year.
You try it.
Say, that wasn't bad.
Come on, I'd like you to meet Pop Warner.
- Hello.
- They sent me up here to bunk with you.
- Sure. Come on in. I'd Ed Guyac.
- Jim Thorpe.
And this untamed aborigine here
is Little Boy Who Walk Like Bear.
It's kind of a mouthful
so I just call him Little Boy.
Not hau. What have I been teaching you?
Hi.
He's full-blooded Chippewa.
His old man's chief.
Nothing like bunking with royalty.
- Where you from?
- Oklahoma. Sac and Fox.
I'm Mohawk. Heap smart New York Injun.
Study law, make plenty wampum,
take mortgage off teepee.
- How about you?
- What about me?
What are you going to prepare for?
You know Doctor, lawyer,
Indian chief, rich man, poor man...
I don't know.
Well, you've come to the right place
to find out.
- This is your cot, right here.
- Thanks.
Matter of fact, you can take this one
if you like, Little Boy never uses it.
- Bed too soft, make Little Boy soft.
- Soft. Listen to him.
Two hundred and twenty pounds of steer bone.
These natives, I'll never get used to them.
You're supposed to stand when an
upperclassman comes in the room.
Yes sir.
You three will report to the quartermaster
for your issue of cadet uniforms.
You will keep them cleaned
and pressed for daily inspection.
You will also fill out these forms indicating
your preference for industrial training.
That's a pretty sloppy bed.
You'd better learn how to keep it neat
if you expect to stay here.
I'm not sure I'm going to stay here.
Studying didn't come easy to Jim.
He crammed until late hours
to keep up with his class
and often fell asleep over his books,
his mind restless and troubled.
When he could stand it no longer,
he began to run.
And once again he found relief
in the sheer physical joy of running.
On your marks.
Get set.
Who is that?
Go.
Either I need a new watch
or we've got a new runner.
You're Jim Thorpe?
- That's right.
- Glad to meet you Jim. I'm Pop Warner.
You mind if I sit down?
I'd like to talk to you a minute.
No.
That's quite an exhibition
you put on this morning.
- Exhibition?
- Don't you know what you did?
You ran the 220 in 23 seconds flat
with your clothes on.
Why haven't you come out for the team?
Well, I hadn't figured
on coming out for the team.
You just run for exercise, is that it?
I don't rightly know why I run.
You don't like it here, do you?
- No, I don't.
- Then why have you come?
Because I promised someone. He's dead.
You know,
you're the first Sac and Fox I've met here.
- That's Oklahoma Territory, isn't it?
- Yes.
Originally from Wisconsin.
- Illinois.
- Oh, yes, Illinois.
Part of the Algonquins.
- Yes, that's right.
- A great warrior tribe, great traditions.
What do they do now?
Oh, a little farming, little weaving.
- They sell blankets at the railway station.
- Yes, I know.
That's why Carlisle was founded Jim.
So that your people can do more
than sell blankets at the railway station.
The trouble is that too many Indian boys
take the easy way out.
They quit school
and go back to the reservation.
How are you getting along with your studies?
Well, not very good, I'm afraid.
I never was much with books.
Yes, I know what you mean.
Studying, reading, doing a lot of things,
come awfully hard.
I had the same problems
when I went to school.
- It's always hard at the beginning.
- Well, it's more than that Mr.Warner.
I don't know what I want to do,
or what I want to be.
Look around you Jim, at those faces.
All of those kids have problems.
A lot of them don't know
what they want to be,
what they want to do.
They'll find out soon enough
what they want most in life.
So will you.
All I'm trying to say is,
give Carlisle a chance.
And, incidentally,
don't be afraid of sports Jim.
Good for you. Teach you how to relax.
Make you sleep well.
Look me up.
You'll find me in my office
or the athletic field.
Been nice talking to you.
Get some lift into that takeoff foot.
No, no, no Ed.
You dragged it off with your hand.
Watch that.
Hello Jim. Like to take a whack at it?
Go ahead, it won't bite you.
No, no. You're doing the same thing.
Watch that, will you? Get some lift into it.
Pretty good Jim. Very good for a first jump.
Let's try it again.
Watching Thorpe in succeeding weeks
was like watching
a magnificent young stallion,
untamed and unbroken,
but with a natural athletic aptitude
that was incredible.
And as he found a means of expression
in sports,
the hard shell which had always
surrounded him seemed to soften a little.
Finally one day for the first time,
Jim found himself facing competition
against other college athletes.
Pop, it's 2:30.
The meet is supposed to start.
- Well, let's get started.
- Well, where's your team?
Right here.
Now wait a minute, you're joking, aren't you?
This is Louis Tewanima.
He runs the mile, two miles,
three miles and up.
And this is Jim Thorpe.
- And what does he do?
- Everything else.
Well, I guess you know what you're doing Pop.
Remember, these people came here
to see a track meet.
They'll see one. Call your first event.
Come on, team.
Get on your marks.
Get set...
We've read all about you Mr.Thorpe,
and we're very proud of you.
Thank you.
I'm sure we can have this sewn on for you.
I'll get one of the girls. Come with me.
Margaret?
- Yes Miss Benton?
- Will you come here a minute please?
Margaret, this is Jim Thorpe.
He's won his letter
and he wants us to sew it on for him.
- Will you be good enough?
- Certainly Miss Benton.
- About here?
- Yes, I guess so.
- Would you take your sweater off please?
- Yes please.
Won't you sit down?
- Here you are Mr.Thorpe.
- Thank you.
There.
Oh, I'm sorry, a loose thread.
Excuse me.
- There, I think that will do it.
- Thank you ma'am.
Oh, that's fine Margaret.
Thank you very much.
Hey Chief, bedtime.
- Hey, what are you mumbling about?
- American history bad.
What have you got against American history?
White man lick Indian, he win great battle.
Indian lick white man, massacre.
Crazy.
I never thought about that.
Crazy.
See? Captain of the football team.
That's how you get the
prettiest girls and the biggest letters.
- Hello, Bright Path.
- Hello.
All candidates for football squad,
please report to Coach
Glenn S. Warner at 3:00 P.M.
Every time I look at this football schedule
I get dizzy.
We can't play teams of this caliber, Glenn.
Harvard, Army, Minnesota, Penn.
- Very impressive schedule.
- What're we going to do for material?
Half the kids think a pigskin
is something to eat for breakfast.
- Pop.
- Hello Jim.
Saw your notice on the bulletin board.
Kind of thought I might
like to look into this game of football.
Forget it son. You're a track man.
These legs of yours are too valuable
to be risked in a tough game like football.
But I thought maybe
if you needed someone to...
Thanks for trying to help. Forget it Jim.
Any chance of using me Mr.Warner?
- What for?
- Oh, some kind of executive job.
I've been taking a class
in business management.
I thought perhaps
I could help out in one of...
I've got just the job for you.
Executive job.
Now boys, remember what I told you.
Heads up, eyes open,
dig those legs in and charge.
Hit them hard.
Ready. Charge.
No, no, no, Little Boy.
I told you to dig those legs in and hit him.
- Him no stand still.
- Well, that's very inconsiderate of him.
Alright, now, try it again.
Hit him hard this time.
Ready. Come on, come on. Now, charge.
Hey, watch the wind when you kick.
- What are you doing in that outfit?
- I thought I'd come out for the team.
Jim, how many times do I have to tell you.
Get back inside and take off those clothes.
I'm coming out for the team.
Oh, so you're coming out for the team.
No matter what I say?
Alright. What do you know about drop-kicking?
- Nothing. But I can learn.
- Get over there with those men.
I thought you were saving him for track.
Just because he's on the squad
doesn't mean I'm going to let him play.
Miss Miller.
- Miss Miller.
- Oh hello Mr.Thorpe.
- Do you mind if I walk with you?
- Why, no, not at all.
Miss Miller,
there's something I'd like to tell you.
Yes?
I think I'm in love with you.
You're what?
I think I'm in love with you.
I can't be sure because
I've never been in love before but...
Well, I thought you ought to know.
In our opening games that year,
we got past Lafayette,
Bucknell and Dickinson.
But Jim was still warming the bench
and he didn't like it.
And then we ran up against Harvard.
We used a checkerboard field at that time
because a forward pass
could only be thrown
directly over the line of scrimmage.
The scoring was a little different too.
A touchdown counted five points
and a field goal, four points.
The emphasis was on the word foot.
Water boy.
What a job for a man of talent.
Quit complaining.
You've seen more action than I have.
46, 27, 98, 32, 46.
It was late in the game.
Carlisle was trailing.
The boys were plenty used up.
Big Wolfe.
Thorpe.
- Yes sir?
- Four points will tie up this game.
You've been practicing field goals
for months.
- Think you can kick one?
- Yes sir, I think so.
Get in there.
And don't carry the ball, just kick.
Make it good Jim. Make it good.
- Thorpe for Big Bear.
- Big Bear, out.
- Pop sent me in to try a drop-kick.
- What?
Time out.
- You think you can do it, Bright Path?
- Just give me that ball.
Alright. Let's go.
46, 93, 98, 42.
That was a big help.
Let me take the ball again.
I'll get it off this time.
48, 26, 32, 97, 41.
Attaboy Jim. Attaboy.
Once he made the varsity,
Carlisle began to roll.
America suddenly took notice
of a bunch of young Indians
led by a twisting, hard-running,
flash of fire named Thorpe.
He didn't stop at track and football.
Anything Jim tried,
he quickly mastered with ease,
and won his letter in baseball too.
After the last baseball game of the season,
we were heading back to Carlisle
for the start of summer vacation.
- Time to turn in Jim.
- In a little while Pop.
What's on your mind?
- Oh, just thinking.
- About next season?
No.
- I was thinking about me Pop.
- What about you?
Do you remember you once told me that,
that sooner or later I'd find out
what I wanted most in life?
What I wanted to do.
- Yes, I remember very well.
- Well, I think I know what that is.
There's one thing that
really gets to me, that's sports.
Do you think a man can make
a future out of that?
- I did.
- Yes, I know.
I've been watching you
working with the fellows,
helping them, teaching them.
That's what I want to be Pop,
a coach. Is that a crazy idea?
Certainly not Jim,
if that's the way you feel.
But why do you have to
make such a big decision so soon?
I was planning on getting married.
Married? When?
Well, I don't rightly know.
I haven't even asked her yet.
- Asked who?
- Margaret Miller. You've met her.
Well, don't you think it might be a good idea
to let the young lady in
on all these big plans
you're making for the two of you?
- I'm not a coach yet Pop.
- No but I am.
So get some sleep.
John Little Boy. Gillie want top...
Paul Hightower.
Dave Daniel Cheston.
Louis Tewanima.
Jim Thorpe.
I guess I won't
be seeing you again till fall.
No, I guess not.
Jim, you shouldn't. It's your football.
You won it. It's important to you.
That's why I want you to have it.
Where are you going to be this summer?
On a farm. The placement office arranged it.
I love you Margaret. I know that now.
We're right for each other.
We're the same heritage. The same blood.
- Does that mean so much to you?
- Yes. It makes it right.
Any other way, we'd be strangers.
- Happy vacation. Happy vacation.
- Happy vacation. Happy vacation.
- Happy vacation, everybody.
- Happy vacation.
Say, you Indian boys
is kind of pokey, ain't you?
Didn't turn out much work yesterday.
Looks like today
is going to be just the same.
That ain't giving me an honest day's work.
Can't make hay this way, no sir.
Hey Ed.
Say, you Indian boys
is kind of pokey, ain't you?
Didn't turn out much work yesterday.
Looks like today
is going to be just the same,
and that ain't giving me
an honest day's work.
- Jim, this here is Mr. Howard.
- Hello Jim.
Heard you were down in these parts.
We got a little ball club
over the Rocky Mount.
Need a third baseman.
Pay you the same as you're getting here.
- Baseball?
- Unless you'd rather pitch hay.
Mr. Howard, you got yourself a third baseman.
Walk up to the house with me
while I get my things.
Goodbye, girls. See you tomorrow, 8:00.
Were you looking for someone Jim?
Yes Miss Benton.
I was looking for Miss Miller.
Well Margaret isn't here any longer.
- Not in this class?
- She's no longer at school.
- Not at the school?
- I thought you knew.
- Well, knew what?
- I'm sorry Jim.
It's all been sort of a mix-up.
You see Margaret is not an Indian.
- Not an Indian?
- No Jim.
There must be some mistake,
Miss Benton. I don't understand.
The nearest school to Margaret's home
in Oklahoma was an Indian school.
Her sister taught there.
Margaret attended this school
for several years
and when some of her friends and classmates
applied for admission to Carlisle,
she did too.
Our rules are very strict
on matters of this sort,
but because of the unusual circumstances,
we made a special exception in her case.
I thought she was very happy here.
At least she seemed so.
But just before this semester started
I received a letter from her
saying that she wasn't returning to school.
Did she leave anything for me? A note?
No Jim, I'm afraid not.
Thank you Miss Benton.
Jim changed a little after that.
It was almost as though he were venting
his emotions on the gridiron
on anyone who stood in his path.
Spearheaded by Thorpe,
the Carlisle Indians
began to make football history.
The little school in the Cumberland Valley
toppled giant after giant
in a career that reached epic proportions.
In his zeal to carve a name for himself
that would bring a coaching job,
Jim Thorpe performed feats
that are today legendary.
There was the time against Army.
- You were offside, offside.
- What do you mean?
Offside.
Jim's run was nullified
for an offside penalty.
Two kick-off returns.
A hundred and eighty yards
for the same touchdown.
Well, we've done it again.
Headlines all over the country.
New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Atlanta.
The Carlisle Indians run by Ed Guyac.
Boy, what a team.
- How's the trick knee, Little Boy?
- What? Oh, knee work fine Ed.
- Doctor say I can play on Saturday.
- Good.
As manager of this year's football team,
I want every varsity player
in perfect condition.
Lights out at 10:00, good
grades in all subjects, no fatty foods.
Hey, what are you scratching away at?
- Writing letter.
- Letter? Who's it to?
Girl. Love letter.
Well, Little Boy.
You've been holding out on us.
- When did this happen?
- Summer vacation.
I go back home and meet girl I know
when I was little. She grow up.
Jim.
Maybe you fix this up, eh?
You tell me what to write?
Better let Ed do it.
He's the student in this crowd.
- You help me fix up letter, eh Ed?
- Sure.
I'm the only guy here who's not
in love, that makes me an expert.
Miss Anna Sweet Flower.
I said I like you
and I want to give you a letter.
Whenever I give you letter
please answer to me soon
as I wish to touch the letter
that you have touched.
When you give me letter,
it makes my heart glad.
I wish always we smile at each other
when we meet.
We live happy all time.
I like you and I love you.
My whole heart is shaking hands with you.
I kiss you.
Your lover, Little Boy.
You fix up, eh Ed?
I couldn't improve on it, Little Boy.
Send it to her the way you wrote it.
- The band plays well these days.
- Oh hello Pop.
- Yes, they do.
- Nice and cool, isn't it?
Come on Jim. Walk with me.
I've been worrying about you.
You haven't been yourself lately.
- Well, I feel fine Pop.
- Just the same, you don't act right to me.
- Well, I've never felt better.
- Don't tell me. I've been watching you.
You're just not right.
- Are we going into the infirmary?
- Yes. You need a checkup.
- Pop, I told you I'm alright.
- Come on, don't argue.
I want the nurse to have a look at you.
Nurse, will you check this man please?
Margaret.
Hello Jim.
I'm working in the infirmary.
Pop got me the job.
I've been reading a lot about you
in all the newspapers.
Why did you do it?
I don't know. I was confused and mixed up.
For both our sakes,
it seemed the best thing to do.
- Why didn't you write?
- There was nothing I could say.
Jim, you spoke about background and heritage.
They seem to mean so much to you.
It's taken me all this time to realize
that they aren't really important.
What counts is that we're people.
I told you once I loved you.
I still love you.
- Does that answer you?
- Oh Jim.
Oh, I've missed you Margaret.
More than I've ever missed anybody
in all my life.
- Will you marry me?
- That's why I came back to Carlisle.
Are you sure you won't mind
being married to a coach?
- A coach? Jim, where?
- Any place.
Whenever they get around
to making me an offer.
They will.
Darling, you'll be a wonderful coach.
Hurry up, fellows. Come on, let's go, here.
Alright boys, your attention.
Boys, I've never made a speech to you before.
I don't have to make speeches.
And I don't have to tell you
that Penn is a powerhouse,
a football team that's
been unbeatable for two years.
But I'll say this.
If there's any team that can beat them,
it's this Carlisle bunch right here with me.
Believe me boys, I'm proud of you.
But remember this.
This is going to be the toughest
football game you've ever played.
Penn is a hard-hitting, rough bunch
that asks no quarter and gives no quarter.
That's why they're champions.
Also, they have one of the greatest
breakaway runners in the country,
Tom Ashenbrunner, All-American for two years.
We've got an All-American too.
Well, I guess I don't have to say any more.
Alright, Carlisle, take the field.
Alright. Here we go kids. Come on. Let's go.
Come on, let's play.
- Jim?
- Yes Pop?
This game may be more important
than you think.
I've just learned that Allegheny
is scouting for a football coach.
They've got their eye on you
and Tom Ashenbrunner.
Thanks Pop.
Better tell Ashenbrunner
to stay out of my way. I need that job.
Yes, I know. Margaret told me.
The Penn-Carlisle game that year
will go down in history
as one of the hardest,
most bruising gridiron battles ever fought.
Two great teams and two great players
pitted against each other.
- Heads.
- Tail.
We'll kick.
Ashenbrunner was the Penn captain,
a great driving back
with a tremendous will to win.
The checkerboard field
has been abandoned by this time
because the game had opened up a little.
The flying wedge had been outlawed,
but football in those days
was still no sport for children.
Penn kicked off to Carlisle,
but Jim soon learned
that this was going to be no field day.
Penn had set up a defensive system
designed to stop Thorpe
before he got started.
It was a new experience for Jim
to be bottled up,
and though he fought to get clear,
Penn kept stopping him
at the line of scrimmage.
With so much at stake for these two men,
I suppose it was inevitable
for bad blood to start early.
- Nice going, Ash.
- What's the matter, Thorpe? Nervous?
Again Jim was stopped
at the line of scrimmage
and Carlisle went back into kick formation.
Now it was Ashenbrunner's time
to show his stuff and he showed plenty.
Ashenbrunner, Ashenbrunner.
On the next play Ashenbrunner broke
loose behind some great blocking.
Penn converted
and the score was seven to nothing.
Let's get that touchdown back.
Fighting fiercely to get that touchdown back,
Jim on the kick-off return
battled his way up to midfield.
Indians. Yeah.
Then on a Statue of Liberty play...
Three.
Jim converted for Carlisle
and the score was now seven to seven.
All that afternoon,
Carlisle and Penn battled each other
in a game that had resolved itself
into a personal duel
between Thorpe and Ashenbrunner.
The play got harder and fiercer
with both lines charging viciously
and both captains all over the field.
In the third quarter
Jim kicked a 25-yard field goal
to make the score ten to seven.
But Penn came right back
with a brilliant run from Ashenbrunner
that had the crowd on its feet.
In the final minutes, Penn led 13 to 10.
The dog-tired Indians were staying
in the game only on sheer courage.
Penn had the ball and was freezing it.
17, 28, 34, 46, 57, 68.
They're stalling. They're freezing that ball.
Let's smear this play.
We've got to get that ball back.
Hit them hard. Make them fumble.
Come on. Let's go.
- What's the matter?
- Nothing.
What's the matter with Little Boy?
Time out.
Nice going, Little Boy.
- How much time we got?
- Twenty-five seconds.
Come on.
I'm going to try for a field goal.
You're crazy Jim. We're on the 50-yard line.
- This angle is too tough, it's...
- It's our only chance.
Can you hold them for just one more play?
Just 'till I get the kick over?
- You kick it Jim. We hold them.
- Alright, let's go.
He can't kick a field goal from there.
Block that kick.
Get set. 36, 48, 52.
It went through.
- Attaboy Jim.
- Nice going Jim boy.
Great kick, Thorpe.
You sure made me look good
out there today, Little Boy.
Thanks.
If I had half a brain,
I'd have taken you out of the game.
- I'm sorry about the knee.
- Don't feel bad Jim. I get better.
I have to get better. I'm in love too.
In case anybody is interested,
I just spoke to the doc.
He expects the patient
to lead a long and lusty life on two legs.
Say Jim Pop wants to see you.
- Hi Chief.
- Has he heard anything?
Don't know.
He just said he wanted to see you.
- He's in his office.
- See you later Margaret.
- Well, how you feeling Chief?
- Bed soft, make Little Boy soft.
Soft. How do you like this guy?
If every Indian was as soft as you,
the population of this country
would still be in Rhode Island.
Hello Jim.
Sit down.
What's all the mystery about?
They're sure taking a lot of time
to make a decision.
They've already made the decision.
Ashenbrunner.
That's too bad.
Margaret will be disappointed.
Don't let it get you down.
Be lots of other chances.
Well, that's that. Thanks Pop.
Maybe I shouldn't say this Pop,
but I outplayed Ashenbrunner.
You did everything a man could do
on a football field.
Then, why?
Evidently they thought Ashenbrunner
was better equipped for the job.
You don't believe that Pop.
There's a lot more to coaching
than simply being a great player.
In the second half
you knew Little Boy had a bad knee.
You kept it from me and let him play.
- We tied up the game, didn't we?
- That's not the point.
Pop, that job was important to me.
I needed it.
Not that way.
The reason I didn't get it
is because I'm an Indian, isn't it?
I don't know Jim.
I honestly don't know.
But supposing it was,
that's simply another hurdle for you to take.
And from what I've seen,
that shouldn't be too difficult.
- Not for you. You'll clear it.
- I'll make sure of that.
- What's on your mind?
- I want to go over there, to the Olympics.
I want to make a record
they won't be able to ignore.
Good boy. That's the spirit.
Which event would you like to compete in?
What events are there?
There's the 100 meter, 200 meter,
the hurdles, the pentathlon.
- Pentathlon? That's five events, isn't it?
- That's right.
And this? The decathlon? That's ten events?
- Yes.
- Enter me into both of them.
- Jim, you're crazy.
- Am I?
That's 15 events.
You'd be competing against
the greatest athletes in the world.
Pop, I've worked hard,
hard to make a name for myself.
If it isn't enough of a name, then I'll
just have to work that much harder
to get the kind of coaching job that I want.
I'm not in this for the glory,
I just want a chance to prove myself.
Will you help me? Will you?
You know I will.
Alright, I'll enter your name for
both events with the Olympic Committee.
Thanks Pop.
Stockholm, Sweden.
Scene of the fifth Olympic Games
of the modern era.
For three solid days Jim Thorpe gave
an exhibition of physical prowess
such as the world has never seen.
The five events of the grueling pentathlon.
Sprinting.
Jumping.
The javelin.
The discus.
The torturous 1,500 meter run.
And a great victory, which would've
been sufficient glory for any athlete.
But almost without pause,
and without precedent,
Jim tackled the supreme test, the decathlon.
Ten events covering every form
of track and field competition.
Merely to compete in these events
would've been accomplishment enough,
but Jim achieved victory again.
Another great victory for himself
and for his country.
When it was over, the King of Sweden
asked to meet Jim Thorpe,
to pay personal tribute.
Sir, you are the greatest athlete
in the world.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
As President of the Alumni Council,
I want to welcome Jim back home.
I know that he's
been acclaimed all over the world,
but no one is more proud of him
than we here at Carlisle.
The example that he's set
for this student body,
even those of us who have graduated,
is expressed much better
than I could ever express it,
in this letter
which I am going to read to you.
You Mr.Thorpe, have set a high standard
of physical development
which is only attained
by right living and right thinking.
And your victories will serve as an incentive
to all to improve those qualities
which characterize the best type
of American citizen.
It is my earnest wish that the future
will bring you success
in your chosen field of endeavor.
With heartiest congratulations,
I am sincerely yours William Howard Taft,
President of the United States.
Oh Jim darling, I'm so proud of you.
- Hey. Over here.
- Hey. Hey.
Hold still for a picture.
- How you like to live in Virginia?
- Virginia?
A school down there
offered me a coaching job.
Oh Jim.
That's great, that's great. Hold it.
- Did you get it?
- Got it.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Mr. Warner, this telegram just came for you.
Thanks, White Eagle.
It wasn't a telegram, it was a bombshell.
According to our information Mr.Thorpe,
you played baseball one summer
with the Rocky Mount team
of the Carolina Eastern League.
Is that correct?
- Yes sir.
- What name did you play under?
Why, my own name.
What other name would I use?
You certainly are aware Jim,
that college athletes
sometimes attempt to make money
playing under assumed names.
If I had to do something under any other
name than my own, I wouldn't do it.
- But you admit that you played baseball?
- Yes, of course, I admit it.
This is a very serious charge Mr.Thorpe.
Do you have any defense to offer?
- No sir.
- No defense at all?
I don't know what to defend.
I can't see that I've done anything wrong.
- You did accept money?
- Yes, for room, board and expenses only.
I wasn't playing for the money
that was in it.
I like baseball. It seemed like a good way
to keep in training over the summer.
Is there anything further you wish to say?
Only that if I've done anything wrong,
I'm terribly sorry.
- But I didn't know about these rules.
- Jim, ignorance is no excuse.
- I'd like to say something please.
- Please sit down Mr.Thorpe.
Mr. Warner.
I just want to say gentlemen,
that ignorance sometimes is an excuse.
Our boys at Carlisle come to us
from the reservation.
The government pays their expenses at school,
but that doesn't make them professionals.
In the summer, when the government
stops paying their expenses,
they have to earn their keep somehow.
Yes Jim played ball one summer
for a small amount of money
to cover his room, board and expenses.
Does that make him a professional?
If we're going to stick
to the letter of the law, yes.
But in this case, should we?
We all know that at best
there is a fine, vague line,
between amateurism and professionalism.
Jim drove honestly and sincerely
to a great goal.
He worked and fought his heart out
to win those Olympic crowns.
So far as I'm concerned,
he's a Simon-pure athlete.
You mustn't take those medals
away from him gentlemen.
You mustn't.
Thank you very much Mr.Warner.
Thank you Mr.Thorpe.
We'll advise you of our decision.
I see. No, I don't agree.
However, if that's your decision,
gentlemen, there's nothing more I can say.
Thank you.
It's no use Jim. They wouldn't listen to me.
It's final.
Your records have been stricken
from the book.
They've ordered the return
of all medals and trophies.
And you're barred from
further amateur competition.
It's a rotten deal for you,
but the important thing is that you did win.
What about that coaching job
down in Virginia?
That's gone too Jim.
In view of the so-called scandal
and notoriety,
they've decided to postpone their decision.
Darling, I'm sure they'll renew
their coaching offer when this blows over.
I'm not waiting.
This job of mine gets tougher and tougher.
I'm going to need help next year.
I don't want any charity.
They say I'm a professional
because I played a little baseball.
Well, I'm going to turn pro
and really get paid for it.
- Darling.
- Don't you worry Margaret.
I know what it takes now. We'll make out.
What a sap.
Working, sweating,
training to go to the Olympics.
For what?
Give them back the whole batch Pop,
and tell them thanks for the loan.
Oh Jim.
Jim,
did you see my signal in the last inning?
- Yeah, I saw it.
- Well, what was the signal?
- Bunt.
- Why didn't you?
He threw one low and outside
the way I like them.
- That'll just cost you $50 Jim.
- Why? I got the hit, didn't I?
That's right.
But you're a member of a team and I run it.
When I give a signal, I want it followed.
Just remember that.
You were a little bit rough on him,
weren't you John?
Maybe. But he needs the discipline.
If it's going to be every man for himself,
we wouldn't even be able to beat Brooklyn.
Well, come on. Oh, you're getting so big.
Is that you Jim?
- Yes dear.
- Hello darling.
- Here, hold him a second, will you?
- Oh, sure. Sure.
Come here, fellow.
Come here to your daddy, eh?
Well, come on, look at me.
Has he had his bath today?
- Can I rub him down?
- Of course.
Come here.
Oh, you sweet little thing. What's that?
You're not going to cry now, are you?
- Where's the baby oil?
- On the table.
What's the matter, eh? You unhappy?
Didn't your mama feed you yet?
Didn't she? You're husky.
- Margaret?
- What?
Isn't he a little soft?
I should hope so.
When is he going to walk?
Well, he may be Jim Thorpe, Jr.,
but he's not going to walk at eight months.
How did it go today?
I've decided to quit the Giants.
Quit? Why?
Well, McGraw and I don't get along very well.
Oh, listen, there's a bunch of fellows
out in Ohio have a wonderful new idea.
A professional football league
and they made me an offer.
- There's a great future in it.
- Isn't there a future in baseball?
Listen to your mama.
What does she know about it, eh?
In football we can get out there and run.
Yes, we can.
We can pack that old pigskin
down the field, tear through the line
out into the open and nobody can stop us.
We don't have to bunt, we can go.
You, me, go. In the morning. Hunt buffalo.
Find them. Shoot them.
Kill them. Bring them home.
Cut them up. Cook them.
Eat them. Fill them up. Be happy.
Find squaw. Love squaw.
- Big happiness forever.
- Big crazy man, your father.
So Jim became one of the pioneers
of professional football
and its greatest star.
But now even football
had to take second place
to his son
around whom his whole life revolved.
Hey, what's this all about?
You can't run off the field
in the middle of practice.
We got a tough game Saturday.
I know Tom. But I promised to take
the boy to the park this afternoon.
But it's not right Jim.
If they see you go, they'll all want to go.
You know these boys.
I'm sorry,
but I'll make it up to you another time.
Let's go Jim.
Jim Thorpe, Jr.
For in this boy Jim saw the fulfillment
of a great dream.
The name Jim Thorpe back in the record books.
The name Jim Thorpe again
on the trophies of great achievements.
Trophies and medals
which would never be taken away.
Yes, that was a pretty good jump
you made today.
Three feet, that isn't bad.
Hey, what's the matter?
Guess my nose is in training too, Dad.
It keeps running.
Did I hear somebody sneeze?
You get right into bed, young man.
Ok, that's it.
One of the kids at school said
you aren't the greatest that ever lived.
He said it was some guy named Hercules.
I socked him.
- You did?
- Jim.
Your mother is right son.
You mustn't do a thing like that.
A fellow is entitled to have his
own opinion without being hit for it.
Now you tell him tomorrow
that you're sorry. You hear?
Ok, Dad. But I can't tomorrow.
I'm going with you to Chicago.
Oh, yes, that's right.
Well, the first thing when you get back.
Alright, now, off to bed.
Athletes need lots of sleep.
Here we go. Up. Get those feet out. Head up.
Hold it. Attaboy. In you go.
- Good night sonny.
- Good night Mom.
- Sleep tight.
- Good night.
- Good night son.
- Good night, Dad.
You were right Jimmy.
That Hercules fellow, he wasn't so much.
I wish you wouldn't take him
with you tomorrow.
He's missed too much school as it is
with all this traveling around.
Besides, he's got the sniffles.
You know, I can't understand it but
he doesn't seem to be very good at things.
Why, when I was his age
I could jump any fence.
Run faster than a coyote.
- But Jimmy isn't you dear.
- But he's getting better.
You should've seen him in the park
this afternoon.
Why, he tackled me so hard he almost
knocked me down. Honest.
There are other things besides athletics,
you know.
Not for the Thorpes.
Did I ever tell you about my father?
When he was 50 years old
he was still the best man in the county.
And there were some
mighty tough ones around too.
You still think this
Thorpe's alright, don't you?
Oh Jim, don't please.
I'll tell you what.
If it'll make you feel any better,
then I, I won't take him with me tomorrow.
- But you'll have to tell him. Not me.
- I will.
Do you think I ought to send
for my husband Doctor?
He's in Chicago.
Course, I don't want to worry him
if it isn't necessary.
Well, there's no cause
for great alarm just yet Mrs. Thorpe.
The current epidemic is pretty virulent,
but the boy is strong.
We should know by this evening
which way this thing is going to turn.
I'll be back later.
If it will make you feel better,
I'll bring a specialist for consultation.
- Yes, thank you.
- Goodbye Mrs. Thorpe.
Can't you please try to put
this call through?
Mr. Jim Thorpe, the Bellmore Hotel, Chicago.
Yes. Yes please call me.
I'll wait here by the phone.
Here he is.
- Hold it a second Jim.
- Sure. Come on boys, get into this.
Good. Just like that.
- Once more Jim. Big smile, eh?
- Alright.
Thank you.
Want to make a prediction
about the game today?
I don't make any predictions son,
just touchdowns.
- Alright boys, let's go.
- Hello?
Yes. Yes, I hear you, operator.
I'm very sorry,
Mr. Thorpe's room doesn't answer.
Well, hold on a minute, operator,
I'll have him paged.
Thanks a lot.
This telegram came for you
a little while ago.
- Oh, thank you, Sandy.
- If it's another offer Jim, take me along.
All I can say is, I don't know how you won
today because you were so lousy.
Thompson, Morgan.
You're getting under those punts
like a couple of school girls.
And the rest of you guys,
you weren't blocking,
you were playing patty-cake.
Practice at 10:00 in
the morning and I mean 10:00.
Well, I trust Mr.Thorpe,
that you will honor us with your presence.
You haven't got your kid here for an excuse.
Practice at 10:00 in
the morning. And the rest...
Jim.
Jim.
Tom, look.
I'm sorry Jim. I didn't know.
Jim continued to play professional football.
He still looked good out on the field,
but he'd begun to retreat
back into the old hard shell,
trying to escape from his bitterness.
He moved aimlessly from one team to another.
Another one?
Come in.
Surprise. Margaret.
- Margaret.
- Happy Thanksgiving. Come on.
Oh Ed.
- And Peter.
- Margaret, how are you?
Little Boy, hey.
Thanksgiving comes but once a year,
we thought we'd come with it.
I bumped into these lugs down
buying tickets to the game today.
- We decided to make it a grand reunion.
- What a wonderful surprise.
- Jim will be delighted.
- Where is he?
Oh, he just went down
to the corner to get a paper.
- Here, will you take these?
- Sure.
- I must look awful.
- No.
Excuse me. Make yourselves at home.
Little Boy,
I thought you had a ranch out West.
- I came East to see my lawyer.
- He's a man of affairs now.
Eight hundred head of cattle
and still growing.
He certainly looks it.
- How's your girl?
- Oh, she's not my girl anymore.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- She's my wife.
He's not only making money,
he's making jokes now too.
You look pretty prosperous yourself Peter.
Oh, this is just a front.
I'm in a new business now.
Radio. But, believe me,
it'll never replace the phonograph.
- Play one of those Pete.
- I'd better get these in some water.
Open some of that candy.
I'll be back in a second.
- How's your law practice Ed?
- Booming.
I'm saving my money
so I can buy back Manhattan Island.
- Can I help?
- No, I'll manage, thanks.
Ed, I can't tell you how happy I am
to see you all.
- Jim will be too.
- How is the old war horse?
- I never hear from him anymore.
- He's fine.
- Sure?
- Course, I'm sure.
Ed, I'm worried.
Something is happened to Jim.
Something is gone out of him.
Jimmy's death twisted him inside.
It's almost as though he blamed himself.
I can't seem to reach him anymore.
He's still playing great football.
Only Jim could keep playing football and...
Yes, I know. It gets around.
He spends his time with people
he wouldn't have wasted 10 minutes on before.
They flatter them, he buys them drinks.
They tell him what he wants to hear.
Ed, if he'd only quit playing football.
His heart isn't in it.
He always wanted to be a coach,
he won't admit it.
Margaret, I...
Hey, what's all the gabbing?
We're wasting good music in there.
Come on Margaret.
- Oh, grab the vase, water boy.
- Water boy.
- You're still the greatest dancer.
- Water boy.
- Hello Jim.
- Jim.
How are you, Bright Path?
Carlisle, Carlisle, Indians, Indians, yeah.
Gosh, it's good to see you fellows.
Little Boy, how I've missed you.
I wouldn't have this
if I had you around to block for me.
- But I'd have a busted knee.
- Gee, you look great.
- You mean it?
- I've never seen you look better.
- Gee, I never felt better.
- Still checking your press notices, I see.
Yeah. That's right.
There's a hot one in there today
by this fellow named Lacey.
Sit down, I'll read it you.
Sure. Pull up a chair, Little Boy. Sit down.
He starts off by saying that I'm a champion
in everything I ever tried.
Then he says,
So it is with deep regret
that we witness the perceptible breakup.
Breakup, get that. Of the greatest
athletic machine of all time.
A breakup
that might have been postponed for years
if he stayed in training.
- What do you think of a drip like that, eh?
- Oh, well...
He should've seen me
against the Packers last week.
- I ran 70 yards for a touchdown, 70 yards.
- Is that right?
Margaret. Margaret, tell them what I did
to the Bulldogs out in Cleveland.
Well, go on, tell them.
- He ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
- What else?
He caught a pass
and ran for another touchdown.
- How many yards?
- Forty-eight.
And that's not all. I made six more points.
I kicked two extra drop-kicks.
Does that sound like I'm breaking up?
Well, does it?
Poor fellow.
Maybe I will come back and help him.
Well...
- Well fellas, I think we'd better be going.
- Oh, now wait a minute. You just got here.
There's a million things I want to ask you.
I know but it's less
than two hours to game time,
and I think you better get some rest,
you broken-down old war horse.
Well, when am I going to see you again?
How about Thanksgiving dinner
after the game at Antonio's?
- Oh, that's fine.
- Good.
The gathering of the tribe.
- How about it Margaret?
- I'd love to.
- I'm sorry you're leaving.
- Bye Margaret.
- Bye Pete.
- See you tonight Jim.
- We'll meet you at 7:00.
- We'll see you tonight.
- Show us something out there today Jim.
- You bet I will.
Be great
to see that old fireball in action again.
And how. And I don't mean Hi.
- Goodbye Jim.
- So long Jim.
Goodbye Margaret.
I never realized how much I missed them.
It was wonderful seeing them all again,
wasn't it?
It sure was.
Darling, why don't you lie down for awhile?
- You've got plenty of time.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I think I will.
My goodness, whatever am I going to do
with all this candy?
He's a liar Jimmy.
He's a liar.
We Thorpes never break up. He's a liar.
- Which one of you guys is Lacey?
- I'm Lacey.
Well, I'm Thorpe.
I didn't hear from Jim after that,
but I never lost track of him.
Once in a while bits of news
about him drifted back.
Rather disturbing news.
Put him down.
Come on.
- Jim, old boy, you sure are.
- Drinks on you, Buck.
- Ok. Set them up.
- Hey. Wait a minute. I won, didn't I?
- You certainly did.
- They're on me.
You got a letter from Ed.
Yeah? What's he say?
He's established title
to your government land in Oklahoma.
A hundred and sixty acres.
Isn't that wonderful?
What's wonderful about it?
Well, I thought...
I mean Ed says
it will have to be sold for taxes
unless somebody goes back and works it.
Yeah, well, let him sell it.
I'd like to see Ed go back.
That's what I'd like to see.
- Ed is a lawyer.
- Yeah? Well, I'm a football player.
You can't be a football player forever.
Oh, stop nagging me. Let me alone, will you?
We could borrow enough on the land
so we could build a little house.
It would be good for us, for both of us.
I don't say it has to be forever.
But just long enough so that we could...
They'd all like to see me go back
to the reservation, wouldn't they?
You'd like to see me go back, wouldn't you?
- Jim, I didn't say that.
- Good old Jim Thorpe.
Back in the blanket where he belongs.
Sitting in front of a teepee
smoking a corncob pipe.
Can't get into any trouble.
- No money, no firewater.
- Jim please.
- Stupid, illiterate Indian boy.
- Jim, stop.
Make plenty of fine, handmade moccasins.
Bracelets with pretty beads.
Sell them to tourists at the railway station.
Make lots of fine wampum for squaws.
Stop it, stop it.
- Raise lots of papooses.
- Stop it.
- Teach them to beg from tourists.
- Stop it. Stop it.
I see you're here, anyhow.
People that sleep with their clothes on.
I don't understand it.
She took everything with her.
Your wife left early this morning
and didn't pay the bill.
$27.50 Mr.Thorpe. $27.50.
Two-and-a-half weeks.
I warn you, we don't tolerate deadbeats
and I have the authorities behind me on that.
I suppose it's some sort
of a game you two work.
She sneaks out with everything of value
and you wait to be thrown out.
Now, don't try any rough stuff,
I got the authorities behind me.
Just because you're a football player
doesn't mean to say that I'm afraid of you.
I want this room by noon
and my money before you leave.
$27.50 Mr.Thorpe. $27.50.
And don't try to sneak out, either.
The authorities are friends of mine
and we know what to do
with deadbeats in this town.
- Hey, where you going?
- You the manager?
- Yeah. I'm running the show.
- Can you use a back?
I can always use a back.
Why? You know where I can find one?
- I can go.
- With what?
- Try me.
- Forget it, old-timer. Beat it.
Hey.
Wait. Wait a minute.
- Aren't you...
- Yeah.
Yeah.
- You got anything left Jim?
- I can still go.
- These kids are rough.
- I can handle them.
- Got your suit in there?
- Yeah.
Ok. If you start I'll pay you 10 bucks.
- Ten bucks?
- That's it Jim.
Alright.
- Where do I...
- You'll find some stuff in the locker room.
- Throw that bum out.
- Let's see some action.
- Let me carry the ball again.
- We'll wind up behind the goal post.
- Let me take it again, I tell you.
- Ok Jim. Take fullback.
Thirty-two on two.
Hut, one, two, three.
He's out.
- Harrison for Thorpe.
- Harrison for Thorpe.
Here it is. Here it is.
The greatest dance marathon in all history.
Don't fail to see this phenomenal spectacle
while you're in Los Angeles.
You can see the greatest athlete
of all times in person.
Jim Thorpe, the great Olympic champion.
Couple number 17.
On the floor for 42 hours without a break.
Let's give the little lady a big hand.
This turkey is laying
the biggest egg in history.
Well, we sold tickets for this rat race,
we got to go through with it.
But we don't need that cigar-store Indian.
Give him five bucks and let him blow.
I want to call your attention
to our orchestra ladies...
Hey.
- Hello Jim.
- Hello.
Hello Pop.
I saw the ad for this thing in the paper.
- It's been a long time Jim.
- Yeah.
Last I heard you were playing ball
somewhere in the middle west.
Yeah, well, I, I've
been moving around a lot, you know.
- What have you been doing?
- I'm coaching up at Stanford now.
Oh, yeah, yeah. That's right.
I heard about that.
Stanford Indians, isn't it?
- You seem to stick with the Indians.
- Yes, I guess it's a weakness.
Who do you suppose came up last fall
to see the big game?
Little Boy. With his wife and kids.
They look great. All of them.
Do you ever hear anything about...
- Margaret?
- Margaret married again.
- Is she, is she alright?
- Yes, fine. Fine.
Jim, that offer I made you a long time ago
still stands.
Forget it Pop.
Well, I guess you know what you want.
I've got a couple of tickets for the
opening of the Olympics tomorrow.
I thought you might like to come with me.
No, thanks.
Why don't you just come
for the opening ceremony?
You mean all that flag-waving routine?
That rah-rah stuff?
No, I've had my bellyful of Olympics Pop.
You can always walk out, you know.
Look Pop.
Why don't you mind your own business?
Oh, come Jim. What's the matter with you?
Now, will you get out of here
and leave me alone?
It's been nice seeing you.
Well, I can't say it's been nice seeing you.
Somewhere along the line
you've gone completely haywire.
You've picked up the idea
the world owes you something.
Well, it doesn't owe you a thing.
So you've had some tough ones.
You've been kicked around.
They took your medals away from you.
So what?
All I can say is
that when the real battle started,
the great Jim Thorpe
turned out to be a powder puff.
Thanks for the sermon,
but you're wasting your time.
Yes, I guess I am at that.
Step lively please. Tickets.
Tickets, folks.
Step lively. Ok. Tickets.
Have your tickets ready.
Ladies and gentlemen. This is the day.
The vast Memorial Coliseum
in Los Angeles is jammed
with over 100,000 spectators
waiting for the opening
of the 1932 Olympic Games.
Here they come, the athletes of all nations.
And here comes the final contingent,
ladies and gentlemen,
the athletes of the United States of America.
Ladies and gentleman,
the Vice President of the United States,
Charles Curtis, is entering his box.
Listen to the ovation
the crowd is giving him.
The announcer forgot to add
just one thing Jim.
Or maybe he didn't think it was necessary.
Charles Curtis, Indian.
In the name
of the President of the United States,
I proclaim open
the Olympic Games of Los Angeles,
celebrating the 10th Olympiad
of the modern era.
We swear that we will take part
in the Olympic Games in loyal competition
respecting the regulations which govern them
and desirous of participating in them
in the true spirit of sportsmanship
for the honor of our country
and for the glory of sport.
Well, I have to be running along Jim.
I have some boys down there, you know.
Try to make something of yourself.
Be something.
You'll make your people proud of you.
Too many Indian boys take the easy way.
They quit school
and go back to the reservation.
- Thorpe, Thorpe, Thorpe.
- Thorpe, Thorpe, Thorpe.
There's only one thing
that really gets to me.
That's sports.
That's what I want to be Pop, a coach.
But you're a member of a team.
Just remember that.
Charles Curtis, Indian.
All I can say is
that when it came to the real battle,
the great Jim Thorpe
turned out to be a powder puff.
Hey.
You broke our ball.
- What goes on here?
- I ran over the kids' football.
Sorry boys but you'd better get moving.
You're blocking traffic.
- Hey, I guess this patch is going to hold.
- Blow it up and let's try it.
Boy, I'd love to slug that guy in the truck.
So would I.
- Here. Try this one.
- Holy smoke.
- A brand-new ball.
- A regulation leaguer.
Gosh, can we use it mister?
- Whose is it?
- It's yours.
Oh boy.
Let's try it.
Hey, wait a minute. Hold it, hold it.
Well, come here.
If you fellas are going to use a new football
you ought to learn how to use it right.
That was a pretty bad play.
- What was the matter with it?
- Yeah. Yeah.
It was sloppy, that's all.
Why, you don't block a man
by pushing your elbows in his face.
You hit him with your shoulder. Like this.
And you, when you tackle a man,
don't tackle him around the neck.
Grab him low. Down here.
The main thing is to keep your head up,
your eyes open and your back straight.
Is that clear?
Yeah, got it.
Gosh, he knows all about football.
- You're telling me.
- We're playing a big game next week.
- Will you help us, eh? Will you?
- Yeah, will you?
Yeah.
Sure, I'll help you.
There's some guy downtown
putting up a couple of medals.
We'd sure like to win them.
- Well, let's just play to win the game, eh?
- Ok, Coach.
Come on boys, let's go.
Coach.
Here she comes.
And so Jim found himself
and was again on the true path,
the bright path, teaching and helping
young people everywhere.
This was his greatest victory
and tonight the state of Oklahoma
adds another great name,
another portrait to its hall of fame.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the man whose achievements and records
will live forever in the annals of sports.
Acclaimed by the American press as the
greatest athlete in the past half-century,
Jim Thorpe, All-American!
the honorable Roy J. Turner,
Governor of the State of Oklahoma.
Ladies and gentlemen,
we are gathered here this evening
to express our pride and pay tribute
to a native son of Oklahoma.
But I think it is only fitting
that I forgo the honor
of making this presentation myself
and call upon a great gentleman
of whom we are also very proud,
even though he is not a native son.
May I present to you one of the immortals
of the world of sports,
the greatly beloved Pop Warner.
Thank you Governor Turner Mrs. Turner,
ladies and gentlemen.
I am of course highly honored
to make this presentation.
But this event
has special significance for me.
I feel a deep sense
of personal pride and pleasure.
Fifty years is a long time.
Many exciting people and events have
had their moment on the American scene.
Tonight we pay recognition to a man
who had more than a brief moment,
a man who, during the past half-century,
has carved a permanent place for himself
in all our hearts
and on this memorable occasion
I can't help but think back
to a young Indian lad
who grew up on a reservation.
As a boy, he roamed the woods
with his father, hunting and fishing.
Then one day he was faced
with the prospect of school,
that frightening institution
of the white man's world.
But being cooped up indoors
was more than young Thorpe could stand.
His father had deposited him
at the front door
and Jim left immediately by the back door.
And then, running with the wild grace
of a young deer,
the boy headed home.
Oh, Grandmother.
Jim.
Well, the boy is in school, Charlotte.
I think he'll stay there this time.
I took him far enough away so...
- Jim, how you get here?
- He ran.
You ran 15 miles?
Only 12 Pa. I came through the hills.
Did you hear that, Charlotte?
Twelve miles through the hills.
I hope he enjoyed it,
because he goes back to school tomorrow.
I'll run away.
You're his father.
You taught him all the things he likes to do.
Now, teach him what he has to do.
Jim.
Jim.
You're going back to school.
- No.
- Come here.
I ain't never took a whip to you Jim.
I ain't going to start.
Come here.
Look out there.
What do you see?
A coyote run where I've got my traps set.
What else?
The hollow cottonwood where the owl lives.
Three buzzards circling a dead lamb.
Do you see yellow fields of grain?
Do you see fat herds
grazing on young prairie grass?
- No.
- That's right.
You don't see nothing but a boy's world.
That's all you'll ever see
here on the reservation.
They'll give you a piece of land and you
can sit around wrapped in a blanket.
Or else you can try to
make something of yourself.
Be something.
Be what Pa?
Whatever you want to be boy.
It's all in the books,
and the books are in the schools.
But I don't like school.
You must change Jim, for your own good.
You must let the white man
teach you his ways.
Before you know it,
you'll be out in the world
with your head full of learning
and you'll make your people proud of you.
Do you want me to go away?
No boy. I'd rather have you here with me.
But I know it's the right thing to do
and I know something else.
What Pa?
If anybody wants something from you
he ain't going to get it by whipping you.
Twelve miles.
That was a mighty fine run lad.
The boy obeyed his father
and returned to school,
but he could never overcome his resentment
against this new way of life.
The Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania
was the site of the government's
famous Carlisle Indian School.
Here came Indian youths and maidens
from every tribe in the nation.
Shawnee, Cherokee, Sioux,
Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Chippewa,
some barely able to speak English.
But all eager to prepare themselves
for a new life.
Jim had promised his father
to finish his education,
so he found himself at Carlisle,
fulfilling that promise
but confused and uncertain.
A young man torn between the prospect
of discipline and confinement
and the simple outdoor life he had loved.
I was coaching at Carlisle in those days,
teaching the Indians what I knew
about the white man's games.
The job was fun but no snap.
When I wasn't coaching,
I was prowling around the campus
looking for material to coach.
- Here come some more.
- Oh, give them all copies.
You fellows learn these
by tomorrow morning, you hear?
Hey, hey, come here. Here's one for you too.
Hey, hey, frosh.
Come over here and get one of these.
Hey, you.
Yeah, you. Come here.
Hey, just a minute.
What's your name?
- Jim Thorpe.
- Do you have a tribal name?
- Wa-tho-Huck.
- What does it mean?
- Bright Path.
- Bright Path, eh?
Well, Bright Path,
do you know the school song?
- No.
- No sir.
That's right. Well, here are the words.
You memorize them,
be ready to sing for us tomorrow morning.
Oh, just a minute, Bright Path.
Do you speak Indian?
Yes.
Let's hear you recite
the Gettysburg Address in Indian.
- Why, I reckon I can't.
- You can't? Good.
Because when you recite
the Gettysburg Address,
you recite it in English.
Indian isn't spoken here.
- Hello Pete.
- Hello.
What you got here? Football material?
From his attitude,
I don't think he's even Carlisle material.
- Ever play football before?
- What's football?
What's...
- You don't know what football is?
- No.
Well, football, bright path,
is a white man's game
and it's played with a leather skin,
something like your suitcase here.
And the object of this game
is to take this leather skin
and try to run past Mr. Denny and me.
Well, frosh, come on. Run past them.
I'm sorry, Bright Path but
that's football, very rough game.
Indian boy got lot to learn.
Now you try it.
- Try what?
- Run past me.
Forget it Jim.
You got plenty of chance next year.
You try it.
Say, that wasn't bad.
Come on, I'd like you to meet Pop Warner.
- Hello.
- They sent me up here to bunk with you.
- Sure. Come on in. I'd Ed Guyac.
- Jim Thorpe.
And this untamed aborigine here
is Little Boy Who Walk Like Bear.
It's kind of a mouthful
so I just call him Little Boy.
Not hau. What have I been teaching you?
Hi.
He's full-blooded Chippewa.
His old man's chief.
Nothing like bunking with royalty.
- Where you from?
- Oklahoma. Sac and Fox.
I'm Mohawk. Heap smart New York Injun.
Study law, make plenty wampum,
take mortgage off teepee.
- How about you?
- What about me?
What are you going to prepare for?
You know Doctor, lawyer,
Indian chief, rich man, poor man...
I don't know.
Well, you've come to the right place
to find out.
- This is your cot, right here.
- Thanks.
Matter of fact, you can take this one
if you like, Little Boy never uses it.
- Bed too soft, make Little Boy soft.
- Soft. Listen to him.
Two hundred and twenty pounds of steer bone.
These natives, I'll never get used to them.
You're supposed to stand when an
upperclassman comes in the room.
Yes sir.
You three will report to the quartermaster
for your issue of cadet uniforms.
You will keep them cleaned
and pressed for daily inspection.
You will also fill out these forms indicating
your preference for industrial training.
That's a pretty sloppy bed.
You'd better learn how to keep it neat
if you expect to stay here.
I'm not sure I'm going to stay here.
Studying didn't come easy to Jim.
He crammed until late hours
to keep up with his class
and often fell asleep over his books,
his mind restless and troubled.
When he could stand it no longer,
he began to run.
And once again he found relief
in the sheer physical joy of running.
On your marks.
Get set.
Who is that?
Go.
Either I need a new watch
or we've got a new runner.
You're Jim Thorpe?
- That's right.
- Glad to meet you Jim. I'm Pop Warner.
You mind if I sit down?
I'd like to talk to you a minute.
No.
That's quite an exhibition
you put on this morning.
- Exhibition?
- Don't you know what you did?
You ran the 220 in 23 seconds flat
with your clothes on.
Why haven't you come out for the team?
Well, I hadn't figured
on coming out for the team.
You just run for exercise, is that it?
I don't rightly know why I run.
You don't like it here, do you?
- No, I don't.
- Then why have you come?
Because I promised someone. He's dead.
You know,
you're the first Sac and Fox I've met here.
- That's Oklahoma Territory, isn't it?
- Yes.
Originally from Wisconsin.
- Illinois.
- Oh, yes, Illinois.
Part of the Algonquins.
- Yes, that's right.
- A great warrior tribe, great traditions.
What do they do now?
Oh, a little farming, little weaving.
- They sell blankets at the railway station.
- Yes, I know.
That's why Carlisle was founded Jim.
So that your people can do more
than sell blankets at the railway station.
The trouble is that too many Indian boys
take the easy way out.
They quit school
and go back to the reservation.
How are you getting along with your studies?
Well, not very good, I'm afraid.
I never was much with books.
Yes, I know what you mean.
Studying, reading, doing a lot of things,
come awfully hard.
I had the same problems
when I went to school.
- It's always hard at the beginning.
- Well, it's more than that Mr.Warner.
I don't know what I want to do,
or what I want to be.
Look around you Jim, at those faces.
All of those kids have problems.
A lot of them don't know
what they want to be,
what they want to do.
They'll find out soon enough
what they want most in life.
So will you.
All I'm trying to say is,
give Carlisle a chance.
And, incidentally,
don't be afraid of sports Jim.
Good for you. Teach you how to relax.
Make you sleep well.
Look me up.
You'll find me in my office
or the athletic field.
Been nice talking to you.
Get some lift into that takeoff foot.
No, no, no Ed.
You dragged it off with your hand.
Watch that.
Hello Jim. Like to take a whack at it?
Go ahead, it won't bite you.
No, no. You're doing the same thing.
Watch that, will you? Get some lift into it.
Pretty good Jim. Very good for a first jump.
Let's try it again.
Watching Thorpe in succeeding weeks
was like watching
a magnificent young stallion,
untamed and unbroken,
but with a natural athletic aptitude
that was incredible.
And as he found a means of expression
in sports,
the hard shell which had always
surrounded him seemed to soften a little.
Finally one day for the first time,
Jim found himself facing competition
against other college athletes.
Pop, it's 2:30.
The meet is supposed to start.
- Well, let's get started.
- Well, where's your team?
Right here.
Now wait a minute, you're joking, aren't you?
This is Louis Tewanima.
He runs the mile, two miles,
three miles and up.
And this is Jim Thorpe.
- And what does he do?
- Everything else.
Well, I guess you know what you're doing Pop.
Remember, these people came here
to see a track meet.
They'll see one. Call your first event.
Come on, team.
Get on your marks.
Get set...
We've read all about you Mr.Thorpe,
and we're very proud of you.
Thank you.
I'm sure we can have this sewn on for you.
I'll get one of the girls. Come with me.
Margaret?
- Yes Miss Benton?
- Will you come here a minute please?
Margaret, this is Jim Thorpe.
He's won his letter
and he wants us to sew it on for him.
- Will you be good enough?
- Certainly Miss Benton.
- About here?
- Yes, I guess so.
- Would you take your sweater off please?
- Yes please.
Won't you sit down?
- Here you are Mr.Thorpe.
- Thank you.
There.
Oh, I'm sorry, a loose thread.
Excuse me.
- There, I think that will do it.
- Thank you ma'am.
Oh, that's fine Margaret.
Thank you very much.
Hey Chief, bedtime.
- Hey, what are you mumbling about?
- American history bad.
What have you got against American history?
White man lick Indian, he win great battle.
Indian lick white man, massacre.
Crazy.
I never thought about that.
Crazy.
See? Captain of the football team.
That's how you get the
prettiest girls and the biggest letters.
- Hello, Bright Path.
- Hello.
All candidates for football squad,
please report to Coach
Glenn S. Warner at 3:00 P.M.
Every time I look at this football schedule
I get dizzy.
We can't play teams of this caliber, Glenn.
Harvard, Army, Minnesota, Penn.
- Very impressive schedule.
- What're we going to do for material?
Half the kids think a pigskin
is something to eat for breakfast.
- Pop.
- Hello Jim.
Saw your notice on the bulletin board.
Kind of thought I might
like to look into this game of football.
Forget it son. You're a track man.
These legs of yours are too valuable
to be risked in a tough game like football.
But I thought maybe
if you needed someone to...
Thanks for trying to help. Forget it Jim.
Any chance of using me Mr.Warner?
- What for?
- Oh, some kind of executive job.
I've been taking a class
in business management.
I thought perhaps
I could help out in one of...
I've got just the job for you.
Executive job.
Now boys, remember what I told you.
Heads up, eyes open,
dig those legs in and charge.
Hit them hard.
Ready. Charge.
No, no, no, Little Boy.
I told you to dig those legs in and hit him.
- Him no stand still.
- Well, that's very inconsiderate of him.
Alright, now, try it again.
Hit him hard this time.
Ready. Come on, come on. Now, charge.
Hey, watch the wind when you kick.
- What are you doing in that outfit?
- I thought I'd come out for the team.
Jim, how many times do I have to tell you.
Get back inside and take off those clothes.
I'm coming out for the team.
Oh, so you're coming out for the team.
No matter what I say?
Alright. What do you know about drop-kicking?
- Nothing. But I can learn.
- Get over there with those men.
I thought you were saving him for track.
Just because he's on the squad
doesn't mean I'm going to let him play.
Miss Miller.
- Miss Miller.
- Oh hello Mr.Thorpe.
- Do you mind if I walk with you?
- Why, no, not at all.
Miss Miller,
there's something I'd like to tell you.
Yes?
I think I'm in love with you.
You're what?
I think I'm in love with you.
I can't be sure because
I've never been in love before but...
Well, I thought you ought to know.
In our opening games that year,
we got past Lafayette,
Bucknell and Dickinson.
But Jim was still warming the bench
and he didn't like it.
And then we ran up against Harvard.
We used a checkerboard field at that time
because a forward pass
could only be thrown
directly over the line of scrimmage.
The scoring was a little different too.
A touchdown counted five points
and a field goal, four points.
The emphasis was on the word foot.
Water boy.
What a job for a man of talent.
Quit complaining.
You've seen more action than I have.
46, 27, 98, 32, 46.
It was late in the game.
Carlisle was trailing.
The boys were plenty used up.
Big Wolfe.
Thorpe.
- Yes sir?
- Four points will tie up this game.
You've been practicing field goals
for months.
- Think you can kick one?
- Yes sir, I think so.
Get in there.
And don't carry the ball, just kick.
Make it good Jim. Make it good.
- Thorpe for Big Bear.
- Big Bear, out.
- Pop sent me in to try a drop-kick.
- What?
Time out.
- You think you can do it, Bright Path?
- Just give me that ball.
Alright. Let's go.
46, 93, 98, 42.
That was a big help.
Let me take the ball again.
I'll get it off this time.
48, 26, 32, 97, 41.
Attaboy Jim. Attaboy.
Once he made the varsity,
Carlisle began to roll.
America suddenly took notice
of a bunch of young Indians
led by a twisting, hard-running,
flash of fire named Thorpe.
He didn't stop at track and football.
Anything Jim tried,
he quickly mastered with ease,
and won his letter in baseball too.
After the last baseball game of the season,
we were heading back to Carlisle
for the start of summer vacation.
- Time to turn in Jim.
- In a little while Pop.
What's on your mind?
- Oh, just thinking.
- About next season?
No.
- I was thinking about me Pop.
- What about you?
Do you remember you once told me that,
that sooner or later I'd find out
what I wanted most in life?
What I wanted to do.
- Yes, I remember very well.
- Well, I think I know what that is.
There's one thing that
really gets to me, that's sports.
Do you think a man can make
a future out of that?
- I did.
- Yes, I know.
I've been watching you
working with the fellows,
helping them, teaching them.
That's what I want to be Pop,
a coach. Is that a crazy idea?
Certainly not Jim,
if that's the way you feel.
But why do you have to
make such a big decision so soon?
I was planning on getting married.
Married? When?
Well, I don't rightly know.
I haven't even asked her yet.
- Asked who?
- Margaret Miller. You've met her.
Well, don't you think it might be a good idea
to let the young lady in
on all these big plans
you're making for the two of you?
- I'm not a coach yet Pop.
- No but I am.
So get some sleep.
John Little Boy. Gillie want top...
Paul Hightower.
Dave Daniel Cheston.
Louis Tewanima.
Jim Thorpe.
I guess I won't
be seeing you again till fall.
No, I guess not.
Jim, you shouldn't. It's your football.
You won it. It's important to you.
That's why I want you to have it.
Where are you going to be this summer?
On a farm. The placement office arranged it.
I love you Margaret. I know that now.
We're right for each other.
We're the same heritage. The same blood.
- Does that mean so much to you?
- Yes. It makes it right.
Any other way, we'd be strangers.
- Happy vacation. Happy vacation.
- Happy vacation. Happy vacation.
- Happy vacation, everybody.
- Happy vacation.
Say, you Indian boys
is kind of pokey, ain't you?
Didn't turn out much work yesterday.
Looks like today
is going to be just the same.
That ain't giving me an honest day's work.
Can't make hay this way, no sir.
Hey Ed.
Say, you Indian boys
is kind of pokey, ain't you?
Didn't turn out much work yesterday.
Looks like today
is going to be just the same,
and that ain't giving me
an honest day's work.
- Jim, this here is Mr. Howard.
- Hello Jim.
Heard you were down in these parts.
We got a little ball club
over the Rocky Mount.
Need a third baseman.
Pay you the same as you're getting here.
- Baseball?
- Unless you'd rather pitch hay.
Mr. Howard, you got yourself a third baseman.
Walk up to the house with me
while I get my things.
Goodbye, girls. See you tomorrow, 8:00.
Were you looking for someone Jim?
Yes Miss Benton.
I was looking for Miss Miller.
Well Margaret isn't here any longer.
- Not in this class?
- She's no longer at school.
- Not at the school?
- I thought you knew.
- Well, knew what?
- I'm sorry Jim.
It's all been sort of a mix-up.
You see Margaret is not an Indian.
- Not an Indian?
- No Jim.
There must be some mistake,
Miss Benton. I don't understand.
The nearest school to Margaret's home
in Oklahoma was an Indian school.
Her sister taught there.
Margaret attended this school
for several years
and when some of her friends and classmates
applied for admission to Carlisle,
she did too.
Our rules are very strict
on matters of this sort,
but because of the unusual circumstances,
we made a special exception in her case.
I thought she was very happy here.
At least she seemed so.
But just before this semester started
I received a letter from her
saying that she wasn't returning to school.
Did she leave anything for me? A note?
No Jim, I'm afraid not.
Thank you Miss Benton.
Jim changed a little after that.
It was almost as though he were venting
his emotions on the gridiron
on anyone who stood in his path.
Spearheaded by Thorpe,
the Carlisle Indians
began to make football history.
The little school in the Cumberland Valley
toppled giant after giant
in a career that reached epic proportions.
In his zeal to carve a name for himself
that would bring a coaching job,
Jim Thorpe performed feats
that are today legendary.
There was the time against Army.
- You were offside, offside.
- What do you mean?
Offside.
Jim's run was nullified
for an offside penalty.
Two kick-off returns.
A hundred and eighty yards
for the same touchdown.
Well, we've done it again.
Headlines all over the country.
New York, Chicago, Kansas City, Atlanta.
The Carlisle Indians run by Ed Guyac.
Boy, what a team.
- How's the trick knee, Little Boy?
- What? Oh, knee work fine Ed.
- Doctor say I can play on Saturday.
- Good.
As manager of this year's football team,
I want every varsity player
in perfect condition.
Lights out at 10:00, good
grades in all subjects, no fatty foods.
Hey, what are you scratching away at?
- Writing letter.
- Letter? Who's it to?
Girl. Love letter.
Well, Little Boy.
You've been holding out on us.
- When did this happen?
- Summer vacation.
I go back home and meet girl I know
when I was little. She grow up.
Jim.
Maybe you fix this up, eh?
You tell me what to write?
Better let Ed do it.
He's the student in this crowd.
- You help me fix up letter, eh Ed?
- Sure.
I'm the only guy here who's not
in love, that makes me an expert.
Miss Anna Sweet Flower.
I said I like you
and I want to give you a letter.
Whenever I give you letter
please answer to me soon
as I wish to touch the letter
that you have touched.
When you give me letter,
it makes my heart glad.
I wish always we smile at each other
when we meet.
We live happy all time.
I like you and I love you.
My whole heart is shaking hands with you.
I kiss you.
Your lover, Little Boy.
You fix up, eh Ed?
I couldn't improve on it, Little Boy.
Send it to her the way you wrote it.
- The band plays well these days.
- Oh hello Pop.
- Yes, they do.
- Nice and cool, isn't it?
Come on Jim. Walk with me.
I've been worrying about you.
You haven't been yourself lately.
- Well, I feel fine Pop.
- Just the same, you don't act right to me.
- Well, I've never felt better.
- Don't tell me. I've been watching you.
You're just not right.
- Are we going into the infirmary?
- Yes. You need a checkup.
- Pop, I told you I'm alright.
- Come on, don't argue.
I want the nurse to have a look at you.
Nurse, will you check this man please?
Margaret.
Hello Jim.
I'm working in the infirmary.
Pop got me the job.
I've been reading a lot about you
in all the newspapers.
Why did you do it?
I don't know. I was confused and mixed up.
For both our sakes,
it seemed the best thing to do.
- Why didn't you write?
- There was nothing I could say.
Jim, you spoke about background and heritage.
They seem to mean so much to you.
It's taken me all this time to realize
that they aren't really important.
What counts is that we're people.
I told you once I loved you.
I still love you.
- Does that answer you?
- Oh Jim.
Oh, I've missed you Margaret.
More than I've ever missed anybody
in all my life.
- Will you marry me?
- That's why I came back to Carlisle.
Are you sure you won't mind
being married to a coach?
- A coach? Jim, where?
- Any place.
Whenever they get around
to making me an offer.
They will.
Darling, you'll be a wonderful coach.
Hurry up, fellows. Come on, let's go, here.
Alright boys, your attention.
Boys, I've never made a speech to you before.
I don't have to make speeches.
And I don't have to tell you
that Penn is a powerhouse,
a football team that's
been unbeatable for two years.
But I'll say this.
If there's any team that can beat them,
it's this Carlisle bunch right here with me.
Believe me boys, I'm proud of you.
But remember this.
This is going to be the toughest
football game you've ever played.
Penn is a hard-hitting, rough bunch
that asks no quarter and gives no quarter.
That's why they're champions.
Also, they have one of the greatest
breakaway runners in the country,
Tom Ashenbrunner, All-American for two years.
We've got an All-American too.
Well, I guess I don't have to say any more.
Alright, Carlisle, take the field.
Alright. Here we go kids. Come on. Let's go.
Come on, let's play.
- Jim?
- Yes Pop?
This game may be more important
than you think.
I've just learned that Allegheny
is scouting for a football coach.
They've got their eye on you
and Tom Ashenbrunner.
Thanks Pop.
Better tell Ashenbrunner
to stay out of my way. I need that job.
Yes, I know. Margaret told me.
The Penn-Carlisle game that year
will go down in history
as one of the hardest,
most bruising gridiron battles ever fought.
Two great teams and two great players
pitted against each other.
- Heads.
- Tail.
We'll kick.
Ashenbrunner was the Penn captain,
a great driving back
with a tremendous will to win.
The checkerboard field
has been abandoned by this time
because the game had opened up a little.
The flying wedge had been outlawed,
but football in those days
was still no sport for children.
Penn kicked off to Carlisle,
but Jim soon learned
that this was going to be no field day.
Penn had set up a defensive system
designed to stop Thorpe
before he got started.
It was a new experience for Jim
to be bottled up,
and though he fought to get clear,
Penn kept stopping him
at the line of scrimmage.
With so much at stake for these two men,
I suppose it was inevitable
for bad blood to start early.
- Nice going, Ash.
- What's the matter, Thorpe? Nervous?
Again Jim was stopped
at the line of scrimmage
and Carlisle went back into kick formation.
Now it was Ashenbrunner's time
to show his stuff and he showed plenty.
Ashenbrunner, Ashenbrunner.
On the next play Ashenbrunner broke
loose behind some great blocking.
Penn converted
and the score was seven to nothing.
Let's get that touchdown back.
Fighting fiercely to get that touchdown back,
Jim on the kick-off return
battled his way up to midfield.
Indians. Yeah.
Then on a Statue of Liberty play...
Three.
Jim converted for Carlisle
and the score was now seven to seven.
All that afternoon,
Carlisle and Penn battled each other
in a game that had resolved itself
into a personal duel
between Thorpe and Ashenbrunner.
The play got harder and fiercer
with both lines charging viciously
and both captains all over the field.
In the third quarter
Jim kicked a 25-yard field goal
to make the score ten to seven.
But Penn came right back
with a brilliant run from Ashenbrunner
that had the crowd on its feet.
In the final minutes, Penn led 13 to 10.
The dog-tired Indians were staying
in the game only on sheer courage.
Penn had the ball and was freezing it.
17, 28, 34, 46, 57, 68.
They're stalling. They're freezing that ball.
Let's smear this play.
We've got to get that ball back.
Hit them hard. Make them fumble.
Come on. Let's go.
- What's the matter?
- Nothing.
What's the matter with Little Boy?
Time out.
Nice going, Little Boy.
- How much time we got?
- Twenty-five seconds.
Come on.
I'm going to try for a field goal.
You're crazy Jim. We're on the 50-yard line.
- This angle is too tough, it's...
- It's our only chance.
Can you hold them for just one more play?
Just 'till I get the kick over?
- You kick it Jim. We hold them.
- Alright, let's go.
He can't kick a field goal from there.
Block that kick.
Get set. 36, 48, 52.
It went through.
- Attaboy Jim.
- Nice going Jim boy.
Great kick, Thorpe.
You sure made me look good
out there today, Little Boy.
Thanks.
If I had half a brain,
I'd have taken you out of the game.
- I'm sorry about the knee.
- Don't feel bad Jim. I get better.
I have to get better. I'm in love too.
In case anybody is interested,
I just spoke to the doc.
He expects the patient
to lead a long and lusty life on two legs.
Say Jim Pop wants to see you.
- Hi Chief.
- Has he heard anything?
Don't know.
He just said he wanted to see you.
- He's in his office.
- See you later Margaret.
- Well, how you feeling Chief?
- Bed soft, make Little Boy soft.
Soft. How do you like this guy?
If every Indian was as soft as you,
the population of this country
would still be in Rhode Island.
Hello Jim.
Sit down.
What's all the mystery about?
They're sure taking a lot of time
to make a decision.
They've already made the decision.
Ashenbrunner.
That's too bad.
Margaret will be disappointed.
Don't let it get you down.
Be lots of other chances.
Well, that's that. Thanks Pop.
Maybe I shouldn't say this Pop,
but I outplayed Ashenbrunner.
You did everything a man could do
on a football field.
Then, why?
Evidently they thought Ashenbrunner
was better equipped for the job.
You don't believe that Pop.
There's a lot more to coaching
than simply being a great player.
In the second half
you knew Little Boy had a bad knee.
You kept it from me and let him play.
- We tied up the game, didn't we?
- That's not the point.
Pop, that job was important to me.
I needed it.
Not that way.
The reason I didn't get it
is because I'm an Indian, isn't it?
I don't know Jim.
I honestly don't know.
But supposing it was,
that's simply another hurdle for you to take.
And from what I've seen,
that shouldn't be too difficult.
- Not for you. You'll clear it.
- I'll make sure of that.
- What's on your mind?
- I want to go over there, to the Olympics.
I want to make a record
they won't be able to ignore.
Good boy. That's the spirit.
Which event would you like to compete in?
What events are there?
There's the 100 meter, 200 meter,
the hurdles, the pentathlon.
- Pentathlon? That's five events, isn't it?
- That's right.
And this? The decathlon? That's ten events?
- Yes.
- Enter me into both of them.
- Jim, you're crazy.
- Am I?
That's 15 events.
You'd be competing against
the greatest athletes in the world.
Pop, I've worked hard,
hard to make a name for myself.
If it isn't enough of a name, then I'll
just have to work that much harder
to get the kind of coaching job that I want.
I'm not in this for the glory,
I just want a chance to prove myself.
Will you help me? Will you?
You know I will.
Alright, I'll enter your name for
both events with the Olympic Committee.
Thanks Pop.
Stockholm, Sweden.
Scene of the fifth Olympic Games
of the modern era.
For three solid days Jim Thorpe gave
an exhibition of physical prowess
such as the world has never seen.
The five events of the grueling pentathlon.
Sprinting.
Jumping.
The javelin.
The discus.
The torturous 1,500 meter run.
And a great victory, which would've
been sufficient glory for any athlete.
But almost without pause,
and without precedent,
Jim tackled the supreme test, the decathlon.
Ten events covering every form
of track and field competition.
Merely to compete in these events
would've been accomplishment enough,
but Jim achieved victory again.
Another great victory for himself
and for his country.
When it was over, the King of Sweden
asked to meet Jim Thorpe,
to pay personal tribute.
Sir, you are the greatest athlete
in the world.
Thank you, Your Majesty.
As President of the Alumni Council,
I want to welcome Jim back home.
I know that he's
been acclaimed all over the world,
but no one is more proud of him
than we here at Carlisle.
The example that he's set
for this student body,
even those of us who have graduated,
is expressed much better
than I could ever express it,
in this letter
which I am going to read to you.
You Mr.Thorpe, have set a high standard
of physical development
which is only attained
by right living and right thinking.
And your victories will serve as an incentive
to all to improve those qualities
which characterize the best type
of American citizen.
It is my earnest wish that the future
will bring you success
in your chosen field of endeavor.
With heartiest congratulations,
I am sincerely yours William Howard Taft,
President of the United States.
Oh Jim darling, I'm so proud of you.
- Hey. Over here.
- Hey. Hey.
Hold still for a picture.
- How you like to live in Virginia?
- Virginia?
A school down there
offered me a coaching job.
Oh Jim.
That's great, that's great. Hold it.
- Did you get it?
- Got it.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Mr. Warner, this telegram just came for you.
Thanks, White Eagle.
It wasn't a telegram, it was a bombshell.
According to our information Mr.Thorpe,
you played baseball one summer
with the Rocky Mount team
of the Carolina Eastern League.
Is that correct?
- Yes sir.
- What name did you play under?
Why, my own name.
What other name would I use?
You certainly are aware Jim,
that college athletes
sometimes attempt to make money
playing under assumed names.
If I had to do something under any other
name than my own, I wouldn't do it.
- But you admit that you played baseball?
- Yes, of course, I admit it.
This is a very serious charge Mr.Thorpe.
Do you have any defense to offer?
- No sir.
- No defense at all?
I don't know what to defend.
I can't see that I've done anything wrong.
- You did accept money?
- Yes, for room, board and expenses only.
I wasn't playing for the money
that was in it.
I like baseball. It seemed like a good way
to keep in training over the summer.
Is there anything further you wish to say?
Only that if I've done anything wrong,
I'm terribly sorry.
- But I didn't know about these rules.
- Jim, ignorance is no excuse.
- I'd like to say something please.
- Please sit down Mr.Thorpe.
Mr. Warner.
I just want to say gentlemen,
that ignorance sometimes is an excuse.
Our boys at Carlisle come to us
from the reservation.
The government pays their expenses at school,
but that doesn't make them professionals.
In the summer, when the government
stops paying their expenses,
they have to earn their keep somehow.
Yes Jim played ball one summer
for a small amount of money
to cover his room, board and expenses.
Does that make him a professional?
If we're going to stick
to the letter of the law, yes.
But in this case, should we?
We all know that at best
there is a fine, vague line,
between amateurism and professionalism.
Jim drove honestly and sincerely
to a great goal.
He worked and fought his heart out
to win those Olympic crowns.
So far as I'm concerned,
he's a Simon-pure athlete.
You mustn't take those medals
away from him gentlemen.
You mustn't.
Thank you very much Mr.Warner.
Thank you Mr.Thorpe.
We'll advise you of our decision.
I see. No, I don't agree.
However, if that's your decision,
gentlemen, there's nothing more I can say.
Thank you.
It's no use Jim. They wouldn't listen to me.
It's final.
Your records have been stricken
from the book.
They've ordered the return
of all medals and trophies.
And you're barred from
further amateur competition.
It's a rotten deal for you,
but the important thing is that you did win.
What about that coaching job
down in Virginia?
That's gone too Jim.
In view of the so-called scandal
and notoriety,
they've decided to postpone their decision.
Darling, I'm sure they'll renew
their coaching offer when this blows over.
I'm not waiting.
This job of mine gets tougher and tougher.
I'm going to need help next year.
I don't want any charity.
They say I'm a professional
because I played a little baseball.
Well, I'm going to turn pro
and really get paid for it.
- Darling.
- Don't you worry Margaret.
I know what it takes now. We'll make out.
What a sap.
Working, sweating,
training to go to the Olympics.
For what?
Give them back the whole batch Pop,
and tell them thanks for the loan.
Oh Jim.
Jim,
did you see my signal in the last inning?
- Yeah, I saw it.
- Well, what was the signal?
- Bunt.
- Why didn't you?
He threw one low and outside
the way I like them.
- That'll just cost you $50 Jim.
- Why? I got the hit, didn't I?
That's right.
But you're a member of a team and I run it.
When I give a signal, I want it followed.
Just remember that.
You were a little bit rough on him,
weren't you John?
Maybe. But he needs the discipline.
If it's going to be every man for himself,
we wouldn't even be able to beat Brooklyn.
Well, come on. Oh, you're getting so big.
Is that you Jim?
- Yes dear.
- Hello darling.
- Here, hold him a second, will you?
- Oh, sure. Sure.
Come here, fellow.
Come here to your daddy, eh?
Well, come on, look at me.
Has he had his bath today?
- Can I rub him down?
- Of course.
Come here.
Oh, you sweet little thing. What's that?
You're not going to cry now, are you?
- Where's the baby oil?
- On the table.
What's the matter, eh? You unhappy?
Didn't your mama feed you yet?
Didn't she? You're husky.
- Margaret?
- What?
Isn't he a little soft?
I should hope so.
When is he going to walk?
Well, he may be Jim Thorpe, Jr.,
but he's not going to walk at eight months.
How did it go today?
I've decided to quit the Giants.
Quit? Why?
Well, McGraw and I don't get along very well.
Oh, listen, there's a bunch of fellows
out in Ohio have a wonderful new idea.
A professional football league
and they made me an offer.
- There's a great future in it.
- Isn't there a future in baseball?
Listen to your mama.
What does she know about it, eh?
In football we can get out there and run.
Yes, we can.
We can pack that old pigskin
down the field, tear through the line
out into the open and nobody can stop us.
We don't have to bunt, we can go.
You, me, go. In the morning. Hunt buffalo.
Find them. Shoot them.
Kill them. Bring them home.
Cut them up. Cook them.
Eat them. Fill them up. Be happy.
Find squaw. Love squaw.
- Big happiness forever.
- Big crazy man, your father.
So Jim became one of the pioneers
of professional football
and its greatest star.
But now even football
had to take second place
to his son
around whom his whole life revolved.
Hey, what's this all about?
You can't run off the field
in the middle of practice.
We got a tough game Saturday.
I know Tom. But I promised to take
the boy to the park this afternoon.
But it's not right Jim.
If they see you go, they'll all want to go.
You know these boys.
I'm sorry,
but I'll make it up to you another time.
Let's go Jim.
Jim Thorpe, Jr.
For in this boy Jim saw the fulfillment
of a great dream.
The name Jim Thorpe back in the record books.
The name Jim Thorpe again
on the trophies of great achievements.
Trophies and medals
which would never be taken away.
Yes, that was a pretty good jump
you made today.
Three feet, that isn't bad.
Hey, what's the matter?
Guess my nose is in training too, Dad.
It keeps running.
Did I hear somebody sneeze?
You get right into bed, young man.
Ok, that's it.
One of the kids at school said
you aren't the greatest that ever lived.
He said it was some guy named Hercules.
I socked him.
- You did?
- Jim.
Your mother is right son.
You mustn't do a thing like that.
A fellow is entitled to have his
own opinion without being hit for it.
Now you tell him tomorrow
that you're sorry. You hear?
Ok, Dad. But I can't tomorrow.
I'm going with you to Chicago.
Oh, yes, that's right.
Well, the first thing when you get back.
Alright, now, off to bed.
Athletes need lots of sleep.
Here we go. Up. Get those feet out. Head up.
Hold it. Attaboy. In you go.
- Good night sonny.
- Good night Mom.
- Sleep tight.
- Good night.
- Good night son.
- Good night, Dad.
You were right Jimmy.
That Hercules fellow, he wasn't so much.
I wish you wouldn't take him
with you tomorrow.
He's missed too much school as it is
with all this traveling around.
Besides, he's got the sniffles.
You know, I can't understand it but
he doesn't seem to be very good at things.
Why, when I was his age
I could jump any fence.
Run faster than a coyote.
- But Jimmy isn't you dear.
- But he's getting better.
You should've seen him in the park
this afternoon.
Why, he tackled me so hard he almost
knocked me down. Honest.
There are other things besides athletics,
you know.
Not for the Thorpes.
Did I ever tell you about my father?
When he was 50 years old
he was still the best man in the county.
And there were some
mighty tough ones around too.
You still think this
Thorpe's alright, don't you?
Oh Jim, don't please.
I'll tell you what.
If it'll make you feel any better,
then I, I won't take him with me tomorrow.
- But you'll have to tell him. Not me.
- I will.
Do you think I ought to send
for my husband Doctor?
He's in Chicago.
Course, I don't want to worry him
if it isn't necessary.
Well, there's no cause
for great alarm just yet Mrs. Thorpe.
The current epidemic is pretty virulent,
but the boy is strong.
We should know by this evening
which way this thing is going to turn.
I'll be back later.
If it will make you feel better,
I'll bring a specialist for consultation.
- Yes, thank you.
- Goodbye Mrs. Thorpe.
Can't you please try to put
this call through?
Mr. Jim Thorpe, the Bellmore Hotel, Chicago.
Yes. Yes please call me.
I'll wait here by the phone.
Here he is.
- Hold it a second Jim.
- Sure. Come on boys, get into this.
Good. Just like that.
- Once more Jim. Big smile, eh?
- Alright.
Thank you.
Want to make a prediction
about the game today?
I don't make any predictions son,
just touchdowns.
- Alright boys, let's go.
- Hello?
Yes. Yes, I hear you, operator.
I'm very sorry,
Mr. Thorpe's room doesn't answer.
Well, hold on a minute, operator,
I'll have him paged.
Thanks a lot.
This telegram came for you
a little while ago.
- Oh, thank you, Sandy.
- If it's another offer Jim, take me along.
All I can say is, I don't know how you won
today because you were so lousy.
Thompson, Morgan.
You're getting under those punts
like a couple of school girls.
And the rest of you guys,
you weren't blocking,
you were playing patty-cake.
Practice at 10:00 in
the morning and I mean 10:00.
Well, I trust Mr.Thorpe,
that you will honor us with your presence.
You haven't got your kid here for an excuse.
Practice at 10:00 in
the morning. And the rest...
Jim.
Jim.
Tom, look.
I'm sorry Jim. I didn't know.
Jim continued to play professional football.
He still looked good out on the field,
but he'd begun to retreat
back into the old hard shell,
trying to escape from his bitterness.
He moved aimlessly from one team to another.
Another one?
Come in.
Surprise. Margaret.
- Margaret.
- Happy Thanksgiving. Come on.
Oh Ed.
- And Peter.
- Margaret, how are you?
Little Boy, hey.
Thanksgiving comes but once a year,
we thought we'd come with it.
I bumped into these lugs down
buying tickets to the game today.
- We decided to make it a grand reunion.
- What a wonderful surprise.
- Jim will be delighted.
- Where is he?
Oh, he just went down
to the corner to get a paper.
- Here, will you take these?
- Sure.
- I must look awful.
- No.
Excuse me. Make yourselves at home.
Little Boy,
I thought you had a ranch out West.
- I came East to see my lawyer.
- He's a man of affairs now.
Eight hundred head of cattle
and still growing.
He certainly looks it.
- How's your girl?
- Oh, she's not my girl anymore.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
- She's my wife.
He's not only making money,
he's making jokes now too.
You look pretty prosperous yourself Peter.
Oh, this is just a front.
I'm in a new business now.
Radio. But, believe me,
it'll never replace the phonograph.
- Play one of those Pete.
- I'd better get these in some water.
Open some of that candy.
I'll be back in a second.
- How's your law practice Ed?
- Booming.
I'm saving my money
so I can buy back Manhattan Island.
- Can I help?
- No, I'll manage, thanks.
Ed, I can't tell you how happy I am
to see you all.
- Jim will be too.
- How is the old war horse?
- I never hear from him anymore.
- He's fine.
- Sure?
- Course, I'm sure.
Ed, I'm worried.
Something is happened to Jim.
Something is gone out of him.
Jimmy's death twisted him inside.
It's almost as though he blamed himself.
I can't seem to reach him anymore.
He's still playing great football.
Only Jim could keep playing football and...
Yes, I know. It gets around.
He spends his time with people
he wouldn't have wasted 10 minutes on before.
They flatter them, he buys them drinks.
They tell him what he wants to hear.
Ed, if he'd only quit playing football.
His heart isn't in it.
He always wanted to be a coach,
he won't admit it.
Margaret, I...
Hey, what's all the gabbing?
We're wasting good music in there.
Come on Margaret.
- Oh, grab the vase, water boy.
- Water boy.
- You're still the greatest dancer.
- Water boy.
- Hello Jim.
- Jim.
How are you, Bright Path?
Carlisle, Carlisle, Indians, Indians, yeah.
Gosh, it's good to see you fellows.
Little Boy, how I've missed you.
I wouldn't have this
if I had you around to block for me.
- But I'd have a busted knee.
- Gee, you look great.
- You mean it?
- I've never seen you look better.
- Gee, I never felt better.
- Still checking your press notices, I see.
Yeah. That's right.
There's a hot one in there today
by this fellow named Lacey.
Sit down, I'll read it you.
Sure. Pull up a chair, Little Boy. Sit down.
He starts off by saying that I'm a champion
in everything I ever tried.
Then he says,
So it is with deep regret
that we witness the perceptible breakup.
Breakup, get that. Of the greatest
athletic machine of all time.
A breakup
that might have been postponed for years
if he stayed in training.
- What do you think of a drip like that, eh?
- Oh, well...
He should've seen me
against the Packers last week.
- I ran 70 yards for a touchdown, 70 yards.
- Is that right?
Margaret. Margaret, tell them what I did
to the Bulldogs out in Cleveland.
Well, go on, tell them.
- He ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.
- What else?
He caught a pass
and ran for another touchdown.
- How many yards?
- Forty-eight.
And that's not all. I made six more points.
I kicked two extra drop-kicks.
Does that sound like I'm breaking up?
Well, does it?
Poor fellow.
Maybe I will come back and help him.
Well...
- Well fellas, I think we'd better be going.
- Oh, now wait a minute. You just got here.
There's a million things I want to ask you.
I know but it's less
than two hours to game time,
and I think you better get some rest,
you broken-down old war horse.
Well, when am I going to see you again?
How about Thanksgiving dinner
after the game at Antonio's?
- Oh, that's fine.
- Good.
The gathering of the tribe.
- How about it Margaret?
- I'd love to.
- I'm sorry you're leaving.
- Bye Margaret.
- Bye Pete.
- See you tonight Jim.
- We'll meet you at 7:00.
- We'll see you tonight.
- Show us something out there today Jim.
- You bet I will.
Be great
to see that old fireball in action again.
And how. And I don't mean Hi.
- Goodbye Jim.
- So long Jim.
Goodbye Margaret.
I never realized how much I missed them.
It was wonderful seeing them all again,
wasn't it?
It sure was.
Darling, why don't you lie down for awhile?
- You've got plenty of time.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I think I will.
My goodness, whatever am I going to do
with all this candy?
He's a liar Jimmy.
He's a liar.
We Thorpes never break up. He's a liar.
- Which one of you guys is Lacey?
- I'm Lacey.
Well, I'm Thorpe.
I didn't hear from Jim after that,
but I never lost track of him.
Once in a while bits of news
about him drifted back.
Rather disturbing news.
Put him down.
Come on.
- Jim, old boy, you sure are.
- Drinks on you, Buck.
- Ok. Set them up.
- Hey. Wait a minute. I won, didn't I?
- You certainly did.
- They're on me.
You got a letter from Ed.
Yeah? What's he say?
He's established title
to your government land in Oklahoma.
A hundred and sixty acres.
Isn't that wonderful?
What's wonderful about it?
Well, I thought...
I mean Ed says
it will have to be sold for taxes
unless somebody goes back and works it.
Yeah, well, let him sell it.
I'd like to see Ed go back.
That's what I'd like to see.
- Ed is a lawyer.
- Yeah? Well, I'm a football player.
You can't be a football player forever.
Oh, stop nagging me. Let me alone, will you?
We could borrow enough on the land
so we could build a little house.
It would be good for us, for both of us.
I don't say it has to be forever.
But just long enough so that we could...
They'd all like to see me go back
to the reservation, wouldn't they?
You'd like to see me go back, wouldn't you?
- Jim, I didn't say that.
- Good old Jim Thorpe.
Back in the blanket where he belongs.
Sitting in front of a teepee
smoking a corncob pipe.
Can't get into any trouble.
- No money, no firewater.
- Jim please.
- Stupid, illiterate Indian boy.
- Jim, stop.
Make plenty of fine, handmade moccasins.
Bracelets with pretty beads.
Sell them to tourists at the railway station.
Make lots of fine wampum for squaws.
Stop it, stop it.
- Raise lots of papooses.
- Stop it.
- Teach them to beg from tourists.
- Stop it. Stop it.
I see you're here, anyhow.
People that sleep with their clothes on.
I don't understand it.
She took everything with her.
Your wife left early this morning
and didn't pay the bill.
$27.50 Mr.Thorpe. $27.50.
Two-and-a-half weeks.
I warn you, we don't tolerate deadbeats
and I have the authorities behind me on that.
I suppose it's some sort
of a game you two work.
She sneaks out with everything of value
and you wait to be thrown out.
Now, don't try any rough stuff,
I got the authorities behind me.
Just because you're a football player
doesn't mean to say that I'm afraid of you.
I want this room by noon
and my money before you leave.
$27.50 Mr.Thorpe. $27.50.
And don't try to sneak out, either.
The authorities are friends of mine
and we know what to do
with deadbeats in this town.
- Hey, where you going?
- You the manager?
- Yeah. I'm running the show.
- Can you use a back?
I can always use a back.
Why? You know where I can find one?
- I can go.
- With what?
- Try me.
- Forget it, old-timer. Beat it.
Hey.
Wait. Wait a minute.
- Aren't you...
- Yeah.
Yeah.
- You got anything left Jim?
- I can still go.
- These kids are rough.
- I can handle them.
- Got your suit in there?
- Yeah.
Ok. If you start I'll pay you 10 bucks.
- Ten bucks?
- That's it Jim.
Alright.
- Where do I...
- You'll find some stuff in the locker room.
- Throw that bum out.
- Let's see some action.
- Let me carry the ball again.
- We'll wind up behind the goal post.
- Let me take it again, I tell you.
- Ok Jim. Take fullback.
Thirty-two on two.
Hut, one, two, three.
He's out.
- Harrison for Thorpe.
- Harrison for Thorpe.
Here it is. Here it is.
The greatest dance marathon in all history.
Don't fail to see this phenomenal spectacle
while you're in Los Angeles.
You can see the greatest athlete
of all times in person.
Jim Thorpe, the great Olympic champion.
Couple number 17.
On the floor for 42 hours without a break.
Let's give the little lady a big hand.
This turkey is laying
the biggest egg in history.
Well, we sold tickets for this rat race,
we got to go through with it.
But we don't need that cigar-store Indian.
Give him five bucks and let him blow.
I want to call your attention
to our orchestra ladies...
Hey.
- Hello Jim.
- Hello.
Hello Pop.
I saw the ad for this thing in the paper.
- It's been a long time Jim.
- Yeah.
Last I heard you were playing ball
somewhere in the middle west.
Yeah, well, I, I've
been moving around a lot, you know.
- What have you been doing?
- I'm coaching up at Stanford now.
Oh, yeah, yeah. That's right.
I heard about that.
Stanford Indians, isn't it?
- You seem to stick with the Indians.
- Yes, I guess it's a weakness.
Who do you suppose came up last fall
to see the big game?
Little Boy. With his wife and kids.
They look great. All of them.
Do you ever hear anything about...
- Margaret?
- Margaret married again.
- Is she, is she alright?
- Yes, fine. Fine.
Jim, that offer I made you a long time ago
still stands.
Forget it Pop.
Well, I guess you know what you want.
I've got a couple of tickets for the
opening of the Olympics tomorrow.
I thought you might like to come with me.
No, thanks.
Why don't you just come
for the opening ceremony?
You mean all that flag-waving routine?
That rah-rah stuff?
No, I've had my bellyful of Olympics Pop.
You can always walk out, you know.
Look Pop.
Why don't you mind your own business?
Oh, come Jim. What's the matter with you?
Now, will you get out of here
and leave me alone?
It's been nice seeing you.
Well, I can't say it's been nice seeing you.
Somewhere along the line
you've gone completely haywire.
You've picked up the idea
the world owes you something.
Well, it doesn't owe you a thing.
So you've had some tough ones.
You've been kicked around.
They took your medals away from you.
So what?
All I can say is
that when the real battle started,
the great Jim Thorpe
turned out to be a powder puff.
Thanks for the sermon,
but you're wasting your time.
Yes, I guess I am at that.
Step lively please. Tickets.
Tickets, folks.
Step lively. Ok. Tickets.
Have your tickets ready.
Ladies and gentlemen. This is the day.
The vast Memorial Coliseum
in Los Angeles is jammed
with over 100,000 spectators
waiting for the opening
of the 1932 Olympic Games.
Here they come, the athletes of all nations.
And here comes the final contingent,
ladies and gentlemen,
the athletes of the United States of America.
Ladies and gentleman,
the Vice President of the United States,
Charles Curtis, is entering his box.
Listen to the ovation
the crowd is giving him.
The announcer forgot to add
just one thing Jim.
Or maybe he didn't think it was necessary.
Charles Curtis, Indian.
In the name
of the President of the United States,
I proclaim open
the Olympic Games of Los Angeles,
celebrating the 10th Olympiad
of the modern era.
We swear that we will take part
in the Olympic Games in loyal competition
respecting the regulations which govern them
and desirous of participating in them
in the true spirit of sportsmanship
for the honor of our country
and for the glory of sport.
Well, I have to be running along Jim.
I have some boys down there, you know.
Try to make something of yourself.
Be something.
You'll make your people proud of you.
Too many Indian boys take the easy way.
They quit school
and go back to the reservation.
- Thorpe, Thorpe, Thorpe.
- Thorpe, Thorpe, Thorpe.
There's only one thing
that really gets to me.
That's sports.
That's what I want to be Pop, a coach.
But you're a member of a team.
Just remember that.
Charles Curtis, Indian.
All I can say is
that when it came to the real battle,
the great Jim Thorpe
turned out to be a powder puff.
Hey.
You broke our ball.
- What goes on here?
- I ran over the kids' football.
Sorry boys but you'd better get moving.
You're blocking traffic.
- Hey, I guess this patch is going to hold.
- Blow it up and let's try it.
Boy, I'd love to slug that guy in the truck.
So would I.
- Here. Try this one.
- Holy smoke.
- A brand-new ball.
- A regulation leaguer.
Gosh, can we use it mister?
- Whose is it?
- It's yours.
Oh boy.
Let's try it.
Hey, wait a minute. Hold it, hold it.
Well, come here.
If you fellas are going to use a new football
you ought to learn how to use it right.
That was a pretty bad play.
- What was the matter with it?
- Yeah. Yeah.
It was sloppy, that's all.
Why, you don't block a man
by pushing your elbows in his face.
You hit him with your shoulder. Like this.
And you, when you tackle a man,
don't tackle him around the neck.
Grab him low. Down here.
The main thing is to keep your head up,
your eyes open and your back straight.
Is that clear?
Yeah, got it.
Gosh, he knows all about football.
- You're telling me.
- We're playing a big game next week.
- Will you help us, eh? Will you?
- Yeah, will you?
Yeah.
Sure, I'll help you.
There's some guy downtown
putting up a couple of medals.
We'd sure like to win them.
- Well, let's just play to win the game, eh?
- Ok, Coach.
Come on boys, let's go.
Coach.
Here she comes.
And so Jim found himself
and was again on the true path,
the bright path, teaching and helping
young people everywhere.
This was his greatest victory
and tonight the state of Oklahoma
adds another great name,
another portrait to its hall of fame.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the man whose achievements and records
will live forever in the annals of sports.
Acclaimed by the American press as the
greatest athlete in the past half-century,
Jim Thorpe, All-American!